Byron Donalds says Trump's assassination attempt has given ex-POTUS 'new sense of purpose' to resume 2024 election campaign
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WASHINGTON, DC: Rep Byron Donalds (R-Fla) stated that Donald Trump has gained a "new sense of purpose" in his presidential campaign following an assassination attempt against him on July 13.
In an interview on CNN on Monday, July 15, Donalds said, “I don’t want to speak for him, but knowing him, his mind getting back to business getting back to working hard for the American people."
Rep Byron Donalds says Donald Trump's assassination attempt renewed his energy for campaigning
Byron Donalds noted that "the assassination attempt, which obviously would be chilling for anybody, what it has done for the president is, it has given him a new sense of purpose, focus and energy to move forward with this campaign and get back into the White House.”
The representative for Florida said that he had spoken with several members of Donald Trump's senior team who have assured him that the former president is in "good spirits."
The incident took place on July 13, during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania where shots were fired, injuring Trump and killing a spectator.
Two other attendees of the rally who were wounded were listed as stable on Sunday, July 14, according to The Hill.
The FBI identified the shooter as Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania. Authorities fatally shot the assassin just moments after he began firing from a rooftop near the rally site.
Donald Trump's call for unity after shooting incident
Less than a day after the horrifying incident, Donald Trump attended the GOP convention in Milwaukee on Sunday, July 14.
Speaking about his decision to attend the convention despite the traumatic event on Saturday, Trump said, “I cannot allow a ‘shooter,’ or potential assassin, to force change to scheduling, or anything else.”
He also revealed that he is changing his planned speech for the event to focus on unity in the aftermath of the assassination attempt.
"The speech I was going to give on Thursday was going to be a humdinger,” the former president said in an interview with the Washington Examiner.
“Had this not happened, this would’ve been one of the most incredible speeches,” aimed to his at President Joe Biden's policies," said the 78-year-old presidential candidate.
“Honestly, it’s going to be a whole different speech now. This is a chance to bring the whole country, even the whole world, together," he continued.
"The speech will be a lot different, a lot different than it would’ve been two days ago,” Trump added.
