July 13, 2024, A Day That Lives On In Human Memory Forever

“Presidential candidate Donald Trump took the stage at a routine campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, exactly a year ago, on July 13, 2024, one of hundreds he'd appeared at since announcing his first presidential campaign in 2015.” (Fox News, July 13, 2025).

“But this rally turned out unlike any other of his political career.” (Fox News)

No kidding! The only thing different about the Butler, Pa rally among hundreds of others, was that CNN was, for the first time, in attendance.

July 13, 2024 marks one year ago today that Donald Trump survived a shocking assassination attempt on his life.

People from all walks of life the world over will remember July 13, 2024 for the rest of their lives.

Because Canada Free Press posted most of Trump’s hundreds of rallies on its front page, we logged onto Right Side Broadcasting—and saw the Butler, Pennsylvania assassination attempt live.

At 6:11 p.m., on July 13, 2024 seeing Donald Trump go down, the horrified writer of this article told partner and CFP IT guy Brian Thompson, “Oh my God, they just shot Donald Trump!”

It seemed an eternally long few minutes before a watching world saw a wounded presidential candidate Donald Trump rise to his feet, to defiantly tell rally goers, “Fight!”, “Fight!” “Fight!”

The first telephone call we made was to CFP columnist David Merrick, whose wife Ilene answered the phone.

Of all the people then in our lives, the Merricks, who sent campaign donations from their credit cards to Donald Trump, seemed to us to love him the most.

“Then” because, David—bedridden at the time and loving father of two sons who preceded him in death, and heartbroken daughter, Kinsey—passed away six months later on November 29, 2024.

David’s grief-stricken wife tearfully told us of his death in a telephone call, made as paramedics were still on the scene, at their Colorado home.

Back on July 13, still shaken to the core, we made the 5-minute drive to a place called Lobster Bay, where the sight of God Almighty’s Atlantic Ocean, is breath-taking. Somehow the sound of the surf and the open sea soothed our tortured souls.

Surely, Crook’s motive was driven by hatred of Trump—or somebody’s hatred of Trump

Back in Butler, Pa:

“As Trump stood at the podium, with supporters holding signs that said" Joe Biden, you’re fired!" directly behind him, the president pointed to a chart detailing low illegal immigration numbers at the end of his first term and how they’d risen under the Biden administration. (Fox News)

"That chart's a couple of months old, and if you want to really see something that's sad, take a look at what happened," Trump said, halting as the sound of gunshots pierced the air.

“Moments later, Trump ducked, and Secret Service agents rushed to his side. More gunshots followed, and attendees fearfully screamed while Trump remained covered, waiting for the all-clear sign.

“Once given the green light, Secret Service personnel rose alongside Trump to escort him from the stage. But Trump didn’t hide himself from his supporters. Instead, he emerged from the huddle, raised his fist high in the air, and said "fight" three times, prompting the audience to erupt and chant "U-S-A!" as he exited.”

“Ultimately, 20-year-old gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks fired eight bullets at Trump from a rooftop during the rally, with a bullet grazing Trump’s ear. The gunman also killed Corey Comperatore, a 50-year-old firefighter, father and husband attending the rally, and injured two others.

“A Secret Service sniper killed Crooks during the shooting, and an FBI investigation remains in progress. No motive has been determined for why Crooks conducted the attack.”

Surely, Crook’s motive was driven by hatred of Trump—or somebody’s hatred of Trump.

“Classmates of Crooks have described Crooks as a "loner" subjected to bullying, and the FBI told reporters in August 2024 that Crooks likely suffered from an undiagnosed disorder. (Fox News)

"It was unforgettable," Trump said during an exclusive interview clip that aired Thursday on "My View with Lara Trump." "I didn’t know exactly what was going on. I got a whack.

"People were screaming, and I got down quickly, fortunately, because I think they shot eight bullets."

"So, to have him ask for that chart, eight minutes in, and to have it come on the side that was opposite, caused him to look in a different direction and lift his head just a little because it was higher, and that just doesn’t happen because it happened," she said. (Co-Campaign Chair Susie Wiles, Fox News)

"But it was a scary time, and it changed everything for us. The security became front and center, which it hadn't been before."

“The attack led to an overhaul of the Secret Service in the past year to prevent another attack like the one in Pennsylvania. The Department of Homeland Security issued a report in October 2024, which determined that if the Secret Service didn't enact reforms, another episode like the one in Pennsylvania was possible.”

Well as it turned out, just two months and two days later, a second attempt at Trump’s assassination by Ryan Routh was thwarted.

Related: Trump assassination suspect floats bizarre prisoner swap in letter to judge, asks why he can’t be executed

"The Secret Service does not perform at the elite levels needed to discharge its critical mission," the report said. "The Secret Service has become bureaucratic, complacent, and static even though risks have multiplied and technology has evolved.” (Fox News)

"Since then, the Secret Service has ushered in several key reforms to bolster its security measures and suspended six of its agents due to their response.

"Trump spoke about the attempt on his life days later at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, wearing a bandage on his ear and telling audience members he was "not supposed to be here tonight." In response, the crowd started to chant back, "Yes you are!”

"Many people say it was a providential moment. Probably was," Trump said at the convention. "When I rose, surrounded by Secret Service, the crowd was confused because they thought I was dead. And there was great, great sorrow. I could see that on their faces.

"As I looked out, they didn't know I was looking out. They thought it was over. But I could see it. I wanted to do something to let them know I was OK. I raised my right arm, looked at the thousands and thousands of people that were breathlessly waiting and started shouting, ‘Fight, fight, fight.’”

“Today, a painting depicting Trump's fist raised with blood smeared across his face stands in the White House's entrance hall.

“The incident is regarded as the most significant security failure by the Secret Service since the attempted assassination of President Ronald Reagan in 1981. The director of the Secret Service, Kimberly Cheatle, faced bipartisan calls for her resignation when she testified before the United States House Committee on Oversight and Accountability on July 22; she stepped down the following day. (Wikipedia)

A few days short of the July 13 death of her husband, grieving widow Helen Comperatore
is demanding accountability from the Secret Service.

Much has happened in the year that followed the Butler, Pa assassination attempt—but no further information about the failed assassin or his motives.

Incredibly, hatred of President Donald Trump, media dubbed DTS (Donald Trump Syndrome) is still very much alive and thriving.

Indeed, the political violence of our day has become almost commonplace.

Vile and heated violent anti-Trump rhetoric remains a cause celeb for the leftist progressive Democrats. Only yesterday Alexandria Casio Cortez openly called President Trump “a rapist”.

Nor has DTS remained contained in America.

In April DTS had seeped into the Canadian federal election, with leaders of both major political parties blaming Trump for all of Canada’s self-inflected woes.

But even in a growing more hostile-by-day world that keeps TDS alive, something far stronger is now at play. For the masses—with countless people who will remember July 13, 2024 forever— comes a remarkable reminder of Almighty God’s Providence, and the real life miracle that kept Donald Trump alive on that ever fateful day.

Related: Trump's 96 Rallies: Butler Rally Aired Live by CNN on July 13 Raises Questions After Assassination Attempt