BUTLER: Where Are We One Year After The Assassination Attempt? | Episode 83

Summary

VINCE Podcast Episode 83 Summary: "BUTLER: Where Are We One Year After The Assassination Attempt?"

Released on July 11, 2025, by the Cumulus Podcast Network, VINCE is hosted by Vince Coglianese. Known for his sharp political acumen and unfiltered perspectives, Vince delves deep into pressing political issues with authenticity and wit. In Episode 83, Vince revisits the assassination attempt on President Donald J. Trump that occurred a year prior in Butler, Pennsylvania, featuring insightful commentary from author and journalist Selena Zito.

---

1. ICE Raids on California Marijuana Farms

Timestamp: [00:00] – [06:25]

Vince opens the episode by addressing recent ICE raids on marijuana farms in California, specifically targeting operations allegedly employing undocumented workers and even children. He criticizes the left's attempts to defend these actions and underscores the legality issues surrounding these farms.

• Vince: “No, you shouldn't have child labor on your marijuana farm in California. No. And no, you should not have illegals all over the place… that’s exactly what happened in the last 24 hours.” ([02:15])

He references Jennifer Van Laar from Red State, highlighting the severity of violations at the Glass House farm and denouncing the involvement of various left-leaning groups in orchestrating riots against federal enforcement.

• Vince: “This is all gigantic astroturf, riot insurrection garbage.” ([04:50])

2. Left-Wing Defense and Political Reactions

Vince critiques Democratic figures for misleading the public about the nature of these raids, accusing them of downplaying the severity by mischaracterizing the farms as part of the food supply rather than illegal marijuana operations.

• Vince: “So that’s what they’re rooting on. Hakeem Jeffries has been rooting on… hoping to unmask ICE as the real enemy.” ([05:40])

He also mocks Democratic Congressman Jimmy Gomez and Arizona's Ruben Gallego for misrepresenting President Trump's stance on deportations.

• Vince: “They’re not picking strawberries. This is a massive marijuana grow operation.” ([07:10])

3. Firing of DOJ and FBI Officials

Timestamp: [26:30] – [27:21]

The conversation shifts to the recent firings within the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the FBI under Attorney General Pam Bondi. Vince highlights the dismissal of Patricia Hartman, a public relations administrator involved in promoting the January 6th prosecutions.

• Vince: “Her firing should only be part of the price she pays.” ([27:00])

Selena Zito adds context about the erosion of the traditional separation between the DOJ and the White House, emphasizing the constitutional implications.

• Selena Zito: “That line is very definitely gone.” ([27:17])

Vince counters by reinforcing the DOJ's executive branch status, critiquing Bondi's understanding and actions.

• Vince: “You work for the President. You don't like it, get out.” ([27:19])

4. Interview with Selena Zito on the Butler Incident

Timestamp: [33:25] – [57:10]

Vince introduces Selena Zito, author of the new book "Butler," which chronicles the assassination attempt on President Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania. Selena provides a firsthand account of the events, offering a vivid portrayal of the chaos and heroism witnessed.

a. Selena's Eyewitness Account

• Selena Zito: “I was just a few feet away. I had just spoken to the President six minutes before he was shot.” ([35:37])

She describes the moment President Trump was shot, his immediate reaction, and the ensuing chaos, highlighting the professionalism of the Secret Service and the calmness of the crowd.

• Selena Zito: “He doesn't say it out loud, but he at least mouths it. And they're trying to get him up, not because he's unable to get up.” ([40:10])

b. Conversation with President Trump

Selena recounts a personal conversation with President Trump the day after the attack, where he explained his directive to "fight, fight, fight" as a response to the assassination attempt.

• President Trump: “I was representing the entirety of our country… we never back down.” ([45:53])

She emphasizes his acknowledgment of divine intervention and his renewed sense of purpose following the incident.

• Selena Zito: “He totals… he just knows that this is our obligation.” ([50:37])

c. Impact and Aftermath

The discussion delves into how the Butler incident has shaped both Selena's perspective and President Trump's leadership approach. Selena highlights the unity and resilience of the Butler community and its role in preventing further chaos.

• Selena Zito: “To see that moral clarity and that being part of something bigger than self… goosebumps.” ([43:26])

Vince shares his personal admiration for Trump's courage during the incident, noting how it deepened his respect for the former president.

• Vince: “I learned something that under no other circumstance would I have been able to learn, which is he has immense courage under fire.” ([49:22])

d. The Book "Butler"

Selena Zito discusses her book, which not only recounts the events of that day but also analyzes their lasting impact on American politics and society. She expresses optimism about ongoing investigations into the security failures that allowed the assassination attempt.

• Selena Zito: “I think we're closer… it was criminal that they're not talking to the sheriffs and the cops.” ([54:04])

She draws parallels between the Butler incident and lessons from 9/11, emphasizing the need for better inter-agency communication to prevent future tragedies.

5. Closing Remarks

Vince wraps up the episode by reiterating the significance of the Butler incident anniversary, honoring the victims, and expressing gratitude towards the listeners and guests.

• Vince: “Keep your loved ones close… my prayers also to the Comparator family.” ([57:09])

He encourages listeners to reflect on the resilience displayed during the Butler event and to remain vigilant in safeguarding the nation's security and integrity.

---

Notable Quotes:

• Vince on Child Labor Raids: “No, you shouldn't have child labor on your marijuana farm in California.” ([02:15])

• Selena on Being Close to the Incident: “I was just a few feet away… I have my recorder on.” ([35:37])

• President Trump's Directive: “We never back down, no matter how much we get kicked.” ([45:53])

• Vince on DOJ Firings: “You work for the President. You don't like it, get out.” ([27:19])

---

Conclusion

In this compelling episode, VINCE offers a critical examination of recent ICE actions against marijuana farms, exposes left-wing defensive tactics, scrutinizes the DOJ and FBI's internal changes, and provides an in-depth, personal perspective on the assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania. Through the insightful interview with Selena Zito, listeners gain a nuanced understanding of the event's immediate impact and its broader implications for American politics and security.

Transcript

[Vince]

Hey there. Welcome to Vince. Here we go on a Friday. Ice. Ice, baby. Yes. Yes. We've got to cover these raids on these marijuana farms in California. We have full blown marijuana farms in California getting raided by ice and rightfully so because it turns out there's a ton of illegals working there, including child labor. What are we even doing? Of course, what we're doing now is we're raiding them rightfully. So glad we're doing that. So I've got the updates on that. The way the left is trying to defend all of it and so much more. Also, Selena Zito is gonna be with us today. She's written a great new book. The title of it is Butler Looking back now, just about a year ago on that attack on Butler, Pennsylvania. The one, the, you know, the attempt on the President's life. It was crazy. And she's here with us today. This program is brought to you by Blackout Coffee, the official coffee of all of us here at Silverlock. Go to Blackout Coffee dot com. Vince. Use the code Vince. That's V I N C E for 20% off your first order. That's blackout coffee.com/. Vince. Yeah, it's this raid today we're about to get into. It's like the most obvious thing in the world. No, you shouldn't have child labor on your marijuana farm in California. No. And no, you should not have illegals all over the place. And yes, they should be deported. And no, you should not be rioting. And no, you should not be shooting at federal law enforcement. And yet that's exactly what happened in the last 24 hours. But these, I love seeing workplace enforcement, don't you? I've got the details coming up. This program is brought to you by Bone Charge Infrared Sauna Blanket and Red Light Face Mask up. We love these products here in my house. Can't recommend them enough. I like the sauna blanket because it helps in a big way. It's. It's a sauna. Let's be honest, it's a sauna. So it's great in all the ways you need a sauna to be you. It helps with muscle recovery, detoxification. It's a huge game changer for me. Very easy to use. I just wrap myself up in this blanket and the infrared heat works its magic. And it's created a huge difference for me. How I relax, how I rejuvenate, how I feel afterward. My wife loves the red light face mask. She uses it all the time. Every evening puts this thing on and she's seen Great results. It helps with your skin's texture, reduces inflammation. It's like having a mini spa treatment right inside the house. So if you're thinking about trying either of these products out, you're in luck. Head to bonecharge.com use that code Vince at checkout to get 15% off. Both of these products have made a huge impact on helping my wellness routine. I'm sure you're gonna love them too. Use the code [e-mail] Save 15%. These statements and products have not been evaluated by the fda. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or condition. Okay, we've got a. We've got a raid going on. We have these ICE raids going on in California, and rightfully so, on these marijuana grow facilities. And basically they've just got a ton of illegals working there. And the name of the employer is Glass House, apparently. And they've been accused of a lot of things through the years. Jennifer Van Laar over at Red State has just a wonderful thread on this subject today, and she points out that this ICE raid that was taking place again on Thursday was on a place that is out of control. ICE and Border Patrol had a judicial warrant for Glass House. This is a top cannabis grower in the state of California. In the entire United States. They've been harboring illegal aliens. According to the warrant, this employer, the actual farm, has been sued over and over for labor law violations. You've got the Socialist Party as well as Union del Barrio that was implicated in those riots in June. They're involved in getting all of the rioters to this farm location. So these are the same rioters that we've seen. These are the same guys who are funded by the left. This is all gigantic astroturf, riot insurrection garbage. That payment structure, that organization. The federal government has been investigating all of this. They. I hope they move on these guys quick because they keep calling, causing all this destruction and threatening the lives of these ICE agents. Lots of groups involved. 805 undocufund, 805 immigrant coalition. My Cobb, congrat. I mean, Jennifer is doing really great work on reporting all of this. They find a bunch of illegal alien kids there doing labor on the marijuana farm. And also a former Clinton administration staffer and an assemblyman called Hector De La Torre is also on the board of this marijuana farm in California. So that leads us to the images that we're getting overnight. Take a look at cut two. Here's the raid. This is the raid on the farm. People Being taken into custody, running off, tear gas being fired at the rioters. Here we go. Yeah, people are running away from all this. Tear gas being fired. This is video footage from KTLA 5 local broadcaster. People running off, and it says children, comma, protesters running from tear gas during immigration rate. Of course, the way this video was set up was to try and make it as sympathetic as possible to the situation here for the illegals who are involved. Oh, how sad. How sad that there's an immigration raid going on. How sad that there's workplace enforcement going on. No, actually, what's sad is that this has been allowed to continue. What's sad is that you have illegal child labor going on at a marijuana farm in California. What's sad is that this is a total violation of our sovereignty, and our country has aided and abetted this. No more. So if you were looking for mass deportation raids, there you go. You've got an example of one, of course, taking place in California. This is a sanctuary state. They don't want to do this. They're trying to stop this from being done, and they're threatening law enforcement in the process. Take a look here. Cut one. One of the rioters, one of the insurrectionists, taking a gun and firing it randomly in the direction of federal law enforcement. Look at this.

[Selena Zito]

Take a look at this video right here. It appears a protester fired some kind of gun at federal agents. This happened this afternoon. It was a really chaotic scene at the time. A lot of smoke was being launched at the protesters. And again, it appears a protester fired back with that weapon. It looks like he fired at least a couple of times. We have not heard about any agents being hurt.

[Vince]

Some kind of gun. It's a handgun. That's what it is. It looks like. It's not a nerf gun. What is he firing? It's a. It was a handgun. He's firing a handgun in the direction of federal law enforcement. The feds are looking for that guy. Unfortunately, the. The photos and stuff that they've been sharing that video, it's all been super grainy, hard to identify him, but, man, I hope they can track that guy down and throw him on his face. That's outrageous that that's happening, and that's happening right here in the United States. That's what the Democrats have been rooting on. That particular thing where ICE agents are shot at by illegal aliens, presumably, or just, you know, run of the mill lefties. That's what these guys have been rooting on. That's what Hakeem Jeffries has been rooting on and Eric Swalwell and Dan Goldman and Tampon, Tim Walls and Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and Governor Gavin Newsom. The list goes on and on and on, saying, oh, we gotta unmask ice. ICE is the real enemy. They're the Nazis. And now these guys are taking shots at them. That's just the latest incident where that's occurred in the last week. We've seen now three attacks on ice. That makes the third one. Three times that firearms were used against ICE agents. Just trying to do their jobs. Just trying to do their jobs. The left rooting in on the rest of us. Normal people condemning it. Normal people saying, this is outrageous. It's not shocking because of what the left has created, but it is appalling that it's happening in the United States of America. We've got to put an end to it. So you get the shots fired in this situation. You also get a lot of left wing lies about what exactly is even going down at this facility. Gavin Newsom, Speaking of greasy Gavin, Gavin Newsom is claiming that, oh, these kids were running kids. Kids are running from tear gas, crying on the phone because their mother was just taken from the fields, says Gavin Newsom. Trump calls me new scum, but he's the real scum. Now, I want to reiterate what's going on here. Around a dozen of the children who were found at this facility with were here in the country illegally and are believed to be being subjected to child labor here in the United States. Everything about this is completely illegal. Border Patrol Commissioner Rodney Scott offered this update overnight about those kids and about how much Gavin Newsom is lying to you. Take a look. Breaking news. The 10 juveniles that were found at this marijuana facility, all illegal aliens, eight of them unaccompanied. It's now under investigation for child labor violations. This is Newsom's California. So Gavin Newsom stepping on a huge rake here, saying, oh, look at these poor children. Yeah, they're poor because of what abuses you've allowed to be done to them in your state of California. That's why they were there, is because they were being used in that way. So that's a great update. I love how snappy. Don't you love how fast these Trump administration officials are. Border Patrol Commissioner Rodney Scott leaping all over this, instantly going, no, no, no, this is child labor, you ghoul. Gavin Newsom. So there's, that's the update on the kids and what they're doing there. That's out of control. Also, you Get Democrats who are claiming that this was nothing, but this is that these fields were being used to grow food for Americans, and President Trump said he was just gonna go after the violent criminals, and now he's going after our food supply. What this is. Here's Congressman Jimmy Gomez posting to X overnight. How many Ms. 13 gang members are waking up at 3am to pick strawberries? Oh, yeah, zero, he says. Zero. They're not picking. They're picking strawberries. Trump said he'd go after the bad hombres, but he's targeting the immigrant farm workers who feed America. Either he lied or he can't tell the difference. Now, how many lies do you see in this particular post or do you hear in this particular post? If you're listening to the audio podcast right now, how many lies can we count here? It's crazy. First of all, they're not picking strawberries. This is a massive marijuana grow operation. That's what this is. So there's no strawberry picking on going on. The President never said he wasn't going to deport illegal alien farm workers. In fact, he said he was going to deport everybody. He said mass deportations. Correct me if I'm wrong, isn't that what the President said? The President said he would deport everyone who is here illegally. The biggest mass deportation operation in American history. It wasn't limited to any category of illegal alien, Ms. 13, bad hombres or otherwise. You're here illegally. You go. There you go. What else do we have? Oh, he lied or he can't tell the difference, says Jimmy Gomez, this goofball congressman from Los Angeles. No, you're the one who's lying. Not a strawberry operation. It's a marijuana grow. So there you go. Yeah, and I see the chat pointing out something here that is worth dwelling on. It is true that in the state of California, they say it's legal to have this operation, this marijuana, these marijuana fields, these are totally legal. And. And in fact, the media today is giving us the total illegal. That's not true under federal law. That continues to be. There's a discordance between federal law and state law. And wherever you are on this issue of marijuana and whether or not it should be legal in the United States, it's just a plain fact that the federal government still considers it illegal and that the state governments are kind of making it up as they go along. And by and large, the feds have just kind of turned a blind eye to it. They're just like, okay, whatever. People like pot. We're Gonna look the other way. There's been a lot of that. But here, regardless. I don't even care about that issue right now. All I care about is these are illegal aliens. They've got illegal child labor, and the left is straight up lying that this is a part of our food supply. It has nothing to do with food. I don't know. When was the last time you were eating pot leaves? When was the last time you did a little tossed salad of pot? Got to get that. The wacky tobacco into a salad. Nobody's doing that. That's so crazy. It's not our food supply. These aren't strawberries. So that's Jimmy Gomez. He's not alone. He's not alone. We got another one. Who else? Oh, Ruben Gallego from Arizona pulled the same stunt. And this is happening all over the place this morning. There you go. Ruben Gallego saying instead of prioritizing dangerous criminals, Trump is targeting families that have been here for years picking our food. The public outcry and protests are occurring because the American public knows this is wrong. Ruben Gallego is lying to you. Lying to you. California does have some good strawberries, though. They're not picking strawberries here. This is all weed. What does that shirt say, by the way? Hold up, hold up. Can't. Let me. Let me throw this to a full screen for you. I got to see that. This is funny. I just realized what this lady shirt says. Take a look at this. Let me see. Her shirt says gayness is next to godliness. Do you see this? Am I getting. Am I getting all of this correct? Is that an illegal alien wearing a Covid mask with dyed purple hair with a shirt that says gayness is next to godliness? This. Oh, my. This lady is straight out of left wing lunatic central casting this. Yes. Who said that? TH Meyer says she needs to go to church. Yeah, I completely agree. Get to church. Holy cow. Clearly she's never read the Bible. What else we have? The chat's going wild over this. She's. She's no lady. Says 20 sunflower 73. Yeah. Yeah, actually, I'm sorry. Yeah. Maybe I'm giving him too much credit. Maybe that's a dude. Maybe that's a. We could be dealing with a transgender left wing, dyed hair, Covid mask, fat belly showing gayness is next to godliness. Illegal alien. Well, anyway, that's what's going on at this bizarro marijuana operation. If it wasn't for the terrorists taking shots at ice, this would be fall over on your side. Funny, but at Least that's a little bit of comedy in the midst of all this. Yeah. So these Democrats, they're still sticking with these lines that it's just a strawberry operation, it's just for food, when it's no such thing. And we're going after these guys appropriately. So there was a really important update this morning on the kids, you know, the foreign labor that's being used at this operation. We do have Tom Holman. Tom Holman was on the Fox News Channel this morning and he was asked about the kids and he gave a really important piece of data. You remember the 300,000 kids who are missing? You know, the 300,000 kids are missing all across the country, imported by the Biden administration and just completely lost by the Biden people intentionally. So they didn't care. They were trafficking human beings. They were trafficking children, many of whom have been sexually exploited, who've been exploited for labor. Oh, like at the marijuana operation that just got busted. Here's Tom Holman this morning announcing. We found 10,000 of these missing children so far. Have you heard that anywhere? 10,000 children have been found. Take a look. Here's Tom Holman this morning. But Tom, it strikes me unbelievable that the Democrats are not on board. When you look at this raid, these are. There were 10 juveniles that were legally brought across the border. You and I covered this under the Biden administration. I was down in Texas. We encountered a 8, 10 year old, 12 year olds coming across with just a name and an address and a phone number on their necks. The cartel ruthlessly sending them across. And yet now we know that 10 of them, eight of which were unaccompanied minors working illegally and in a marijuana farm. And your agents go in and rescue them, essentially. And yet there is violent resistance to that. Does that upset you? It certainly upsets me. And like I said, you know, the workmen and women of ice are doing. It's incredible. Look, we're looking for over 300,000 missing children. We've already found 10,000. Have you heard that anywhere? No. The media is simply not covering it. And look, this should be a nonpartisan issue. Arresting public safety threats and national security threats. Everybody be on the same page on that. Yeah. Rescuing children. Yeah. I mean, it should be a nonpartisan issue. Every issue be completely nonpartisan issues. Totally right about that. They saved 10,000 kids. They have found and saved 10,000 children. That. I'll take that. I'll take that. You know, it's these kids. These kids were brought here illegally, smuggled in illegally. But it's not the fault of a little child that they were put in that situation. Those kids are being exploited. They're having their lives utterly destroyed. And the Trump administration has now rescued 10,000 of them. 10,000 of them. Remember, RFK Jr talked about this because a lot of this was done under HHS and the refugee program that the Biden people were running where they were trafficking people in. RFK Jr said, this is the biggest human trafficking operation ever, and it was being paid for by taxpayers. Against your will, by the way. Against my will. It's vile what happened. And it breaks your heart completely to think what's happening to those kids. And so Tom Holman, who I like, somebody told me recently that they're like, Tom Holman. They didn't, they don't like how he sounds. You know, that is like, it sounds like he's got marbles in his mouth. I was like, no, no, no, stop, stop. You know what I love about Holman? I'm wearing all my shirt today. I got Tom Holman on my shirt. Ice, ice, baby. I go, tom Holman. The difference between him and so many other people in Washington. Tom Holman sounds totally authentic. Everything about him sounds completely authentic. Like, that guy's not putting on airs. He's totally legit. Everything. He's just like, kind of like a hardscrabble blue collar dude who's like, I hate when kids are exploited. I, I hate our borders being open. I want my sovereignty. I'm all in on Homan. I love the whole presentation. I love the whole thing. And the most important thing I love is that he's actually doing the work. You know, he did a great job in the first place for Trump originally. And then President Trump brought him back and said, I need you to run this show, baby. And when he came in as the border czar and in the early days when the president said that Kristi Noem was gonna be the DHS secretary, I was a little worried about that, honestly. At the top, I was like, kristi Noem didn't, wasn't she kind of weak on the trans stuff in South Dakota? She didn't have this, like, sterling record as governor that made me really excited about. So I was concerned that she wasn't going to be dynamite on the border. But we had, I had, I had Tom Holman on my show. I forget which show we talked to, this one or my old, my old local radio show in D.C. and I asked him about this and he said, look, we're going to be working arm in arm. The two of us are going to be working together really tightly on this. He has a lot of faith in Kristi Noem. And that faith has proven accurate. I mean, it's, it's worked. It's worked. It doesn't mean we ever sit back and we become, we rest easy, that everybody's doing the right thing and we just stop paying attention. We should. But I gotta say, I love what Tom Holman's doing. And whatever concern I had about Kristi Noem, it's completely evaporated. I'm totally thrilled with the job that she's done as DHS secretary now. So these guys are. They've got a lot going on. They wanna get these mass deportations up even more. But remember, in the past week we had this whole amnesty conversation. We have had it because you and I are paying attention, as it was the Agriculture Secretary, Brooke Rollins, who keeps on bringing up this idea, well, maybe with the farms, we shouldn't go after the people who are working illegally on the farms. And we're gonna have to figure out a different system or maybe we'll eventually get to them. We won't prioritize them. And so I've been very concerned about that. That I'm concerned about. I'm concerned about Brooke Rollins right now and what she's saying and what the President has said as a result. But if you were wondering, are they going to go after the farms, are they going to treat these as places that deserve amnesty? That marijuana farm raid is proof. Yes, there's going to be some farm activity. Yes, they're going to go after some of these work sites. And yes, they're going to deport illegals that they take into custody. So that's, this is all encouraging what I'm looking at right now. Yeah. And Silver Surfer 41 says Christie is the best looking grandma in the world, so she has that going forward too. Congrats, Christina. Grandma. It's true. It's true. All right. I got a lot more coming up for you before we get there. You know, I've upgraded to a Helix mattress in my life, which is great. I've been sleeping better than ever. I look forward to sleeping on that Helix mattress at the end of each long day. No more tossing, no more turning. Helix Sleep is an award winning mattress brand. That is the essential reason why I do wake up feeling so much more refreshed and ready to take on each new day. We love it in my house. My wife loves it. It is so good for us. And honestly, we just thought. I thought I was doomed. I just never thought I'd have a good mattress. I was like, this is. Maybe there's nothing built for me. Maybe I'm never gonna have a good night's sleep. Helix has changed my life in a meaningful way. Helix Mattress can help you figure out which mattress is going to work best for you. Whether you have back pain, if you sleep too hot, if you snore. Visit helixsleep.comvince to get started. And once you get your mattress delivered, you can finally get some comforting sleep. And you know, a good night's sleep is one of the best ways that you can have a better quality of life. It's very good for your health. Very good for your health. Right now, Helix has an exclusive offer for listeners events 27% off site wide. That's right. Just visit helixsleep.com Vince and get 27% off site wide exclusive for listeners of this show. Helixsleep.com Vince yes, indeed. Thank you to Helix for being great. Apparently, we had a hot mic moment yesterday at the beginning of our show. For those of you who don't watch the rumble stream, there's a countdown. When we start the rumble stream, it goes for about 30 seconds. And it's a cool little feature because it builds anticipation. You're like, oh, man, it's coming. The show's coming. But what's supposed to happen is my microphone is not supposed to be on. But I was talking to the guys yesterday. And if you go back to yesterday's program and check it out, you can hear me tell the story. But I'll reiterate it here. We had a lightning storm in Northern Virginia just a few days ago, and the lightning was striking like hundreds of feet from my house, just hundreds of feet away. You know, where the lightning hits and then the sound hits at the same moment. You know, it's close, you know. No, no. Counting down the seconds to figure out how far that lightning strike was. It was right outside the house. Major was nervous about it. Of course, Major found a corner and he was lying down. And the dogs get all worked up. But my other dog, Raina, she's a rescue. She was super abused before we got a hold of her. So she's got all sorts of trauma. That poor dog. The lightning strikes, she's like, instantly, not to embarrass her, don't tell her I said this. She instantly pooped herself right in the middle of the kitchen. I couldn't even believe what was going on. And normally if your dog goes to the bathroom in the house, you're like, hey, don't do that. You want to, like, stop them from doing. I just felt so bad for it. We cleaned it up and I held that dog. This dog is so nervous all the time that she. She's hard to pet. But after the lightning storm was going on, she pinned herself to my body and she was vibrating like a cell phone. Just the whole, just the whole thunderstorm shaking. But she pinned herself to me and it was really sweet. And we just, we wrote it out together. We were thunder buddies. We wrote it out together. But, man, that poor dog. Anyway, that was on the hot mic. Yes, Mike. Safety lone. Behold. Reminds me treat every mic like a hot mic. Yes, the guys keep telling me. But anyway, let's take a look here. Oh, here's a good story. You want a fun story? This one's fun. Pam Bondi. As critical as I've been of her this week about the Jeffrey Epstein stuff, I'm not, as you know, I'm not in any way enthused about that stupid one and a half page memo we got last week. That did not settle me down about Jeffrey Epstein. It only made me more suspicious and curious about what the government's up to here. And I'm pretty. I'm basically all in on this idea that Epstein was pretty obviously a part of some sort of intel operation and everyone's trying to make it go away so that we stop focusing on it. But that said, Pam Bondi is doing something good this week that's annoying. All of the right people, they're firing a ton of people at the United States Department of Justice and in the FBI. All due credit to what's going on at the FBI. These guys have fired hundreds of people. They have forced out hundreds of people out of that deeply corrupt agency. And that's just such great news. But one of the people that was just fired from the Justice Department did an interview with CBS to whine about the fact that she was fired. I want you to take a look here. This is Pam. This Pam Bondi just fired another one of these January 6th tyrants. And here she goes, rushing to CBS to complain about it. Here it is. Cut for. Look, we're driving straight toward an abyss.

[Selena Zito]

What do you mean the rules don't exist anymore? The laws don't seem to exist anymore.

[Vince]

Hartman is the fourth person fired since early June who helped work the largest prosecution in American history, the prosecution of Trump supporters who stormed the U.S. capitol and beat police officers Jan. 6. But Hartman's case is different. She wasn't a prosecutor or An FBI agent. She was a public relations administrator, sending out her boss's news releases and helping with the content for a website and database of January 6 cases which the Trump administration has taken offline.

[Selena Zito]

There used to be a line, used to be a very distinct separation between the White House and the Department of Justice because one should not interfere with the work of the other.

[Vince]

You think that line's gone?

[Selena Zito]

That line is very definitely gone.

[Vince]

Oh, okay. For those of you who've kept track of the Constitution at any point in your life, correct me if I'm wrong. The United States Department of Justice is a part of the executive branch. Right. The Justice Department does report to the President of the United States. Correct. This whole thing, she's like, oh, no, no. It is a completely separate branch of government. The president should have no influence whatsoever. The White House should have no influence whatsoever over the United States Department of Justice. What in the world is this chick talking about? So giving that assessment confirms for me that she should be nowhere near the Department of Justice, and she was involved in all of the tyranny at the hands of the Department of Justice against Trump supporters, and proudly so. She was a part of the January 6th stuff. And then I love how CBS tries to distance her. Well, she wasn't a prosecutor. She was just in the PR side of things. Oh, really? The PR side of things? Let's talk about the PR side of things and the impact that that had. Julie Kelly documents this chick. Her name's Patricia Hartman. And Julie Kelly points out that she for years churned out near daily press releases to boast about indictments, convictions, and sentencings in January 6th cases. Her handiwork created national and local coverage of January Sixers, fueling hate against them and then endangering their safety. Pam Bondi just fired her, and now she wants sympathy, says Julie Hartman arguably did more damage to the lives of January Sixers than did prosecutors and or judges. Her firing should only be part of the price she pays, says Julie. Yeah, so now she's whining on television that she has that when she was in the Justice Department, she was supposed to report to the President of the United States to be a part of the executive branch of our government. That's how it works. It's the Constitution we are talking about. It is Article 2 of the Constitution that we are talking about. Yes. You work for the President. You don't like it, get out. And if you don't want to get out, we'll help you out. Which is what Pam Bondi just did. So good for the attorney general firing that person and a whole lot more. The left keeps complaining that all the prosecutors are getting fired. All the January 6th people are being fired. Good. Fire them all and then prosecute them, would you, while you're on the. While you're on the mission. All right, coming up in just a moment, I've got a great writer joining us and an eyewitness to the events of July 13th last year in Butler, Pennsylvania. Selena Zito is going to be with me. She's got a great new book on the subject. And we're going to look back on that fateful day and just how close we came to pure pandemonium in this country. It's. It's just amazing. Again, I feel the hand of God and the way those events transpired now nearly a year ago. Before we get there, I got to thank our sponsors. Blackout Coffee is a great sponsor of this program for a bunch of reasons, including that blackout fuels me up each and every day. I love Blackout Coffee. It's a company that loves our country. John owns Blackout Coffee. He's a great American. He has America first coffee that's roasted fresh right here in the United States. There's no woke nonsense, just bold, strong coffee for people who actually get it done. And as you know, Blackout Coffee is the official coffee of all of us here at Silverlock. This is a brand that stands for the right values and makes a great cup of coffee. I drink my coffee black, which means I know if it's good. And Blackout Coffee is fantastic. Here's the deal. John is hooking you up with that great cup of coffee. Head over to blackoutcoffee.com Vince use the code Vince. That's V I N C E. And you're gonna get 20% off your first order. Whether you like whole bean, ground, or even instant coffee that doesn't suck, Blackout Coffee has you covered. Support a company that actually shares your values. Blackoutcoffee.com Vince use the code Vince and get 20% off your first order. Blackout coffee. Thank you. To Blackout. Thank you. Also to bowl and branch. Here we talk about how much better my sleep is these days. One of the big reasons for that, bowl and Branch sheets. So if you're ever in a situation where you're lying in bed, mind racing, worrying about the next day, thinking about the to do list. Well, I've got something that helps me a lot. Bolen Branch sheets. It's a big deal. In our house. We started with the signature sheets, which are crafted with the finest 100% organic cotton and they're really soft. You can tell right out of the package. Super soft. And then every time you wash them, they get softer. Awesome. And it makes for a great night's sleep. But as things get hotter in the summer, they have another option, too. The Percal sheets, which are a total game changer because they're cool, they're crisp, they're breathable. They're great summer sheets. If you're worried about sleeping hot, you don't have to worry with the Percal sheets from Bolan Branch. They're great. You can feel the quality the moment you open that box. These sheets are ethically made. It shows in every stitch. You can get the best savings of the season. During Bowlen Branch's annual summer event. Get 20% off plus free shipping on your first set of [e-mail] Vince that's Bolendbranch. B O L L A n d y branch.com Vince to save 20% and unlock free shipping, limited time only exclusions apply. Visit bowland branch.com for details. Bowen Branch. Thank you very much. Okay, July 13th. Where are we? It's the 11th. Two days from now. This Sunday, July 13th, will mark one year since the assassination on President Trump that led to him being wounded, standing up, holding a fist to the air and saying, fight, fight, fight. That was in Butler, Pennsylvania. One of the people who was there to witness that is my next guest. Selena Zito joins us now. She's the author of the new book Butler.

[Selena Zito]

So glad to be here. Thank you so much. That was a great introduction.

[Vince]

Well, you know, I just can't even believe that it's been a year. How does it. Does how does the time pass for you? Do you feel like it flew by or what? How are you observing this, this anniversary?

[Selena Zito]

So many things for me as a journalist have happened in that moment. Not only did I chronicle what happened that day, I began writing the book, something I didn't even think of, but someone approached me and said, this is history. You've got to chronicle it. And so I just dove right in while still doing my job as a reporter. If listeners aren't familiar with me, I'm from Western Pennsylvania and sort of the Great Lakes, Midwest, Pennsylvania and Appalachia is basically my beat. So I still continue to cover the election and still write the book and relive it and live it in the moment, but also be able to tell how much that moment has changed us in a way that I just still don't think people understand. In terms of my profession and the Democrats and maybe some Republicans, but it feels like it was yesterday.

[Vince]

I'm sure it does. Okay, so give people a sense of where you were, because we all have the image in our minds of President Trump on that stage, turning to the side, looking at it, looking at the chart, the shots being fired, his ear being hit, going to the ground, all of it. But where were you in relation to all of this? How close were you to this?

[Selena Zito]

I was just a few feet away. I had just spoken to the President six minutes before he was shot. He wanted to say hi to me before the event started. And I was telling. He tells me, why don't we fly to Bedminster and we'll do the interview then. It was supposed to be done there at Butler. And I said, okay. That's what put me in the buffer zone. The buffer is sort of that. Well, that's between the President on the stage and people attending the rally. Usually it's just photojournalists there, but I was there with my daughter, who took the photo for the book. So we.

[Vince]

How old is your daughter?

[Selena Zito]

Eight.

[Vince]

Okay, so she's an adult. I say, okay, I was a photojournalist.

[Selena Zito]

Yeah, got it. We keep the newspaper thing in the family. I'm the great granddaughter of a newsman. And so, you know, we. We follow him out. She's taking photos, I'm taking photos. I'm having video. People go back and look at my account. They can see me covering it. He goes out on the stage, he goes by the podium. They tell us, my daughter Shannon and I, to go over. Off to the left, left, left. And because we're going to go in the motorcade, they sort of wanted us positioned to be ready to go so they could grab us. So we're just off to his left, and he starts speaking. And something. He does something that he never, rarely does. I shouldn't say never, but he rarely, rarely has a chart. If does have a chart, it's at the end, and this chart comes out. And I remember turning to my daughter and saying, what is he, Ross Perot? He never has a chart. And then I remember him doing something that he also doesn't ever do, and that's turn his head. Now, why doesn't he do that? If you've ever gone to a Trump rally or watched one in detail, the relationship between the people that are there in him is very transactional. They feed off of him, and he also feeds off of them. It's connective tissue. And so he doesn't turn away. He might Turn his whole body away, but never his neck. Never turns away. He turns away. And in that moment, that's when I hear the first four shots go right. Right over my head. I knew immediately what it was. I'm a gun owner. I see him. It's really interesting. People that have gone through traumatic events sometimes say things move in slow motion. I would attest to. It's almost as though time layers itself. And I watch him. I watch the blood streak across his face. I watch him grab his ear. I'm just a few feet away from him. I have my recorder on. Not because I think something bad's going to happen, because I always have my recorder on. I always record his speeches because it's important to get the nuance when people talk rather than just flatly put, you know, the words down.

[Vince]

Right?

[Selena Zito]

And so it's still rolling. I forget that. And. And I see him. This is the, like, first instant that I thought, maybe he's not hurt that bad. I know he's hurt, but he. He takes himself down. He's not taken down. Right. The bullet didn't knock him down. And he. He gets down on his knees. The. The podium has sort of a protective shield around it that didn't matter. That's not the direction that the bullets were coming from. And I see he's surrounded by a sea of blue suits, Secret Service. And at the same time, there's the next round of shots go off. Now I'm still standing. My daughter's still taking photos.

[Vince]

And.

[Selena Zito]

There was this moment where I said, okay, God gave me a talent to be a writer, and I always believe we have purpose in life. And my purpose was to chronicle this in the most vivid, honest way.

[Vince]

So you were standing, you were aware of what was going on, and you continued to stand through it. In other words, you weren't standing because you were dumbfounded and you had no idea what was on. Going, Going on. You were standing because you thought, I have to keep observing this because I've got to document it.

[Selena Zito]

Yes. I can't. And, and, And I talked into my. It's then. So a couple things happen in the next few seconds. His press campaign, a advance man. His name is Michelle Picard iii. He. He takes me down. He's like, get down. And boom, he's on top of me, and he's holding me in a protective stance. And it's then that I pull my recorder out. I see that my phone out, and I see it's still recording. So I start talking into my phone, into the recording. So that I don't forget any detail, which probably won't happen because I just have one of those brains that remembers things.

[Vince]

Yeah.

[Selena Zito]

And so he stood over me, he laid on top of me until we got the all clear. I see the President. A lot of people didn't see this, and maybe it was just because of. I just had a unique vantage point. But the crowd behind him is saying, usa. And I see his face and he says, usa. He doesn't say it out loud, but he at least mouths it. And they're trying to get him up, not because he's unable to get up. This was actually the funny part. He wants his shoes on, and he refuses to get up until his shoes are on. And the Secret Service is like, sir, we have to go. Sir, we have to go, because I need my shoes on. And I'm like, I cannot believe he's saying that right now. Like, I said that into my record. I'm like, I can't believe him.

[Vince]

That's amazing.

[Selena Zito]

His shoes on, and he gets up on his own, and they're keeping this stance around him, right? And they want to keep it around him while they exit off the stage and he goes, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. And he turns around and says, fight, fight, fight. Now, a lot of people think he says that for whatever reason they, they, they. They put on it. But when he calls me the next morning, he explains why.

[Vince]

Okay, let me get to that. I'm going to hold that. Put a pin in that, because I do want to ask you about that, but one thing that I've thought about a lot since that day, and I'm curious if you have the answer. When he was lying on the ground and the Secret Service were on top of him, I believe one of the agents acknowledged that the shooter had been neutralized. Somebody said something to that effect while they were lying on the ground. Because the snipers took Thomas Crooks out, the Secret Service agents who are lying on top of Trump, one of them said out loud that that had occurred. So when Trump stands up, he heard that. He had heard that, that those words. And so part of him standing up and going, fight, fight, fight, was. He already had information. He knew that the shooter was taken out. And now he's going right to the crowd and saying, fight, fight, fight. Yes, it's still dangerous, but he's aware generally that the shooter's been neutralized, Right?

[Selena Zito]

He is aware of that, but they're still not sure if there's not another shooter or accomplice there.

[Vince]

Right, right.

[Selena Zito]

And that's A conversation that they have. And that was an immediate concern. Afterwards, when they pass me, if you look at some of the video footage, you can see a Secret Service guy in full camo with an AR pointed right at my head. They don't know. They don't know there could be someone else there. Right. There's always that possibility, of course.

[Vince]

So the people who were in the crowd, I know the President, we now know, and he may have told you he marveled at their restraint because the reaction from the crowd was definitely not one of cowardice. There was some self preservation going on, but there was no panic. People didn't sprint off, create a stampede, injure more people. They were there, they tried to keep their heads down, but they were very focused on what was happening and whether or not the President was okay. Tell me about that.

[Selena Zito]

Yeah, that has a lot to do with that decision of him saying fight, fight, fight. Has a lot to do with the people there. There's this really powerful moment in the book when I get to the parking lot after they finally let me out of the back. It's about an hour later and farm field is completely empty, so I assume everyone is driven away. When I get. If you've ever been to western Pennsylvania, our hills are very sloping, so you couldn't see the parking lot walking across field. You get down and you look on the field and there was 50,000 people there. There's anywhere between 15 to 20,000 vehicles there. People are out, they're hugging, they're crying, they're laughing, they're holding each other, they're sharing water, they're sharing food. It was. You know, I have covered middle America for most all of my life. I live in, again, I live in Western Pennsylvania. These are the people that are the most disparaged within our media and within both the Democrat and Republican parties at one point or another. They're the ones that are looked down on. And to see that moral clarity and that being part of something bigger than self and seeing that character within them, I still get goosebumps when I think about it, because it was. It was almost joyful. And I know that sounds really strange to say, but it's also that moment. To me, that moment continued from that day. That moment continued from that day all the way to election day. And it was infectious in a way that people didn't understand, in the way that people still do not understand.

[Vince]

Yeah, I completely agree. So tell me about the conversation you have with the President. So the President speaks to you the very next day and you said, he described to you why. He said, fight, fight, fight. What did you learn?

[Selena Zito]

So he called me the next morning and he said, selena, this is President Donald J. Trump. Like, I didn't know that. Right. And the first thing he asked, I think this is important to note, are you okay? Is your daughter okay? And he apologized for not doing the interview.

[Vince]

And.

[Selena Zito]

Yeah, that's the reaction I had.

[Vince]

That's crazy. I know. It's like, so. I mean, that's. That's not. That's not the story the media tell about Trump, but I'll just put it that way.

[Selena Zito]

I did something that's gonna make my parents really unproud of me when they read the book. Cause it's swore like a truck driver. And I said, are you bleeping kidding me, sir? You've just been shot. I mean, that's like so generous. But. But anyways, he would go on to call me seven times that day. We had some very. And people will read this in the book, but also they will. Once they read it, they'll understand what they saw the rest of the election. They'll understand what they see today. He talks about God, about the hand of God being in the moment, and about a newfound purpose. And then I said to him in our last. And I did not. I felt. I felt he needed his space to figure things out. I needed my space to figure things out. I wasn't going to press him in that moment, but I did ask him at the end of the conversation, I said, sir, I said, usa. Then fight, fight, fight. Only because I saw what I saw. And I said, why did you do that? He said, selena, in that moment, I. I wasn't Donald Trump. I was representing the entirety of our country, everything that our country symbolizes. It was my obligation to show strength, to show that the presidency goes on, it continues, that the presidency represents the grit and exceptionalism that is our country. And that we never back down, no matter how much we get kicked, no matter what tries to take our country down. And I knew that I had an obligation to do that. Not just because that's the obligation as a president, but I also knew I had an obligation for the people that were there. Had I not done that, they might likely have been chaos, there might likely have been a stampede. And he marvels that there wasn't. And he also says, I also have an obligation. If anybody's videoing it, if it's on camera, I don't know at this point. I just know that it could have had I handled that any differently. He goes and again, this is not about me. If I handled this any differently than what I am supposed to represent as the leader of the free world, there could have been chaos in the streets. And I see. We see that in him every day. Right. We don't think about that nuance. We don't always agree with everything that he does. But this is a man with purpose. He understands why he was saved, and he understands that the country has changed because of what happened that day.

[Vince]

You know, that event changed my view of him. I already liked him. I'd already voted for him multiple times. I've had the privilege of meeting him and interviewing him a couple of times. Every time, I've enjoyed it, and I've thought very highly of him. But I learned something that under no other circumstance would I have been able to learn, which is he has immense courage under fire, and very few people, God willing, will ever have to experience that. But for him to stand up and react that way, I was genuinely impressed by it. Did you in any way, did you have your view of him, maybe not changed, but affected by the events of July 13th?

[Selena Zito]

No, I kind of always knew that's who he was. I've covered him mostly through the eyes of the people in the middle of the country.

[Vince]

Yeah, but.

[Selena Zito]

But also I've interviewed him numerous times, and this is something that. That people didn't pick up on. Also, his sense of humor. I mean, there's a part in the book where he's chasing me around with hairspray. I mean, he's pretty freaking funny, but. But that strength, I always saw that in. In him. I was surprised that he did that. I figured people would interpret it that he's, like, entertaining or, you know, he's trying to, you know, to do that for himself. I didn't think that, you know, when you're shot, you have a newfound purpose and you survive it. And. And he, you know, he talks about the hand of God a lot in the book. Not just the next day, but throughout the rest of the campaign. I interview.

[Vince]

Okay, so on that front, tell me, do you. Did you notice a change in him in terms of his sense of spirituality? Because it does seem to me that he's reached some sort of new depth as a result of that attack.

[Selena Zito]

Yeah, so we talked. We talked in October of. I think it was right before the election. Yeah, and we talked about that. And he. And I also just talked two weeks ago about that, and he said, you know, I survived Lawfare, and I really didn't think that would. Had anything to do With God. Right. I thought it was me. And then you get shot and then someone dies coming to see you and brings your family there. God is telling me something in that moment. Now, he might not be a guy who goes to church every Sunday, but that's not often how people measure their faith and spirituality. It's not always about going to church. Now it is for me. You know, I'm someone that's in a pew every Sunday. I'm someone that says I'm rosary every morning. But. But for him, it's. It's an obligation to God to live to his fullest potential and do the best thing for the country. And, and that has not left him. We talked about that in depth two weeks ago. And, you know, he knows me and he knows I can smell bullshit. And he was. There was no. I'm sorry. I swore. I'm so sorry.

[Vince]

You're allowed to do it. We're on. We're on. Yeah, you're allowed to do that. I'm so sorry. No, you're good. No, you're perfectly good. But that's interesting. So two weeks ago, he told you, if I, if I understand you correctly, that he had looked back on all of the lawfare that was perpetuated against him and he thought to himself, I thought that was me. I just thought that was me overcoming all of that. And now I detect that God played a huge role in that.

[Selena Zito]

Oh, he totally credits God. He totally. He doesn't. You know, it's not like, well, maybe that's God. Like, that's God for him. Like, that was a. That was divine intervention. Which is the exact words he used.

[Vince]

Yes. So then what follows logically is that God has a purpose for him that is not yet. That is not yet completed. Do you think he has a sense of what that purpose is to get.

[Selena Zito]

The country on the right track? He feels that the country is on a very bad track. And he doesn't. And he is very cognizant about the clock is ticking not only, you know, only four years, but also you never know when you're going to go. He never expected to be shot in Butler. Right. He never expected a guy to try to shoot him in Florida, expected Iran to have a continuous. Continuously trying to take him out. Right. And so he's very cognizant that any day he could go any day, and he has to use a squeeze out every second of every day and make it matter and make it purposeful.

[Vince]

Okay, I can't let you go without asking one, one last question about Butler, which is, and I imagine this is something you cover in the book, which is how did the security failure occur that let that happen in the first place? And do you feel like we're anywhere close to getting the answers we deserve on that subject, and especially that the President deserves on that subject?

[Selena Zito]

Yeah, I do think we're closer. I think we will see more and more things start to roll out. You already saw that some of these people were suspended. I suspect this is going to go further than that. Look, one of the biggest lessons learned in 9 11. Do you remember this? I don't know if you alive, then.

[Vince]

Yeah, definitely.

[Selena Zito]

Okay. I didn't know how old you were. One of the lessons learned from 9 11. Do you remember this? Oh, our, our, our agencies don't speak to each other, they don't communicate. Right, Right. That was basically the genesis behind home developing homeland Security. Right. And building this new cabinet, this new, you know, part of the government. And the thing that they did, the thing that really was the fail point of Butler was they were not communicating, you know, these. And I don't, I don't know this. I'm speculating, but my experience has been with field men and women, as opposed to, you know, people in D.C. you know, they don't make those decisions. The men and women that are on the ground, they only, you know, they have to follow orders. And I suspect this came from, you know, the higher ups in the Secret Service. And I think that it was criminal that they're not talking to the sheriffs and the cops and the local police, the women who grew up on this farmland, the men and women who protect and serve the people in this community, that they are not communicating with the people who intuitively understand every inch of the area that you just shut them out is, is where our problem was. Yeah, they're the ones that found the guy. They're the ones saying, they're the ones that kept saying, why isn't there someone on the roof?

[Vince]

You know, and they saved his life and they saved President Trump's life. I've said this since that day, which is if it wasn't for the Trump supporters, if it wasn't for the residents of Butler, Pennsylvania, who were yelling about a shooter on the roof, which finally led to a local cop getting his head over the edge of the roof and then Thomas Crooks taking rushed shots at the President instead of having a patient shot to take, that resulted in saving the life of the President of the United States. And again, it just plays into what you've been talking about divine intervention that the president definitely, definitely detects.

[Selena Zito]

Yeah.

[Vince]

Selena Zito. Go ahead, finish that thought. Give it to me.

[Selena Zito]

Yeah, absolutely. I think the book demonstrates so much about what happened that we didn't see after that in the campaign, but also it demonstrates what we're seeing right now and helps us understand that.

[Vince]

Yeah. Amen. Well, thank you for helping us understand it. You were there and you wrote a great book about it. The book is called Butler. The author is Selena Zito. Selena, please. Have a nice weekend. Nice to talk to you today.

[Selena Zito]

Thank you so much.

[Vince]

There she is, Selena Zito. Our thanks as always to her. Thank you guys, the best damn audience in media for being with me today on vince. I've got the big national radio show coming up later in the day. We've got 12 to 3 Eastern time. You can find out your local radio listings on the Vince show.com or watch us live. Major will be in the house. That's rumble.com. vince, always so good to be with you. Yeah. Thank you. Yeah, I think God is watching us. Thank you for that. The chat's wonderful. Selena's wonderful. Great time. Great time to be with you today. And keep your loved ones close, you know, give them a hug and say a prayer for how great our country is this weekend, one year since July 13, that assassination attempt on President Trump. And my prayers also to the Comparator family, Corey Comparator, that great firefighter gunned down that day. I know the president is going to be thinking about him. I certainly will, too. God bless you. Great to have you with us today. Appreciate you stopping by.