(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) The photograph capturing President Donald Trump defiantly shouting “Fight! Fight! Fight!” after narrowly escaping an assassination attempt has been named “Political Photo of the Year.”
The award—part of the Eyes of History series by the White House News Photographers Association—honored Associated Press photographer Evan Vucci, who shot the photo just seconds after would-be assassin Thomas Crooks’s bullets grazed Trump’s right ear on July 13.
In response to the award, Vucci threw a subtle jab at the White House, which had barred his employer from accessing the Oval Office as a consequence of their false and misleading reporting.
“This photo underscores the importance of eyewitness journalism and AP’s legacy of documenting the presidency,” Vucci wrote, defending his colleagues at the Associated Press.
“I look forward to the day I can once again cover President Trump alongside my colleagues. Now more than ever, independent, nonpartisan photojournalism is essential,” he added.
Trump was in Butler, Pennsylvania, rallying voters to send him back to the White House in the 2024 presidential election. Minutes after Trump took the stage, Crooks fired several shots from a nearby roof he had secretly climbed.
Crooks’s bullets grazed Trump’s skull by mere millimeters. Secret Service agents rushed to the stage and intercepted him. As Crooks was neutralized, agents quickly lifted Trump and attempted to escort him off stage. However, Trump had different plans.
“Wait, wait!” Trump shouted. “You fight! Fight! Fight!” Trump was seen murmuring, raising his fist as blood dripped from his ear.
The crowd, having just witnessed the 45th commander-in-chief nearly assassinated, erupted in chants of “USA! USA! USA!”
The photographs went viral, capturing Trump defiantly standing with a cane that held an American flag up high and urging his supporters to keep fighting even when facing death.
Even some of his biggest critics praised the image. Meta owner Mark Zuckerberg, formerly aligned with the left, celebrated the photo as “badass.”
