A Ukrainian Catholic Priest who offered the opening prayer at the rally where President Trump was almost killed by an assassin’s bullet, spoke to the South Shore Press about his interactions with the former President, and his chilling words to attendees just moments before the shooting.
After giving the opening prayer and meeting privately with President Trump, Father Jason Charron had to leave for a previous engagement. He was stopped by a small group of people on the way out. His chilling and prophetic words to them just before shots rang out: “pray for him because there were people who wanted to shoot him.”
Fr. Charron spoke to South Shore Press News Director Stefan Mychajliw about those haunting words. The full interview is on our Twitter page at @SSPNewsroom as well as Facebook at @TheShouthShorePress.
This interview has been edited for length for our print publication.
South Shore Press News Director Stefan Mychajliw: You prayed over President Trump and the entire crowd right before the rally, how did it come about?
Ukrainian Catholic Priest Fr. Jason Charron. We met. It came about from a random phone call from the Trump Campaign last week. They asked me to lead the rally in prayer. To ask God for His protection and guidance at the rally. I agreed. I never want to pass up an opportunity to praise our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. After that we met one-on-one. We had a great conversation.
SM: Where were you during the assassination attempt?
Fr. Charron: I had a prior engagement before he took the stage. The Secret Service got me out of the core perimeter. I was walking along a barricade. People there started asking me questions. I spoke to them and said “my part was to pray for blessing, guidance, and protection. You have to pray for him because there are people who want to shoot him.”
As soon as it came out of my mouth, I thought “Oh no, Jason, what did you just say?” There’s media around. People had been whispering about this for years. It came out in a loud way. That was less than ten minutes before it happened.
SM: Father, it then happened. How shocked were you at that fact?
Fr. Charron: That’s one of those moments in life, where the line demarcating reality and fantasy is blurred. I thought “is this real? Did I say that ten minutes ago?” It was real. I was at the back of the crowd. People started saying there was gunfire. I recall a distinct “pop, pop.” I never thought it was gunfire. By the time I rushed to my car, it was like the Walking Dead. Pandemonium. Absolute Pandemonium.
SM: Do you believe, from a faith based perspective, how important was your prayer, and the prayers prior to the assassination attempt. Many said this was an act of God that saved him, because one-eighth of an inch meant life or death?
Fr. Charron: This is a midwife moment. Midwives are acclimated to the miracle of birth everyday. It’s refreshing and wonderful. But they’re used to it. Those who witness birth for the first time, their life is changed forever. As a Priest, we see the power of prayer in the name of Christ all the time, we become acclimated to it. We are surrounded by miracles. This is the life of a Priest.
SM: What would you say to people about the power of prayer, and the importance of prayer, not just concerning President Trump, but how prayer can facilitate miracles?
Fr. Charron: For those who believe, no explanation is necessary. For those who do not believe, no explanation will suffice. Not even miracles. The time will come in your life when all of your strength will be expended. And the only thing left will be prayer and miracles. If you ask, He will respond.