Featured Image Credit: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
Topics: Donald Trump, Politics, US News
Rhianna Benson
Topics: Donald Trump, Politics, US News
President Donald Trump has come under fire for making light of the attempt made against his life last year, during which another civilian died.
In July 2024, whilst in the midst of his presidential campaign against Democratic representative Kamala Harris, Donald Trump delivered a speech during an open-air event near Butler, Pennsylvania.
Whilst addressing the public, the Republican leader was shot at by 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, who targeted the controversial politician with an AR-15-style rifle from the roof of a nearby building.
Eight rounds were fired at Trump at the time, one of which struck his right ear. Two other bullets critically injured a pair of audience members, whilst a third was tragically killed at the scene.
Advert
In the minutes that followed, Crooks was shot and killed by a member of the US Secret Service.
Trump's wife Melania previously told press of how the incident affected her family, confessing during a Fox News interview: "I always said to him, 'What is next?'.
"In one way, you’re not surprised, and with every event that happened, I kept thinking, 'What’s next? What are they trying to do?'. You always fear the worst, and then it happened."
Despite 54-year-old Melania's emotional admission, Trump appeared to poke fun at the incident during at exclusive private crypto dinner at his golf club in Virginia last week (22 May).
After unveiling his new $TRUMP meme coin, he could be heard asking crowd: "Did you know that just before the election, they went all crypto? You know that, right?" after which a loud thump could be heard in the audience.
"Whoops," Trump went on to respond, before taking his hand to his ear and smiling: "My ear!"
Despite the president's remark seemingly been received well by amused attendees, the joke hasn't gone down too well with social media spectators who responded after the video was shared online.
"Don’t forget about the spectator who died," one warned Trump, as another wrote on Instagram: "You shouldn’t be joking about that."
"It claimed the life of one of his supporters...but his ear. This didn't go as he planned," a third noted.
While another hit out: "This has to be the most disgusting display anyone has done this year."
Crooks' attempt on the right-wing leader's life wasn't the only near- assassination of Trump that occurred last year.
Weeks later, a man was arrested at the scene of the President's Mar-a-Lago, Florida estate, having been found with an AK-47-style weapon in his hands.
Reflecting on the incidents during his inauguration back in January, Trump told Capitol Rotunda attendees today: "I was saved by God to make America great again."