New documentary features never-before-seen footage of Butler, PA Trump assassination attempt

Tucker Carlson premiered a new documentary on the first assassination attempt against Donald Trump. The never-before-seen footage comes from a two-man documentary film crew that was embedded with the Trump presidential campaign and was in Butler, PA, on that fateful day in July when shots rang out. The former president was hit in the ear, though he could have been shot through the head if he hadn't turned for a second to look at a screen showing facts and figures about illegal immigration. One man was killed while shielding his family from gunfire, two others were injured and hospitalized. 

"Art of the Surge: The Donald Trump Comeback," is an episodic series by filmmaker Justin Wells. The first episode, called "We'll make it happen," begins two weeks before the Butler rally, in Philadelphia ahead of the first presidential debate, between Trump and Joe Biden, who since dropped out of the race to be replaced by Vice President Kamala Harris. The documentary shows Trump talking to people in Philadelphia where he asked them who they liked for his VP pick. "There were so many different answers," Trump told a news reporter on the street. He would go on to announce JD Vance as his running mate just ahead of the RNC in Milwaukee, right after the assassination attempt. 

The filmmakers had direct access to Trump and his campaign, filming not just his interactions with supporters but more private moments before he took the stage at Temple University in North Philadelphia, or walking with friends. Trump can be seen backstage looking out at the crowd, speaking about their energy and how he didn't believe that his then-competitor Biden could handle a crowd like that, speaking extemporaneously to supporters. 

Trump is seen in the lead up the June 27 Atlanta debate against Biden, and its aftermath which was so disastrous for Democrats that they ejected the head of their party from the top of the ticket. Trump was confident and secure after his performance. The first episode ends before Kamala's big entrance from stage left, before the first assassination attempt and the second, and before JD Vance came aboard the Trump train.

The second episode gets into the details of the shooting, the blood-soaked chaos of it, and the aftermath for Butler residents. Speaking to supporters, the filmmakers find that the community wanted Trump to come back to the town, as "part of the healing process." Those who were at the rally told the crew that as shots rang out they dove to the ground and prayed. Those in Butler told the filmmakers they would be glad to welcome Trump back to the area. He's scheduled another campaign stop there on October 5.

Distributed exclusively by Tucker Carlson Films on his TCN app, the documentary promises to show never-before-seen footage of the assassination attempt. It also features interviews with Vivek Ramaswamy, Forgiato Blow, Corey Lewandowski, Marco Rubio, JD Vance, Byron Donalds, and so many others who have been surrogates or supporters of Trump.