YORK, Pa. — As the investigation into the assassination attempt of former president Donald Trump continue, the GOP presidential nominee is returning to the campaign trail.
Meanwhile, many people are still processing what happened one week ago during his rally in Butler County, Pennsylvania.
“At first, I thought it was a joke because of all the things you see on TikTok," recalled Everett Crall, a 21-year-old from Harrisburg. “My reaction was that I couldn’t believe it, you know, it’s like you go into shock.”
U.S. Senate candidate Dave McCormick, who sat just a few feet from Trump during the attack, recalled the incident to a crowd at the Pennsylvania American Legion Convention on Saturday.
"One inch," said McCormick (R). "One inch was what made the difference."
McCormick said he had an emotional conversation with his family after he returned home from Butler County.
“I have six daughters and I called and texted all of them, and they were really upset," said McCormick. "And it never occurred to them that their father could be in harm’s way, simply because he decided to run for office and serve his country.”
UPMC clinical psychologist Dr. Melissa Brown said discussing the assassination attempt could be challenging to talk about, given the historic and traumatic nature of the event.
“Many of us don’t have a schema, or coping mechanism of how you deal with that," said Dr. Brown.
Dr. Brown said families should find ways to talk about the incident, especially if their kids have seen videos from the attack. She added it’s important for parents to ask what their child knows about the incident, rather than jumping into scary details.
“We want to keep that line of communication open and ask them, ‘what might be your questions you have, or what might be your emotional responses,'" said Dr. Brown.
Dr. Brown said the key is to be a good role model for your child and encourage them to develop healthy ways to deal with their stress, such as talking with trusted people or taking a break from social media.
"Great examples to provide your child or adolescence here's what mom and dad does; here's what grandma does; here's what your uncle does when they are feeling stressed or anxious," said Dr. Brown.
