During a recent White House gathering with angel families, Donald Trump expressed uncertainty about his longevity, citing numerous threats to his life. “I don’t know how long I’ll be around,” he remarked, noting the significant number of people who seem to have it out for him.

This statement comes on the heels of an incident at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate, where an armed intruder was shot and killed after breaching the premises. It marked the president’s first public comment following the alarming security breach at the club, often referred to as the “Winter White House,” where Trump frequently retreats during colder months.

Despite typically spending weekends at Mar-a-Lago, Trump and First Lady Melania stayed in Washington, D.C., last Saturday night to attend the Governors’ Dinner. This absence proved fortuitous as, in the early hours of Sunday, a 21-year-old man from North Carolina attempted to infiltrate the resort armed with a shotgun and a gas can.

Trump’s presidency has not been without its dangers, as he has weathered multiple assassination attempts, particularly noted during his campaign for the 2024 presidential election. The recent incident at Mar-a-Lago highlights the ongoing risks and heightened security concerns surrounding the former president.

It was rare that Trump wasn’t at Mar-a-Lago considering he spends most weekends during cold weather months at what has been dubbed the ‘Winter White House.’ Instead on Saturday night, the president and First Lady Melania stayed in Washington, DC attended the Governors’ Dinner.

The early hours of Sunday morning, a 21-year-old from North Carolina attempted to sneak onto the grounds of the club that houses the president’s Florida residence with a shotgun and a gas can. 

Austin Tucker Martin was shot and killed by Secret Service agents after he refused to drop his weapon and allegedly raised it to the firing position.

Trump’s event with family members of those killed by illegal immigrants on Monday were his first public remarks since the latest deadly incident.  

Donald Trump says ‘I have a lot of people gunning for me, don’t I?’ during a White House event with angel families on Monday, February 23, 2026

The remarks were Trump’s first since Austin Tucker Martin, 21, of North Carolina was shot and killed after breaching Mar-a-Lago with a shotgun and a fuel can 

Police, showing an image of the shotgun, say he refused to drop the weapon and brought it to a shooting position before Secret Service agent fired and neutralized the threat

He compared himself to presidents he says are the most consequential, including John F. Kennedy and Abraham Lincoln, both of whom were assassinated during their terms.

But then he realized being a ‘consequential’ president might mean assured death. 

‘They only go after consequential [presidents],’ Trump gawked. ‘So maybe I want to be a little bit less consequential. Can we hold it back a little bit?’ 

‘Let’s be a normal president for a little while,’ he added.

Trump is no stranger to facing near-death experiences.  

On July 13, 2024 his ear was clipped when 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks opened fire in an assassination attempt at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Crooks was shot and killed by Secret Service providing on-scene security for the event. 

Corey Comperatore, a 50-year-old former fire chief and father, was shot and killed at the rally. Two other rally goers, David Dutch, 57, and James Copenhaver, 74, were critically injured but survived. 

Just days later Trump went to the Republican National Convention and accepted his third straight nomination for the party’s candidacy with a large bandage on his ear

Almost exactly two months later on September 15, 2024, Ryan Wesley Routh, 60, aimed a firearm through where he was hiding in the bushes outside Trump’s Palm Beach club while he was golfing. 

After a Secret Service agent shot in the direction of the visible firearm barrel, Routh fled the scene. He was tracked down, arrested, charged with attempted assassination, among other crimes, and earlier this month was sentenced to life in prison.