Who is Vincent Fusca? Trump lauds supporter in "black outfit and the green floppy hat" who stood behind him during alleged assassination attempt

Former US president Donald Trump, who recently visited Pennsylvania for the first time since his alleged assassination attempt on July 13, praised Vincent Fusca, an ardent Trump supporter, for his bravery during the shooting. Fusca can be seen sitting behind Trump at the campaign rally in Butler on the day of the shooting.

On July 31, Trump spoke to his supporters gathered at the New Holland Arena in Harrisburg, where he recounted his alleged assassination attempt. He also lauded the people sitting behind him who didn't panic once he was hit, pointing out Vincent Fusca.

"How about the man behind me with the black outfit and the green floppy hat?" he said.

His supporters motioned to Fusca, who also attended the Harrisburg rally. Trump called him up to come on stage, but Fusca refused his invitation. The Republican nominee then said:

"You can be in the foxhole with me anytime, man!"

Vincent Fusca is a frequent presence at Trump's rallies, wearing his signature fedora and driving his quintessential "Trump Mobile." He ran for the US Senate election in Pennsylvania in 2022.

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A QAnon conspiracy speculated Vincent Fusca was the late JFK Jr.

Vincent Fusca, an Italian immigrant, rose through the ranks of politics as an ardent Trump supporter. In 2022, he ran for the US Senate elections in Pennsylvania, where his main talking points focused on border security, increasing crime rates, and the education system in the US. In a March 2022 interview with WESA, he said:

"I threw my hat in the ring because there's too much happening in our nation right now that isn't right: our border, our crime going up, our educational system falling apart."

Vincent Fusca also elaborated on the future of the United States, which he envisioned as looking like "The Jetsons," a utopic sitcom set in the future, adding that he wanted to help guide America to that future. While he campaigned for Senate, his name did not appear on the ballot during election day on May 17, 2022.

Vincent Fusca also gained popularity in QAnon circles, a right-wing political movement started in 2017. According to some QAnon conspiracies, Fusca was believed to be the late John F. Kennedy Jr. in disguise, who died in a plane crash on July 16, 1999.

When asked about the conspiracy during his 2022 Senate elections, Fusca refused to give a straight answer, adding that it was best to "stick to the matter at hand."

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"I had seen the Resurrection" — Vincent Fusca on Trump's assassination attempt

Vincent Fusca was one of the primary eyewitnesses during Donald Trump's alleged assassination attempt, sitting right behind the former president when he was shot. In an interview with the Bulwark, Fusca claimed that Trump getting back on his feet after the shooting was akin to seeing "the Resurrection."

“The president collapses, he’s not moving—not even an eighth of an inch—and I thought he was gone. Secret Service jumps on stage to form a dome, a shield on top of him. I knew right then and there that I knew—I was sure—our president was gone," he said.

"And then when the Secret Service unpeeled off the top of the president, and helped him to walk off the stage, it was then I had seen the Resurrection—from my perspective,” he added.

The alleged assassin, identified as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, was killed by Secret Service snipers at the scene. Trump was mildly injured, with his right ear bleeding after the bullet grazed him. However, one person died as a result of the shooting.