On Friday, May 30, President Trump endorsed the acclaimed journalist, Salena Zito’s, upcoming book, Butler: The Untold Story of the Near Assassination of Donald Trump and the Fight for America’s Heartland in a Truth Social post.
Earlier today, President Trump re-posted his endorsement of Salena Zito’s book on Truth Social.
According to the publisher’s description on Salena Zito’s book’s pre-order webpage:
“Salena Zito is the journalist who knows Trump—and his voters—better than anyone.” – The Free Press
From the acclaimed journalist standing only a few feet away from the stage when the gunshots began is this gripping first-hand account of the near assassination of Donald Trump – and the inside story of Trump’s heartland-fueled victory.
That day in Butler, had the wind gusted less, had Trump’s head turned in a slightly different direction, or had the adrenaline-fueled heart of the shooter beat slower, America would have been plunged into chaos, possibly even civil war. As a local reporter with deep ties to the area, Salena Zito had been invited by the president to interview him at the Butler Farm Show Grounds. She was standing only four feet away from the presidential podium when the bullets started to fly. A campaign staffer tackled her to the ground.
Throughout it all, Salena never stopped reporting. She spoke by phone to Trump several times in the immediate aftermath and was granted access to community members, rally participants, family members and local law enforcement officials. “I rarely look away from the crowd,” Trump told her in one of several of those conversations. “Had I not done that in that moment, well, we would not be talking today, would we?”
Known for her on-the-ground reporting on populism and rural America, Salena zooms out to tell the fascinating story of the battle for America’s heartland and the issues that actually motivate voters. To understand how and why Trump won the 2024 election, you have to understand places like Butler. Big cities like Los Angeles, New York and D.C. don’t decide who wins election cycles, but people in places like Butler, Pennsylvania sure do. President Trump gave the author extraordinary access for this book, including to his top aides, to his running mate JD Vance, to billionaire supporter Elon Musk, and even his security detail.
There are moments that define America. The late afternoon hours of July 13, 2024 was one of them. This book is a narrative of that fateful day, the people of the heartland and the untold story of how the president found his way back into the heart of the electorate.
Certain readers may recognize Salena Zito from her appearance in Tucker Carlson Network’s 2024 miniseries, Art of the Surge.
Throughout the miniseries, the Trump campaign granted exclusive access to Tucker Carlson Network’s film crew, beginning with President Trump’s historic debate performance against Joe Biden in June 2024.
By episode two of Art of the Surge, the Tucker Carlson Network film crew had already embedded itself within the Trump campaign, capturing unique footage of President Trump’s survived assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania.
A portion of episode two, titled “In The Bullseye,” focused on Salena Zito’s upfront reporting style, and her relationship with President Trump.
Evidently, based on her ethical approach to primary source journalism, Salena Zito has written a definitive account on President Trump’s survived assassination attempt, and its broader implications.
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