EAST RUTHERFORD – United States President Donald Trump is set to attend the FIFA Club World Cup final on Sunday afternoon at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey — exactly one year after surviving an assassination attempt at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Trump, who has not scheduled any public commemoration of the near-fatal incident, briefly reflected on the events of July 13, 2024, during a pre-recorded television interview with his daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, aired Saturday night on Fox News.
Speaking on My View, Trump recalled the chaos of that moment: “I got whacked… I didn’t know what was going on. I think they shot eight bullets,” he said. One of those bullets grazed his ear, causing heavy bleeding that led aides to fear he had taken multiple shots.
The assassination attempt, carried out by 20-year-old Matthew Crooks, resulted in the death of retired firefighter Corey Comperatore and injuries to two others in the crowd. A Secret Service sniper fatally shot the attacker.
Trump and First Lady Melania are travelling from their Bedminster golf estate to East Rutherford to watch the final match between Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea FC — a fixture expected to draw international attention and offer a glimpse of what’s to come ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.
Since taking office earlier this year, Trump has made sporting events a frequent fixture in his domestic travel schedule, attending the Super Bowl, the Daytona 500, UFC events, and the NCAA wrestling championships.
His appearance at Sunday’s match also coincides with renewed scrutiny over the Secret Service’s response to last year’s assassination attempt. A Government Accountability Office (GAO) report released Saturday — commissioned by Senator Chuck Grassley — revealed a series of security failures and communication gaps within the Secret Service leading up to the Butler rally.
According to the report, senior agency officials had been aware of a general threat but did not act on it. Information breakdowns between federal agents and local police were also cited as key lapses that contributed to the gunman gaining access to a building overlooking the rally.
Despite the findings, Trump told Lara Trump he still trusts the Secret Service: “They had a bad day… but I have great confidence in these people,” he said. “They’re very talented, very capable.”
The motive behind Crooks’ actions remains unclear, with no conclusive findings on whether it was politically motivated.
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