US presidential candidate Donald Trump has stated that he is “supposed to be dead” following Saturday night’s assassination attempt at a rally in Pennsylvania.
In one of his first interviews after the incident, Mr. Trump told conservative US media that he believed he had been saved “by luck or by God.”
“The most incredible thing was that I happened to not only turn [my head] but to turn at the exact right time and in just the right amount,” he said, adding that the bullet that grazed his ear could have easily killed him.
“I’m supposed to be dead; I’m not supposed to be here,” he said.
A spectator was killed in the attack, while two others were critically injured.
Thomas Matthew Crooks, the gunman, has also died.
“The energy coming from the people there in that moment, they just stood there. It’s hard to describe what that felt like, but I knew the world was looking.
“I knew that history would judge this, and I knew I had to let them know we were OK,” he told the Washington Examiner. ”
Mr. Trump claimed he now had a “chance to bring the country together” as he prepared to board an aircraft to the forthcoming Republican National Convention (RNC) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where he is anticipated to be confirmed as the party’s presidential nominee.
He stated that his address will now be completely different than the “humdinger” directed mostly at current President Joe Biden’s programmes that he had originally planned.
“Had [Saturday’s attack] not happened, this would’ve been one of the most incredible speeches.
“Honestly, it’s going to be a whole different speech now. It is a chance to bring the country together.”
Earlier, Mr. Trump announced on his social media network, Truth Social, that he planned to postpone his trip to Wisconsin by two days.
However, he stated that he was sticking to his original itinerary because “I cannot allow a’shooter,’ or potential assassin, to force a change to scheduling”.
Mr. Trump stated that the assassination attempt “has had an impact” on him.
Crooks, the 20-year-old would-be assassin who was shot dead by the Secret Service at the spot, had a mysterious purpose.
The FBI stated that, while its investigation indicated Crooks acted alone, it would continue to investigate if the kitchen worker received assistance.
The spectator slain in Saturday’s attack has been identified as Corey Comperatore, a 50-year-old volunteer fire chief who died while protecting his family.
Following the incident, President Biden issued a televised statement urging the “temperature of politics” to be cooled.
“We cannot, must not, go down this road again. We’ve travelled it before in our history,” said Mr. Biden, listing off a growing number of violent political acts that have taken place in the US in recent years.
“In America, we resolve our differences at the ballot box,” he added. “At the ballot box. Not with bullets.”
![Rev. Fr. Anthony Odiong, a US-based Nigerian Louisiana Catholic priest, was arrested in Florida on Tuesday for possessing child pornography, according to law authorities. The suspect is reportedly accused of many other cases of sexual assault. The Waco, Texas, Police Department announced in a Facebook post on Tuesday that officers detained Father Anthony Odiong in Ave Maria, Florida, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service. Waco police announced in March that they had received "credible information" about a sexual assault allegedly committed by Odiong in Texas in 2012. “During the subsequent investigation, a case of possession of child pornography was uncovered,” the police said. The priest was apprehended in Florida by the Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force. The Waco Police Department said that he will be extradited to Texas. Odiong had previously served in the Archdiocese of New Orleans before being removed as priest in December of last year due to controversy over homilies in which he claimed, among other things, that the Catholic Church was being taken over by "the gays." At the time, the priest was also accused of abusive behaviour; a Louisiana lady claimed in U.S. bankruptcy court that Odiong had committed both financial and sexual abuse against her. Prior to joining the New Orleans Archdiocese, Odiong served in at least two Texas parishes. On Tuesday, Waco police stated that during their sexual assault investigation, "the presence of other survivors was revealed." “Multiple women have come forward to tell similar experiences as the sexual assault survivor who reported the initial allegation,” the police department said. “Survivors’ experiences ranged from sexual assault and indecent assault, more commonly recognised as groping, and financial abuse, with some survivors experiencing every element of Anthony Odiong’s manipulation.” The police said they “believe there may be more survivors, and we wish to speak with anyone who [has] had similar encounters” with the priest. The Archdiocese of New Orleans issued a brief news release on Tuesday noting Odiong's arrest in Florida. The archdiocese “encourages anyone with any information to contact law enforcement,” the release said.](https://chronicle.ng/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/ezgif-6-4730550ede-450x300.jpg "Odiong: US-based Nigerian Catholic priest convicted over sexual assault")