Trump Declares: ‘Only Important Presidents Face Assassination Attempts’
Donald Trump kicked off his campaign once again on Tuesday, September 18, making a bold statement following a recent assassination attempt against him. Speaking at a town hall meeting in Flint, Michigan, He declared, “Only consequential presidents get shot at,” while also thanking Vice President Kamala Harris for reaching out to him after the incident.
The event, held in Flint—a city once known for its thriving auto industry—drew enthusiastic supporters as Trump linked the foiled attack at his Florida golf course to his strong stance on tariffs for car imports from Mexico and China.
“And then you wonder why I get shot at, right?” he remarked, positioning himself as a defender of American manufacturing jobs.
Harris, campaigning in Pennsylvania, confirmed she had contacted Trump to ensure his well-being. In an interview with the National Association of Black Journalists, she stated, “There’s no place for political violence in our country.” Trump responded positively, saying Harris “could not have been nicer” during their conversation.
The former president has suggested that the would-be shooter was influenced by the rhetoric of Biden and Harris, who he claims portray him as a threat to democracy. At the town hall, supporters voiced their increased resolve to back Trump, with one retired autoworker, Donald Owen, asserting, “I believe that they want to kill Trump so that he cannot try to make his second term in office.”
Trump also positioned himself as the savior of the U.S. auto industry, emphasizing the stakes for American manufacturing. “If a tragedy happens, and we don’t win, there will be zero car jobs,” he warned, reflecting the high stakes he associates with the upcoming election.
In a moment of confusion, Trump discussed fossil fuel drilling and mistakenly referenced Bagram—a military airbase in Afghanistan—when he meant to mention Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
Meanwhile, Harris addressed troubling narratives spread by Trump, particularly a false story alleging that Haitian immigrants were harming pets in Ohio, which led to bomb threats and school closures.
“It’s a crying shame,” she said, urging an end to such “hateful rhetoric” and underscoring the responsibility of presidential candidates to avoid inciting fear.
Sunday’s assassination attempt was not his first close call; a previous incident in June left him with a bullet grazing his ear during a rally in Pennsylvania.
