Former US President Donald Trump narrowly escaped an assassination attempt during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania.
Trump was grazed by a bullet on his ear while delivering a keynote speech on Saturday. Despite the incident, he proceeded to Milwaukee the following day, where he was officially named the Republican candidate for the upcoming November election.
In his first interview post-incident, Trump candidly told the NY Post, “I should be dead.” Reflecting on the shocking event, former BBC Royal Correspondent Michael Cole remarked that King Charles “can relate” to Trump’s ordeal, drawing parallels to the monarch’s own brush with danger in 1994.
Cole recalled the 1994 incident in Sydney, where a young man fired a starting pistol twice in King Charles’ direction. At the time, the Prince of Wales was safeguarded by Inspector Colin Trimming, who promptly subdued the assailant. Cole vividly described the scene, noting how the King calmly observed the chaos, fiddling with his cufflinks.
Cole shared insights on a personal message King Charles reportedly sent to Trump following the incident. Though the exact contents remain unknown, Cole speculated that the letter was “heartfelt and encouraging,” highlighting the shared understanding of public dangers faced by heads of state and their heirs.
Discussing the positive relationship between King Charles and Trump, Cole reminisced about Trump’s state visit to the UK in 2019. During this visit, the two leaders bonded over shared interests, particularly Trump’s Scottish heritage. Cole noted, “The King met ex-president Trump when he was here on a state visit, and had more than one meeting with him. They bonded over the fact that Trump’s mother came from the Isle of Lewis and the Hebrides islands of Scotland.”
Reflecting on the broader implications of such assassination attempts, Cole emphasized that threats are now a grim reality for both presidents and monarchs. He praised the resilience and composure demonstrated by King Charles and Trump, yet criticized the chaos that ensued following the attempt on Trump’s life.
“It’s regrettable when something like this happens,” Cole commented. “We’re all very pleased that both the King and Trump survived, but it cannot be right in a great democracy like America that somebody can take matters into their own hands like this and cause mayhem.”
Drawing parallels to historical events, Cole invoked memories of the 1963 assassination of John F. Kennedy, stressing the enduring impact such tragedies have on the public consciousness. “It was quite an awful time, and our thoughts and our hearts were with the American people at that time and continue with them,” he concluded.