Former U.S. President Donald Trump revealed he survived an assassination attempt at a campaign rally, attributing his survival to either luck or divine intervention. Speaking to the New York Post aboard his plane en route to Milwaukee for the Republican National Convention, Trump, 78, expressed his disbelief, saying, “I’m not supposed to be here, I’m supposed to be dead.”

The incident occurred on Saturday in Butler, Pennsylvania, where Trump was hit in the ear by a gunman during a rally. The attack left a bystander dead and two others wounded. Trump, with a white bandage covering his right ear, recounted how he narrowly avoided death by tilting his head slightly to read a chart on illegal immigrants. “By luck or by God, many people are saying it’s by God I’m still here,” he said.

Trump praised the Secret Service agents for their swift response, noting, “They took him out with one shot right between the eyes. They did a fantastic job.” The dramatic image of Trump raising a defiant fist as he was escorted away by Secret Service agents has gone viral, with Trump commenting, “A lot of people say it’s the most iconic photo they’ve ever seen. They’re right and I didn’t die. Usually you have to die to have an iconic picture.”

In the wake of the assassination attempt, Trump has decided to rewrite his speech for the Republican convention. Initially prepared to deliver a tough speech criticizing President Biden’s administration, Trump now aims to deliver a message of unity, though he remains skeptical about its feasibility, stating, “I don’t know if that’s possible. People are very divided.”

President Joe Biden has ordered a review of the incident, questioning how a 20-year-old man with an AR-15-style rifle managed to get close enough to shoot at Trump from a rooftop. As a former president, Trump has lifetime protection from the U.S. Secret Service.

Trump arrived in Milwaukee on Sunday, where he will be formally nominated as the Republican presidential candidate later this week. His campaign reported that he is recovering well. Reflecting on the harrowing experience, Trump told the Washington Examiner, “I rarely look away from the crowd. Had I not done that in that moment, well, we would not be talking today, would we?”

The assassination attempt has further intensified the already heated political atmosphere in the United States as the country heads towards the November 5th election.