Witness Recounts Crowd's Eruption of Support After Trump's Fiery Response to Assassination Attempt

A Pittsburgh man who witnessed the assassination attempt on former President Trump in Butler, Pa., recounts his amazement in watching the crowd erupt in cheers after Trump mouthed "Fight!" and fist-pumped moments after being shot.

CANONSBURG, Pa. – A Pittsburgh man who witnessed the assassination attempt on former President Trump in Butler, Pa., last weekend recounted his amazement to Fox News Digital in watching the crowd erupt in cheers after the GOP nominee mouthed "Fight!" and fist-pumped moments after being shot.

Bob Crankovic said he was sitting behind Trump just off his right shoulder when the rally began. Several minutes into the rally, Thomas Crooks, 20, of Bethel Park, Pa., attempted to kill Trump but shot him in the ear after the former president turned at the last moment to explain a border policy graphic.

Witness Recounts Crowd's Eruption of Support After Trump's Fiery Response to Assassination Attempt

Crankovic, who has been active in local Republican circles since 2016, said it was approximately his fourth Trump rally and that Saturday's started just as the others had – with rallygoers bedecked in red hats and American flag-themed regalia.

However, after shots rang out, Crankovic saw Trump dropping and being smothered by Secret Service agents. What happened next was similarly shocking, he said.

Witness Recounts Crowd's Eruption of Support After Trump's Fiery Response to Assassination Attempt

"As soon as unfortunately the shots went out, what happened was that I immediately ducked for cover," he said. "By the time I happened to look up at the president, roughly around the second or third shot, he was already covered up," he said.

"So it was tough to watch. But, I mean, as soon as the president got up, everybody was absolutely screaming their head off for the president in support."

Witness Recounts Crowd's Eruption of Support After Trump's Fiery Response to Assassination Attempt

That response, he said, as well as the fact Trump went ahead with plans to address the Republican National Convention despite the near-death incident and injury, is why he believes the GOP nominee is the right man at the right time for America.

"President Trump's reaction is exactly how I think the country's feeling. We want a comeback," he said.

Witness Recounts Crowd's Eruption of Support After Trump's Fiery Response to Assassination Attempt

"We want a strong leader who knows exactly the moment and knows how to step up to the moment and be in the moment, all at the exact same time."

In a recent interview with Fox News Digital, Beaver County Republican Party vice chairman Rico Elmore echoed some of Crankovic's sentiments, suggesting the tragic event will lead to more national unity at a trying time:

Witness Recounts Crowd's Eruption of Support After Trump's Fiery Response to Assassination Attempt

"I believe that it's going to bring a sense of togetherness across all lines, Democrat, Republican, and any other political party affiliation, because now it's to the realization that this can happen. It can happen anywhere," he said Monday.

"You can go outside and someone can do this. You can be at a rally, and someone can do this all based on a political viewpoint or an opinion."

In the aftermath of the assassination attempt, Crankovic said he believes Trump's message of unity and strength will resonate even more with voters:

"I think that's going to have a huge impact, because when you look at the environment that we're in right now, you look at the challenges that we're facing, you look at the uncertainty that we're facing, I think people want to be reassured that the person who's going to be leading the nation for the next four years is someone who's going to be fighting for them and that's exactly what we saw last night," he said.

"He's a fighter. He's not going to back down. He's not going to give up. And he's going to fight for what he believes in. And that's what we need right now."