When Salena Zito arrived at Donald Trump’s campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, 2024, she was hoping to interview the then-presidential candidate after the main event. She has a long history of speaking to Trump; his number is saved on her phone. But this time, she got a text from White House chief of staff Susie Wiles. “President Trump thinks that five minutes after the rally is too short for an interview,” wrote his campaign manager. “He would really like it if you and your photographers would fly from Butler to Bedminster so you could do a full interview.”
Salena agreed, and was asked to watch the rally from the buffer zone in front of the stage, so she’d be ready to leave with Trump’s entourage as soon as it was over. She was there with her daughter Shannon, a photojournalist, and her son-in-law, Michael. They were mere feet away from Trump when the bullets came flying.
Salena described what happened in a piece published by The Free Press the same day titled “I Was Four Feet Away When I Heard the Bullets.” Since then, she’s written a book about watching the president get shot. It’s called Butler: The Untold Story of the Near Assassination of Donald Trump and the Fight for America’s Heartland—and it’s out tomorrow.
Salena’s interview with the president was canceled, of course, but the next day Trump called her several times. In the following excerpt of her new book, which we’re delighted to be publishing, Salena records what he said.
After reading it, we’re certain you’ll want to hear more from Salena, so later today, at 4 p.m. ET, she’ll be joining Peter Savodnik for a livestream chat about what happened in Butler. Click here to tune in. —The Editors
“Good morning, Salena! It’s Donald Trump. I wanted to see if you and your daughter Shannon and Michael are okay. And I wanted to apologize that we weren’t able to do the interview.”
I wasn’t quite sure how to respond to that. I had known that he was okay from the chatter in the holding area after the shooting, but I wasn’t expecting a call from him. So I did something I rarely do in a casual conversation, let alone when talking to a former president. I cussed like a truck driver.
“All due respect, Mr. President, but are you fucking kidding me? You’ve just been shot; I was only near you!” I blurted out, then immediately regretted it. I apologized, thinking of how my parents would not be happy.
He laughed. “Seriously, Salena, are you and your family okay?” he asked, clearly needing an answer.
I assured him we were fine, that I had spoken with both my daughter and Michael just an hour earlier and none of us felt rattled. All three of us were amazed that we weren’t feeling what we expected, but we agreed that someday it would hit us, just not now.
