Reporter says assassination attempt has changed Trump

Trump will now call for unity after shooting in Butler County

Pittsburgh, Pa. (KDKA Radio/WBEN) - A former Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Reporter was the first to interview former President Donald Trump following Saturday's assassination attempt, and he says the tone of his Republican Convention speech is changing.

LISTEN: Reporter Salena Zito talks with KDKA Radio

Now a Pittsburgh-based columnist and reporter with the Washington Examiner, Salena Zito was slated to interview the former President and fly with him to Bedminster, New Jersey following Saturday's rally.

These plans were drastically derailed, however, one of the first things Trump did on Sunday was give Zito a call. She says Trump asked to check on how she and her family was.

"He believes that everything happens for a reason, and he’s supposed to bring the country together," said Zito. "There was definitely a realization that he needs to rise to the occasion."

Zito adds that Trump told her it was God who intervened and saved his life.

Featured Image Photo Credit: Milwaukee, Wis. - Large photographs of former U.S. President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump line the concourse level of the Fiserv Forum ahead of the Republican National Convention on July 13, 2024. Republicans will gather in Milwaukee to certify former President Trump as their candidate for the White House. (Chip Somodevilla - Getty Images)