The assassination attempt on Donald Trump: Staggering blow-by-blow account of how the ex-president was INCHES away from being murdered in front of the world... before springing up and issuing a defiant rallying call to America

Donald Trump pumped his fist successful nan aerial pinch humor streaming crossed his look seconds aft being changeable successful nan receptor by a gunman successful stunning images seen crossed nan world. 

The erstwhile president, 78, survived nan horrifying assassination effort erstwhile nan slug missed him by little than an inch connected Saturday afternoon, astatine a rally successful Butler, Pennsylvania. 

It came 8 minutes aft he took nan shape astatine 6:03pm ET, wherever Trump began his remarks and pointed to a ample schematic successful nan aforesaid guidance wherever nan shooter was perched atop an AGR International building. 

At nan aforesaid moment, Trump supporters said they spotted nan gunman - named arsenic Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20 - 'bear-crawling' crossed nan tile pinch a rifle, but claimed their warnings to Secret Service were ignored. 

'I’m reasoning to myself "Why is Trump still speaking, why person they not pulled him disconnected nan stage,''' 1 witnesser told nan BBC. 'The adjacent point you know, 5 shots ringing out.' 

1PM 

The grounds to nan arena astatine Butler Farm Show opened astatine 1pm. 

It began an hours-long build up that saw MAGA supporters instantly move into nan area to campy out. 

Security swept nan area and group up perimeters, nevertheless questions person been raised complete really nan gunman was capable to unafraid a clear changeable conscionable 400ft from nan stage. 

5PM 

An hr earlier Trump took nan shape astatine astir 5pm, erstwhile GOP Senate campaigner Sean Parnell warmed up nan crowd, bringing cheers arsenic he slammed President Biden and his stuttering campaign. 

With nan sun still precocious connected a agleam day, Trump emerged to 'God Bless nan USA' playing complete nan loudspeakers astatine 6:03pm, and remained waving and shaking his fist astatine nan crowd for respective minutes. 

6:10PM 

Trump brought retired a ample schematic pinch statistic connected nan migrant situation astatine nan confederate border, and told nan crowd astatine 6:10pm: 'That chart's a mates of months old...' 

'If you want to really spot thing that's sad, return a look astatine what happened,' Trump continued - earlier he abruptly grabbed nan broadside of his caput arsenic respective 'pops' filled nan arena space. 

6:11PM 

The 78-year-old dropped to nan level successful an instant arsenic 5 much shots rang overhead successful speedy succession, earlier 4 Secret Service agents raced to nan shape and dove connected apical of nan erstwhile president. 

Stunning images showed Trump cowered connected nan level arsenic agents protected him, pinch humor dripping down his cheek. 

Several much Secret Service agents continued to flood nan stage, while 4 heavy equipped officers lined nan perimeter ordering attendees to 'get down.' 

The sniper, sat 400ft crossed from nan rally connected an exposed rooftop, fired different changeable astatine nan shape a 2nd later while Trump fans streamed retired of nan bleachers. 

Secret Service scrambled to return power of nan pandemonium wherever 3 attendees were hit, 1 fatally, wrong a matter of seconds. 

6:13PM 

An emergency room expert pinch humor spattered connected his garment later said he sprang into action to execute emergency CPR connected 1 victim. 

'The feline had spun astir was jammed betwixt nan benches and a caput changeable here. There's tons of humor and he had encephalon matter,' he told CBS News. 

'So I sewage him together truthful I sewage group location really helpful. I did CPR thorax compressions arsenic well.' 

6:14PM 

Microphones surrounding nan shape picked up staggering item of nan urgent response, opening pinch one ordering screaming group to 'get down, get down, get down.' 

At nan aforesaid moment, snipers group up connected a tile adjacent to bleachers were seen firing backmost astatine nan gunman, pinch Secret Service agents surrounding Trump heard connected microphones confirming nan infinitesimal he was brought down. 

'Are we good?' 1 antheral supplier says, arsenic different responds quickly: 'Shooter down!' 

'Shooter's down. Are we bully to move?' 1 says next. 'We're clear, we're clear, we're clear - let's move.' 

Trump many times ordered nan agents to 'let maine get my shoes', to which 1 responds: 'I sewage you sir, I sewage you.' 

Despite nan chaos flying astir nan scene, nan rally appeared to clasp its activity to spot if Trump was hit. 

In a move that sparked iconic images group to specify his candidacy, Trump stood up and triumphantly held his fist successful nan air, pumping it astatine his supporters to raucous relief. 

'USA, USA, USA,' nan crowd chanted astatine nan sight, pinch a blood-spattered Trump appearing to rima nan connection 'fight' respective times arsenic Secret Service tried to hurry him away. 

While getting up disconnected nan floor, an supplier picked up a achromatic cloth and held it to Trump's bleeding ear, telling him to 'hold that connected your head, it's bloody.' 

The gunman was killed by agents soon aft opening fire, arsenic footage emerged online showing him look to beryllium changeable successful nan caput while crouched connected nan roof. 

Crooks was seen laying lifeless connected nan rooftop successful a later image, surrounded by rule enforcement stood complete him.  

A number of camouflaged rule enforcement officers emerged from nan broadside of nan stage, portion of a immense rule enforcement beingness that flooded nan area wrong minutes of nan first changeable was fired. 

At 6:14pm, Trump was whisked into his motorcade by astir twelve Secret Service agents, who formed a protective quality shield astir him. 

Before he sewage into his SUV, Trump again raised his fist to signify triumphantly surviving nan assassination attempt. 

6:42PM  

Despite seeing Trump activity his fist successful nan air, soundlessness connected nan erstwhile president's information was only surgery astatine 6:42pm, erstwhile Trump run spokesperson Steven Cheung issued a connection -saying he was 'fine.' 

'(Trump) acknowledgment rule enforcement and first responders for their speedy action during this heinous act,' Cheung added. 

Although nan shooter was killed wrong a matter of moments, his decease was only confirmed by 7:24pm by the Butler County District Attorney. 

Trump was taken to infirmary successful nan contiguous aftermath, and insiders gradually leaked reassuring specifications stressing that he was safe and successful 'good spirits' considering nan near-death experience. 

8:13PM 

President Biden was spending nan play successful Rehoboth Beach successful Delaware, and astatine 8:13pm he delivered a little two-minute reside connected nan incident from his location state. 

He described nan shooting arsenic 'sick' and said he had attempted to get into interaction pinch his 2024 opponent, which he later said he did truthful later successful nan evening. 

8:42PM  

Half an hr later astatine 8:42pm, Trump took to Truth Social to break his soundlessness complete nan effort connected his life. 

'It is unthinkable that specified an enactment tin return spot successful our Country. Nothing is known astatine this clip astir nan shooter, who is now dead,' Trump said astatine nan time. 

'I was changeable pinch a slug that pierced nan precocious portion of my correct ear. 

'I knew instantly that thing was incorrect successful that I heard a whizzing sound, shots, and instantly felt nan slug ripping done nan skin. Much bleeding took place, truthful I realized past what was happening. GOD BLESS AMERICA!' 

MIDNIGHT  

At nan extremity of a chaotic and history defining day, Trump landed successful New Jersey connected Trump Force One conscionable earlier midnight. 

Trump's run head of communications Margo Martin shared a clip of nan erstwhile president descending his plane's steps. 

'Strong and resilient,' she captioned nan video. 'He will ne'er extremity fighting for America.'