Trump shrugs off attempts on his life, calls them a sign of being ‘consequential’

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump, who has faced two assassination attempts on his life in the last few years, laughed off these attacks, arguing that they are proof that he is impactful and “consequential.”

In recent years, President Trump has faced two major assassination attempts. The first was at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, 2024, where he was grazed in the ear.

The second such attempt against the president was made on April 25, 2026, when a gunman opened fire at the White House Correspondents' Dinner at the Washington Hilton.

President Trump was targeted because he is 'consequential'

Talking to his former attorney Michael Cohen during a Sunday, August 23, interview on Cohen’s WABC 77 radio program in New York, President Donald Trump spoke about life-threatening attacks against him.

In the second part of the two-part interview with Trump, the two dived into additional topics, such as reports that Trump secretly boarded a separate military jet in response to a credible Iranian threat against his life.

Cohen, a former Trump critic, pointed out that this was only the latest in a series of attempts on the president's life.

The host, Michael Cohen, expressed his surprise over the attempts on the president's life, saying, "There is a huge difference between vehemently disagreeing with a policy and then trying to literally assassinate the president of the United States."

"The one thing I would say to that. If you read, only consequential presidents get shot," Trump quipped.

"I know. Maybe I'll have to become less consequential," Trump responded after Cohen requested that he not be consequential.

Trump says non-consequential presidents have it easier

Trump further said that presidents before him led a nicer life because they were not consequential.

"Obviously, it's gotten much, much tougher over the years. But it is true, consequential. You look at the people that were shot. You look at the people, even the attempts, but non-consequential presidents lead a much nicer life. You can see that with some of our recent presidents, where nothing was ever even thought about," Trump said.

While Trump acknowledged that the job of president is “dangerous,” he assured his well-wishers that he has  "great people" looking after him.

Cohen had been a frequent critic of President Trump before this interview with him.

In a Substack post he penned detailing the stunning reunion that was their first public conversation in nearly a decade, Cohen emphasized the importance of forgiveness despite the backlash he faced for the interview.