Only Donald Trump could turn a near-death experience into something out of a television drama. According to a new book, 2024: How Trump Retook the White House and the Democrats Lost America, the former president remained laser-focused on projecting strength, even in the immediate aftermath of the July 13, 2024, assassination attempt.
As reported by The Washington Post, Trump’s first priority after being rushed to the hospital wasn’t just survival—it was proving he still had his mental edge. He insisted doctors give him a CT scan, not because of medical necessity, but as a way to showcase his cognitive fitness.
When the medical team asked why he wanted the scan, Trump responded vaguely: he “just felt he needed one.” After reportedly pressuring the doctors into conducting the scan, Trump refused to settle for a written summary.
“I want the film,” he told them, even after being informed that CT films aren’t typically provided anymore. “I want the film,” he repeated. When an aide asked him why he was so insistent, Trump responded, “It’s like an IQ test. They tell you that your brain is good, so I just want to have that.”
This peculiar episode is just one of many revelations from the upcoming book by reporters Josh Dawsey, Tyler Pager, and Isaac Arnsdorf. The trio provides an inside look at the bizarre and often surreal aftermath of the shooting, which Trump reportedly “loved” reliving.
“Trump kept talking about the shooting. He couldn’t believe it. He seemed to want to relive it over and over,” the book notes. “Trump loved it. He was having a great time.” Trump reportedly described the chaos at the hospital, saying he was “bleeding like a b***h” and that it looked so severe, “they thought I had four or five bullets in me.”
As his inner circle realized he was going to recover, his trademark humor kicked in. Advisors Susie Wiles, Steven Cheung, and Dan Scavino knew Trump was okay when the jokes started flowing from his hospital bed, per the Daily Beast.
The incident reshaped the 2024 campaign. Prominent figures who had once distanced themselves from the MAGA movement began to change their tune. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos praised Trump’s instincts. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg called Trump’s fist pump after the shooting “one of the most badass things” he’d ever seen.
Elon Musk made his endorsement official the same day, posting on X, “I fully endorse President Trump and hope for his rapid recovery.” Musk would go on to bankroll Trump’s campaign and earn the nickname “First Buddy.”
Even rival figures reached out. President Joe Biden phoned Trump with what the former president called a “very nice” message. Trump also extended an olive branch to then-third-party candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who would later join his administration as Health Secretary. The highly anticipated book hits shelves July 8.