Rep. Mike Collins

Many in the media are discussing how President Trump was “so remarkably calm” and “in control” through the events last night. That is the mark a great leader, and it defines who Donald Trump is. … I’ve spent a lot of time with him over the past several years, and he is at his strongest in times of crisis and turmoil. It is a primary reason why his time in office is so historic. Adding to that history, he has now survived a third assassination attempt. As fate would have it, on the day of the last attempt (Sept 15, 2024), Kelly and I had just arrived to meet with him at Mar-a-Lago, right after the Secret Service stopped another would-be assassin pointing a rifle through the bushes of the President’s golf course. They rushed the President back to safety at his residence, and we met and talked with him alone there for nearly 3 hours, with Susie Wiles and Hogan Gidley, until the “all clear” was given. We will never forget our conversation that day, and the strength and resolve of the man who would soon be reelected Commander-in-Chief. As he processed the event, I told him we were absolutely convinced that God had miraculously spared his life—once again, in view of the entire world—for an obvious purpose. It seemed to me then that a new realization had come upon our friend, that he had developed an even deeper sense of his place in his history, the importance of his legacy, and the divinely orchestrated responsibility he was being given. It has been my daily observation that since those jarring events at the end of the 2024 campaign, President Trump has been a changed man. He was already the toughest individual we know, but since then he has been even more deliberate and contemplative in his approach to our nation’s challenges. He speaks openly about the providence of God, and he understands, as did the Founders of our great nation who had endured so much in the trials and suffering of the American Revolution, the high price of our freedom. At the very end of our nation’s birth certificate 250 years ago, our forefathers solemnly proclaimed: “And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.” Their extraordinary commitment to America’s cause—even at the risk of their own lives and possessions—was what allowed our country to form and flourish and become the most exceptional of all. Thankfully, that same commitment is now carried forward by our 45th & 47th President, who has endured the most unbelievable trials, accepted every risk, and works tirelessly every day to ensure that America is great once again. May God continue to protect and sustain him.