Trump says presidency is a 'dangerous profession' as he reflects on Butler assassination attempt
🚨 NOW: President Trump drops this line after today is 2 years since they shot him in the head
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) July 13, 2026
"Being president is a very DANGEROUS profession."
"5.2% of the presidents are killed, 8.5% are shot."
"No other industry that anyone can think of!"
Patriot 🇺🇸 https://t.co/xUNfzxzriH pic.twitter.com/90rOeo8y7V
WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump marked the second anniversary of the Butler, Pennsylvania, assassination attempt by describing the presidency as an unusually dangerous job while reflecting on the attack and the continued threats he says he faces.
His comments came during a Fox News interview, Monday, July 13, in which he was asked about 2024 shooting and the recent assassination threats involving Iran. Trump used the conversation to argue that the risks of serving as president have reshaped how he views the office.
Trump reflects on risks of the presidency
When asked how he felt on the anniversary of the Butler rally shooting, Trump recalled a conversation he once had with Fox host Ainsley Earhardt before he first sought the presidency.
"I once told her a long time ago. I said, 'This is a very dangerous. Being president is a very dangerous profession,'" Trump said.
He then joked that if Earhardt had warned him earlier, he might have made a different decision.
"I said, 'Why didn't you tell me that, Ainsley? I wouldn't have run.' But now the press will take that and they'll say, 'He wished he didn't run,' because they're sick," Trump said before adding that he was speaking sarcastically.
Trump returned to the joke later in the interview, saying, "So Ainsley should have told me that when we talked about it many years ago, right, Ainsley?"
Trump compares presidency to other dangerous jobs
Trump also compared the dangers of serving as president with other high-risk professions, arguing that the historical odds of presidents being targeted set the office apart.
"So it's 5.2 percent of the presidents basically are killed. Eight, eight and a half percent are shot at or shot," he said, referencing past attacks on American presidents, including Gerald Ford and Theodore Roosevelt.
He noted that Roosevelt survived after a bullet struck items he was carrying in his pocket before reaching his chest.
Calling the numbers extraordinary, Trump said, "It's a dangerous. Five point two percent are assassinated."
He contrasted that with race car driving and bull riding, saying those professions have significantly lower fatality rates despite their reputations for danger.
"There's no other industry that anybody can think of like it," Trump said.
Butler attack remains central to Trump's security concerns
Trump's remarks came two years after the July 13, 2024 campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, where a bullet grazed his upper right ear during an assassination attempt.
As per the CBS News, Secret Service agents rushed him off the stage after gunfire erupted, and the FBI later identified the gunman as Thomas Matthew Crooks. Trump was seen raising his fist and shouting "Fight!" before leaving the rally, the outlet cited.
The anniversary interview also followed renewed attention on threats against Trump after he recently warned Iran against carrying out any assassination plot.
Trump has said he has been on Iran's target list for years and recently told Fox News he continues serving despite the heightened security risks, using the Butler shooting anniversary to reflect on what he described as the unique dangers that come with occupying the presidency.
