Trump shooting photographer breaks silence on capturing 'iconic' image

It’s said a picture paints a thousand words, and that could not be more true than in the world of press photography, with one image in particular circulating online in the wake of an attempted assassination on former US president Donald Trump.

To recap what is undoubtedly a fast-moving story, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has identified 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks as the “subject involved” in shooting at Trump, who was around 15 minutes into a speech at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania when several popping sounds were heard.

Trump was then seen placing a hand to his right ear before seeking cover, as secret service agents swarmed around the Republican presidential nominee before ushering him off-stage.

The ex-president was also seen raising a fist in the air while being bundled away to safety, appearing to tell the crowd to “fight”.

The gunman was shot dead by secret service agents, while one person in the crowd at the rally was killed. Two others were injured.

In a post to his Truth Social platform after the incident, Trump wrote: “It is incredible that such an act can take place in our country.

“I was shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear. I knew immediately that something was wrong in that I heard a whizzing sound, shots, and immediately felt the bullet ripping through the skin.

“Much bleeding took place, so I realized then what was happening.”

And press photographers have captured the panic which unfolded in those moments, with one snap from Getty Images’ Anna Moneymaker depicting Trump on the floor, visible through a gap in the secret service huddle, with blood trickling down the side of his face.

Though arguably the most widely circulated photo following the shooting is one taken by Associated Press photographer Evan Vucci, capturing Trump raising a defiant fist in the air while being escorted by secret service agents, with the American flag flying behind him:

Now, Vucci has spoken to The Daily Beast about the photo, telling the outlet: “It’s a moment in history that you have to document, right? Being a photographer, you … have to be there. I can’t write about it later. I can’t go back in time and get a redo. So you have to do your job.

“What’s going to happen next? What do I need to do? Where do I need to be? What is the light? What is the composition? So those are the things that starts to go through your head.”

He added it’s about the mindset of “just now doing your job”, which he said is to “inform the American public”.

“I hope they can look at the photos and they can see what I saw that day,” he said.

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