Patrick McIlheran, the creator of the infamous Ron Johnson immigration chart, credits it with saving former President Trump's life during an assassination attempt. The chart was said to have been one of several hundreds McIlheran has made over the last few years.
Patrick McIlheran, the creator of the infamous immigration chart that former President Trump credits with saving his life, has dubbed it "bulletproof." The chart, which tracks border patrol apprehensions along the southwest border, was being displayed at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, when a gunman opened fire, narrowly missing Trump.
McIlheran, who first drafted the graph for Sen. Ron Johnson's office, said he realized Trump was looking at the chart when he saw video clips of the attempted assassination. "And then you're seeing the stills as he was turned, and you realize, holy buckets – that's Ron Johnson's graph," he said. "It was kind of like, holy cow – that's that beloved old graph."
Bulletproof Chart Saved Trump's Life, Says Creator
Trump referenced the chart during his first major speech since the attempted assassination, calling it "the chart that saved my life." He noted that the chart showed a dive in illegal crossings under his administration before a spike in crossings over the last few years.
McIlheran said he was glad that the chart had drawn attention to Johnson's numbers, which he believes deserve attention. "If it happens by a twist of fate to have saved us from a terrible crisis, then all the better," he said.
Bulletproof Chart Saved Trump's Life, Says Creator
The chart has been updated on a monthly basis by Johnson's office and the Trump-Vance team. McIlheran said he believed the chart was "bulletproof" because it was based on sound data and presented in a clear and concise way.
"It's oftentimes hard to get people to pay attention to graphs," he said. "It's important stuff, it's a it's a key topic and, boy, you wish people would take a look at it. Well, this particular twist on the story makes sure that everybody's looking at that graph."
Bulletproof Chart Saved Trump's Life, Says Creator
The gunman, identified as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, opened fire targeting Trump's head at his Butler, Pennsylvania, rally. The bullet narrowly missed Trump as he turned to look at the immigration graph on one of the screens. Instead, the bullet grazed his right ear. Crooks fired off several more rounds, wounding two others and killing 50-year-old former fire chief, Corey Comperatore, before being killed by a Secret Service sniper.
McIlheran said he was grateful that the chart had played a role in saving Trump's life. "Ron Johnson's numbers will save your life," he said. "Keep that in mind."
Bulletproof Chart Saved Trump's Life, Says Creator
