On July 13, 2024, Evan Vucci, an American photojournalist, captured a series of photographs of Donald Trump, then former president of the United States and presumptive nominee of the Republican Party (who would go on to win the 2024 presidential election), raising his right fist with blood on his face shortly after his ear was grazed by a bullet during an assassination attempt at a political rally near Butler, Pennsylvania.

The photographs were reposted widely on social media and received substantial press coverage; commentators praised their composition and predicted they would become iconic images of an era.

[1][4] He previously covered the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq,[8][1][4] and had taken a well-known photograph of an Iraqi journalist throwing his shoes at then-US President George W.

[9][7][2] Seeing United States Secret Service agents rushing toward Trump, Vucci ran to get a better vantage point and began photographing.

Oscar noted Vucci's knowledge of "the importance of retaining a sense of photographic composure in being able to attain 'the shot', of being sure to cover the situation from numerous angles, including capturing the scene with the right composition and light.

"[15] Writing in The Washington Post, Philip Kennicott described a close-mouthed photograph as "strongly constructed, with aggressive angles that reflect the chaos and drama of the moment, and a powerful balance of color, all red, white and blue, including the azure sky above and the red-and-white decorative banner below.

He described it as "Densely packed with markers of nationalism and authority—the flag, the blood, the urgent faces of federal agents in dark suits", and predicted that it will encourage more political violence.

[11] Noting that the photos quickly appeared in Internet memes, Jason Farago, art and culture critic for the The New York Times, said that "image of authority also invites its own parody; that is the secret of its strength".

She wrote that "Trump's raised fist and his facial expression, accentuated by the blood splatters across his cheek, can be read as an declaration of defiance in the face of adversity", in an "'I'm still standing'-gesture".

Harper predicted that the photograph would be used in campaign merchandise and advertisements, and that the image could help Trump win the election over then-opponent Joe Biden.

[4] "Multiple photographers worried privately", Aïda Amer of Axios reported, "that the images from the rally could turn into a kind of 'photoganda'" for the Trump campaign.

Speaking anonymously, the photographers told Amer that it was "dangerous for media organizations to keep sharing [the Vucci] photo despite how good it is" because it was "free P.R.

[12] Piers Morgan called it "Already one of the most iconic photographs in American history—and one that I suspect will propel Donald Trump back to the White House.

He also drew similarities to religious works including Rogier van der Weyden's Descent from the Cross and Caravaggio's The Entombment of Christ.