‘Had To Be Documented’: Photojournalist Behind Historic Trump Assassination Attempt Images Reflects On Attack

Evan Vucci, an Associated Press (AP) photojournalist who captured striking images of the aftermath of Saturday’s assassination attempt on former President Trump reflected on the harrowing event in a video released by the outlet.

Amidst the chaos of the shooting at Trump’s campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, the Pulitzer Prize winning photojournalist captured a series of photographs of a bloodied Trump, surrounded by agents of the United States Secret Service, raising his fist to rally the shaken crowd.

Vucci later recounted the dramatic moments he experienced during the assasination attempt.

Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump raises his fist as he is rushed off stage after an assassination attempt during a campaign rally in Butler, Pa. @apnews pic.twitter.com/VoAYqRC4QV

— Evan Vucci (@evanvucci) July 14, 2024

“I was right in front of the stage, directly in front of stage. It was a normal rally. You know, I’ve done it hundreds of times. And, over my left shoulder, I heard several pops, and I knew immediately it was gunfire,” Vucci told the AP. (RELATED: HOUSMAN: Of Course Trump Got Shot — It Just Took One Nutjob Taking Democrats Seriously)

The attack left the former president with a visible wound as described by Vucci.

“And then as he’s walking down the ramp, he started fist pumping to the crowd and waving. And I did notice he had blood coming down his face, as you can see in the photos. The agents took him down the ramp, and they put him into an SUV. And, again, as he was getting into the SUV, he also started pumping his fist again,” Vucci continued.

“At the moment I heard the shots being fired I knew that this was a moment in American history that had to be documented,” Vucci said, reflecting on the role of journalists in such critical times. “It’s our job as journalists to do this work.”