Current:Home > ScamsEric Trump calls failures that led to attempted assassination of his father "infuriating"-InfoLens
Eric Trump calls failures that led to attempted assassination of his father "infuriating"
View Date:2024-12-23 22:02:49
Former President Donald Trump's second son, Eric Trump, spoke with "CBS Evening News" anchor and managing editor Norah O'Donnell on Tuesday about his father's recovery after an assassination attempt, security going forward and the future of the campaign.
After his father was officially nominated for a third time to be the Republican presidential candidate on Monday, Eric Trump said the former president was dealing with "the greatest earache in the history of earaches" after a bullet fired by a would-be assassin grazed Trump's ear while he was speaking at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday.
"You see the picture, right? The famous New York Times picture now where you literally see the vapor trail of the bullet coming out of the backside of his ear. It's hard to believe it could've been so much different. I can't even imagine what that would've meant for this country," Eric Trump said.
Eric Trump said the former president's hearing is fine and that he is "in great spirits."
Asked about the recent revelation that U.S. intelligence had also detected an Iranian plot against his father, Eric Trump did not seem surprised.
"We've been hearing this from Iran, including from the leaders directly, for years at this point," he said. Eric Trump cited the assassinations of Qassem Soleimani, the former leader of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard's Quds forces, and former ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, as reasons why Iran would want retribution against the former president.
Eric Trump didn't provide any details about security changes since the assassination attempt, but he did praise the response by Secret Service agents who protected his father on stage Saturday. Still, he wants accountability for the failures that led to the shooting.
"The men and women on that stage in that moment are the greatest people in the world," Eric Trump said. "I know many of them personally and they're phenomenal, phenomenal individuals. And I'm sure they'll get to the bottom of it, but there'd better be real accountability. You can't have ex-presidents taking bullets through the ear."
He said the fact that snipers and rally attendees spotted the shooter as early as 26 minutes before the first shots were fired is "infuriating."
"I grew up competing in the shooting sports. I know that world very, very well, and a rifle shot at 130 yards is like a four-inch punt, right? You don't, you don't miss it if you're competent," he said, adding, "I'm not an overly mushy person ... but, you know, somebody was watching down on him because it could have gone very, very differently."
Eric Trump said it was "hard to believe" the Secret Service would overlook a building as large as the one the gunman used to gain his vantage point.
"A big building that size, 130 yards away from a podium, from an elevated position — you don't need to be a security expert to realize that you might want to have somebody up there."
In the interview, Eric Trump also expressed enthusiasm about his father's vice presidential pick, Sen. JD Vance, of Ohio. He said he was excited to see Vance take on Vice President Kamala Harris in the upcoming vice presidential debate, which will be hosted by CBS News.
"I think JD Vance will be putting a bag of popcorn in the microwave and, you know, he is ready to go," Eric Trump said. "Believe me, he's not gonna be backing away from that debate. That much I can tell you."
Jordan FreimanJordan Freiman is a news editor for CBSNews.com. He covers breaking news, trending stories, sports and crime. Jordan has previously worked at Spin and Death and Taxes.
veryGood! (69183)
Related
- Democrat Cleo Fields wins re-drawn Louisiana congressional district, flipping red seat blue
- Kourtney Kardashian announces pregnancy with sign at husband Travis Barker's concert
- What's closed and what's open on Juneteenth 2023
- With Tax Credit in Doubt, Wind Industry Ponders if It Can Stand on Its Own
- Tesla Cybertruck modifications upgrade EV to a sci-fi police vehicle
- Becky Sauerbrunn, U.S. Women's National Team captain, to miss World Cup with injury
- Why Bre Tiesi Was Finally Ready to Join Selling Sunset After Having a Baby With Nick Cannon
- Auli’i Cravalho Reveals If She'll Return as Moana for Live-Action Remake
- Democrat George Whitesides wins election to US House, beating incumbent Mike Garcia
- Jamie Lynn Spears Shares Big Update About Zoey 102: Release Date, Cast and More
Ranking
- South Carolina does not set a date for the next execution after requests for a holiday pause
- Clinics on wheels bring doctors and dentists to health care deserts
- Scientists sequence Beethoven's genome for clues into his painful past
- Opioids are devastating Cherokee families. The tribe has a $100 million plan to heal
- Satire publication The Onion buys Alex Jones’ Infowars at auction with help from Sandy Hook families
- The Smiths Bassist Andy Rourke Dead at 59 After Cancer Battle
- The U.S. has a high rate of preterm births, and abortion bans could make that worse
- A months-long landfill fire in Alabama reveals waste regulation gaps
Recommendation
-
Is Veterans Day a federal holiday? Here's what to know for November 11
-
COP’s Postponement Until 2021 Gives World Leaders Time to Respond to U.S. Election
-
Trump’s Fuel Efficiency Reduction Would Be Largest Anti-Climate Rollback Ever
-
Neurotech could connect our brains to computers. What could go wrong, right?
-
Deion Sanders doubles down on vow to 99-year-old Colorado superfan
-
Vehicle-to-Grid Charging for Electric Cars Gets Lift from Major U.S. Utility
-
Save 80% On Kate Spade Crossbody Bags: Shop These Under $100 Picks Before They Sell Out
-
Save 80% On Kate Spade Crossbody Bags: Shop These Under $100 Picks Before They Sell Out