The Real Reason Trump Was So Concerned About His Shoes After Rally Shooting
The aftermath of the Donald Trump rally shooting was chaotic, and one of the most surprising elements of the frightening ordeal was how the former president reacted. In a video posted by the Telegraph that captured the moments after the assassination attempt, Trump could be heard repeatedly asking about his shoes. "Let me get my shoes on," he told Secret Service agents who had swarmed him, and took the politician to the ground as a safety precaution. The agents helped the presidential nominee to his feet once it was confirmed the shooter had been neutralized, and Trump was still worried about his shoes. He then paused and triumphantly lifted his fist to the crowd before mouthing "fight" multiple times.
Watching the footage, a lot of people had the same reactions to Trump's shocking assassination attempt. "The biggest mystery in all of this is how did Trumps shoes come off?" one YouTube user wrote. In an interview, Trump clarified why his shoes were off, and why he was so preoccupied with finding them. "The agents hit me so hard that my shoes fell off, and my shoes are tight," Trump told the New York Post on July 14. Apparently, the one-time POTUS wanted to gain his composure (and shoes) to address the crowd. "I just wanted to keep speaking, but I just got shot," he added, while discussing how "iconic" he believed the photo of him raising his fist would become.
Supporters believed the shoe incident painted a strong picture of the presidential hopeful.
Do Joe Biden's shoes show weakness?
Donald Trump worrying about his shoes after a bullet hit his ear had supporters singing his praises. "Right after Trump was shot he wanted to find his shoes! What an American Bad***!" one person wrote on X, formerly Twitter. The Daily Beast hypothesized that Trump's singular shoe being left on stage could go on to signify power, and mentioned how Joe Biden's footwear choice could have the opposite effect.
Trump famously launched his own sneaker line, but a lot of the discourse surrounding the presidential candidates involved Biden's choice of more casual shoes. Inside Edition ran a report that focused on the president switching out black dress shoes for black Hoka Transport sneakers. Republican congressman Andy Ogles used that report to make a commercial mocking Biden. The faux ad posted to X promoted Biden's "Hoka JB46" sneakers. "President Biden's mysterious new shoes provide 'maximum stability,'" Ogles tweeted alongside the video which opens with footage of Biden losing his footing on a staircase. "Go from Joe Biden, to Joe Stridin'," is the slogan used to close out the fake commercial.
The footwear for Biden became a major talking point in September 2023 as it was reported he started wearing sneakers more often to avoid further tumbles. Some Republicans used Biden's footwear choice as proof that he was unfit to stay in office. Meanwhile a White House rep told Axios the media was "attempting to sensationalize" the fact that Biden wore sneakers and did physical therapy.