Trump Accidentally Confirms To Dr. Phil His Biggest Concern After The Shooting Was Himself

Hoping to make his case for re-election, Donald Trump sat down for the second time in two months with Dr. Phil McGraw, aka Dr. Phil, on August 27, 2024 on his show "Dr. Phil Primetime" to discuss his campaign platform and his thoughts on Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. joining the Trump team. Anyone looking for new insights into the former president's personality or ideas, however, came away disappointed. McGraw essentially let Trump use the hour of airtime to repeat his familiar talking points: Border security, the economy, and "Communist" Kamala Harris. The one telling moment of the night was actually something the controversial politician didn't say. 

The two men discussed the terrifying rally shooting on July 13, which miraculously left Trump almost completely unharmed. Perhaps hoping the divisive candidate would show his softer side, McGraw asked, "Has this changed you? Has it changed your appreciation for life? Has it changed anything about you? Did you hug your kids extra hard?" (via X, formerly known as Twitter). Trump could have taken the opportunity to confess to a change in priorities or even to express a newfound respect for his life. 

No such luck. After acknowledging that he's understandably got the question a lot, Trump deflected by turning the topic back to himself, declaring the presidency to be "the most dangerous profession" (more so than a race car driver, in his estimation). The rest of the hour unfolded without him properly answering — or even mentioning his family at all.

Donald Trump's self-centeredness in his interview with Dr. Phil McGraw will come as no surprise to his most vocal critics. The controversial politician's own former national security advisor, General H.R. McMaster, has made the scathing claim that Trump's ego drives all of his decisions and often gets in the way of his ability to serve the American people as a result. But it was still startling to see the former POTUS missing the opportunity to present himself as a caring family man as well as a strong leader. He could have shared what he said to reassure his five children after being released from the hospital following the assassination attempt. Or, Trump might have expressed relief about being given more time to watch his 10 grandchildren grow up. 

Instead, the former president remained focused on criticizing his opponent, Kamala Harris, and suggesting that if he loses the election in November, it will be due to fraud and inaccurate ballot counting. Trump also explained his eyebrow-raising statement about not having to vote ever again, clarifying that he needs people who don't normally vote to make an exception for him this year. Once the controversial politician is back in office, he claimed that he'll do such a good job that everyone will want to vote Republican in 2028.

Even the Almighty, Trump suggested modestly, wants the election to tilt in his favor. Asked, "Is there a reason you think you were spared?" he confidently replied, "The only thing I can think is that God loves our country and He thinks we're going to bring our country back."