On July 13, 2025, Republican lawmakers and officials marked the one-year anniversary of the Butler, Pennsylvania, assassination attempt on President Donald Trump, attributing his survival to divine intervention. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) declared, “God miraculously spared the life of President Trump,” sharing a video of Trump, bloodied but defiant, raising his fist after a bullet grazed his ear. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) echoed this, crediting “the grace of God” and praying for peace and the family of Corey Comperatore, a firefighter killed shielding his family at the rally.
The July 13, 2024, attack by 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, who fired eight shots from a rooftop, killed Comperatore and injured two others before being neutralized by Secret Service snipers. Trump, narrowly spared by turning his head to view a border crossings chart, has since embraced a narrative of divine purpose, stating in a recent interview, “God alone saved me for a righteous purpose.” A painting of his iconic fist pump now hangs in the White House.
Figures like Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Representative Elise Stefanik (R-NY) praised Trump’s resilience, with Bessent calling him “the most consequential president in generations.” The event, which galvanized Trump’s base, fueled a surge in evangelical support, with leaders like Ralph Reed noting a tenfold increase in social conservatives since the 1990s. Critics, however, argue the “divine right” rhetoric risks authoritarian overtones, citing Trump’s aggressive second-term policies.
The Secret Service, criticized for security lapses, has disciplined six agents and implemented 20 of 46 congressional recommendations. As Trump pushes for mass deportations and tariff hikes, the Butler anniversary underscores his movement’s blend of faith and defiance, shaping America’s polarized political landscape.
