In the frenzied minutes and even hours after the unsuccessful assassination attempt against Donald Trump Saturday, photos that quickly became iconic poured out. Trump, blood running down his face, raising his fist; Trump, on the ground, surrounded by Secret Service agents.
It was only later that people realized one photographer had actually caught the bullet nearing the former and perhaps future president’s head:
A remarkable photo captured by my former White House Press Corps colleague Doug Mills.
— Haraz N. Ghanbari (@HarazGhanbari) July 14, 2024
Zoom in right above President Trump’s shoulder and you’ll see a bullet flying in the air to the right of President Trump’s head following an attempted assassination. pic.twitter.com/FqmLBCytoW
RedState’s Nick Arama brought you the story:
Now the photo has been verified, and the photographer behind it, The New York Times’ Doug Mills, revealed the details behind the fascinating moment in an appearance Monday on Fox News:
"I just happened to be down, shooting with a wide angle lens just below the president when he was speaking. There was a huge flag waving right above his head, and I just happened to be taking pictures at the same time," he told "America's Newsroom" in Milwaukee.
"Then, when I heard the pops, I guess I kept hitting on the shutter, and then I saw him reach for his [ear]. He grimaced and grabbed his hand and looked. It was blood, and then he went down, and I thought, 'Dear God, he's been shot,'" he continued.
WON'T BACK DOWN: Injured Trump Pumps Fist As Blood Streams Down Face
He described the utter chaos that ensued:
"All I could see was them, and [they're] holding their guns and guns are out everywhere and everybody's yelling, ‘Get down, get down, get down! Active shooter, active shooter!’" he recalled.
"I probably did not do the smartest thing by running right at it, but that's what [photojournalists do.]."
Watch:
New York Times photographer Doug Mills discusses his photograph of a bullet whizzing by Donald Trump:
— The American Conservative (@amconmag) July 15, 2024
“I saw him grimace and grab his head, there was blood, and then he went down. I thought, ‘Dear God, he’s been shot."pic.twitter.com/FuByXIQPG3
It was only later Mills realized he might have been taking snaps at the exact moment of the shooting.
"I was like, ‘Oh, hell. I remember taking pictures of him when this happened. Let me go back and look.’ I started looking at it. I started sending them right away, and I called one of the editors and said, ‘Please look at these really closely. This might have been near the moment where he was shot,’" he said.
"She called me back like five minutes later and said, 'You won't believe this.' She goes, ‘We actually see a bullet flying behind his head, and I was like, ’Oh my gosh.'"
It’s the type of picture that can change a photographer’s life. It also shows us in vivid detail just how lucky —or blessed—Trump and this country were in avoiding a historic tragedy.
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