Butler: The Untold Story of the Near Assassination of Donald Trump and the Fight for America's Heartland

Journalist Salena Zito delivers a riveting firsthand account of the near-assassination of Donald Trump at a Butler, Pennsylvania rally, where she stood just feet from the podium when shots were fired. This #1 New York Times bestseller weaves together the dramatic events of July 13, 2024, when, as Trump later told Zito, a simple head turn saved his life, with a broader examination of the heartland voters who fueled his historic comeback victory. Drawing on unique access to Trump, his top aides, running mate JD Vance, and even his security detail, Zito crafts an intimate narrative of that fateful day while exploring its profound political implications. As a local reporter with deep community connections, Zito provides context that national media missed, explaining how places like Butler, not coastal metropolises, ultimately decide American elections. Through interviews with local residents, rally participants, and law enforcement, she illuminates how Trump connected with voters who felt neglected by political elites. The book presents July 13 as a defining moment in American history that crystallized political realignments already underway. Zito frames Trump's subsequent victory as the culmination of heartland America's rejection of elite governance and reassertion of democratic self-determination, making this both a dramatic eyewitness account and insightful political analysis.