In her newly released book, Butler: The Untold Story of the Near Assassination of Donald Trump and the Fight for America’s Heartland, political journalist Salena Zito reflects on the personal connection she believes Donald Trump forged with everyday Americans—something she says the mainstream media consistently overlooked.
Published just ahead of the one-year anniversary of the attempted assassination of President Trump at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, Zito’s book explores not just that fateful day, but also the deeper social and cultural ties Trump built during his campaigns.
Speaking to Fox News Digital, the Pennsylvania-based reporter recalled her first interview with Trump in 2016. What stood out, she said, was not just his message to the crowd—but how he engaged with the workers behind the scenes.
“He spoke with the janitors, the caterers, the electricians—the people who make these events happen but rarely get acknowledged,” Zito said. “He saw the people who are usually invisible to elected officials, and that struck me. In that moment, I realized he wasn’t just a billionaire running for office—he was someone who genuinely connected with the forgotten class.”
That connection, Zito said, helped her predict Trump’s upset victory in 2016. And in covering his 2024 campaign, she saw a new demographic energized by his message.
“There were so many young people at the rallies,” she noted. “They were engaged, excited, and eager to be part of something ‘bigger than self.’ They really responded to Trump’s message about Americanism, unity, and national pride.”
A Firsthand Account of the Butler Rally
Zito had planned to interview Trump at his July 13, 2024, rally in Butler, Pennsylvania—a campaign event that turned into an assassination attempt when 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks opened fire, grazing Trump’s ear, injuring two people, and killing local firefighter Corey Comperatore.
Zito was just steps from the stage when shots rang out.
“I didn’t duck,” she told Fox News. “There was a voice inside that told me, ‘You have a job to do.’” She immediately began documenting the chaos, committing every detail to memory. Those firsthand observations became the backbone of her book.
The Overlooked Spirit of Trump Rallies
Zito describes Trump’s events not just as political rallies, but as moments of shared identity and purpose for many Americans. Despite varying degrees of support for the former president, attendees often shared a common optimism and sense of patriotism.
“There’s this community feeling,” she said. “Trump brings people together through place, shared values, and a sense of belonging. That connective tissue has been largely ignored by my industry—but it was unmistakable every time I covered an event in Pennsylvania.”
Her book offers both a close-up look at a defining moment in American politics and a broader reflection on how the media continues to misunderstand Trump’s enduring appeal to his base.
