WASHINGTON — At 79 years old and on track to become the oldest sitting U.S. president in history, Donald Trump laid bare a stark personal priority for the 2026 midterms during a recent interview: simply surviving.
The revelation, shared in a candid exchange with One America News Network, underscores the lingering shadow of two assassination attempts in 2024 and a flurry of rumors about his health, even as Trump brushes off concerns with his trademark bravado.
Trump was asked about his “big plans” for the upcoming elections, where Republicans will defend slim majorities in Congress.
His response was blunt and unfiltered: “Yeah, I have big plans, I want to survive.” He quickly tied it to the volatile political climate, adding, “You look at what’s going on, it’s crazy. The rhetoric that these crazy Democrats are using is very dangerous, they made politics very dangerous,” as reported by The Daily Beast.
The comment comes against a backdrop of heightened threats, including the July 2024 attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, where a bullet grazed Trump’s ear—an event his campaign has leveraged for fundraising, with appeals invoking divine intervention: “I certainly wasn’t supposed to survive an assassin’s bullet—but by the grace of the almighty God, I did.”
Wild social media rumors even swirled over Labor Day weekend that Trump had died, though they were swiftly debunked.
The exclusive sit-down interview took place in the Roosevelt Room of the White House and will air to over 250 million users worldwide via OAN’s distribution on major US MVPDs, including Spectrum TV, YouTube TV, Dish Network, Sling, along with over 50 FAST platforms under the OAN Plus branding, including The Roku Channel, PlutoTV, VIZIO WatchFree+, XumoTV, Local Now, Sling free stream, and more.
The President’s Health Remains a Topic of Discussion
Trump’s health has fueled speculation too. Public appearances have spotlighted heavy makeup concealing large bruises on his hands—attributed by the White House to vigorous handshaking—and swollen ankles linked to chronic venous insufficiency, a circulatory issue common in men over 70.
In an August Fox News interview, Trump mused about his afterlife prospects, saying, “I’m hearing I’m not doing well. I hear I’m really at the bottom of the totem pole. If [I can get to heaven], this will be one of the reasons.”
He’s cited brokering peace in conflicts like Russia-Ukraine as a potential heavenly boost.
The midterms loom large for Trump, who expressed worry about historical patterns favoring the opposition. “The one thing that I worry about is that, if you look over many, many years… the person that wins the presidency always seems to lose the midterms. I don’t know why, it’s crazy. Even presidents that did well, and there have been some,” he noted.
With Republicans holding a fragile edge—the House vulnerable to a handful of flips and the Senate requiring Democrats to net four seats to regain control—Trump’s survival quip blends personal peril with political stakes.
The White House didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment on the interview.
As Trump navigates a second term marked by policy battles and health whispers, his off-the-cuff admission feels like a rare peek behind the curtain: For the man who thrives on invincibility, 2026 isn’t just about wins—it’s about making it through.
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