Butler Audiobook By Salena Zito cover art

Butler

The Untold Story of the Near Assassination of Donald Trump and the Fight for America's Heartland

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Butler

By: Salena Zito
Narrated by: Helen Wynn
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“Salena Zito is the journalist who knows Trump—and his voters—better than anyone.” – The Free Press

From the acclaimed journalist standing only a few feet away from the stage when the gunshots began is this gripping first-hand account of the near assassination of Donald Trump–and the inside story of Trump’s heartland-fueled victory.

That day in Butler, had the wind gusted less, had Trump’s head turned in a slightly different direction, or had the adrenaline-fueled heart of the shooter beat slower, America would have been plunged into chaos, possibly even civil war. As a local reporter with deep ties to the area, Salena Zito had been invited by the president to interview him at the Butler Farm Show Grounds. She was standing only four feet away from the presidential podium when the bullets started to fly. A campaign staffer tackled her to the ground.

Throughout it all, Salena never stopped reporting. She spoke by phone to Trump several times in the immediate aftermath and was granted access to community members, rally participants, family members and local law enforcement officials. “I rarely look away from the crowd,” Trump told her in one of several of those conversations. “Had I not done that in that moment, well, we would not be talking today, would we?”

Known for her on-the-ground reporting on populism and rural America, Salena zooms out to tell the fascinating story of the battle for America’s heartland and the issues that actually motivate voters. To understand how and why Trump won the 2024 election, you have to understand places like Butler. Big cities like Los Angeles, New York, and D.C. don’t decide who wins election cycles, but people in places like Butler, Pennsylvania sure do. President Trump gave the author extraordinary access for this book, including to his top aides, to his running mate JD Vance, to billionaire supporter Elon Musk, and even his security detail.

There are moments that define America. The late afternoon hours of July 13, 2024 was one of them. This book is a narrative of that fateful day, the people of the heartland and the untold story of how the president found his way back into the heart of the electorate.

©2025 Salena Zito (P)2025 Center Street
Americas Politics & Government State & Local United States Assassin Pennsylvania

Critic reviews

"One of the most talented writers, a person who truly has the pulse of this area. Pennsylvania, and the Rust Belt in general. The Rust Belt is her territory."—President Donald J. Trump

"There isn't a journalist in America who gets everyday Americans like Salena Zito does. She puts the miles on her Jeep and wears down the soles of her boots to get the stories that her colleagues in the media ignore, and every page of this book shows it. A masterpiece of a narrative that explains why the 2024 election went the way it did."—Ainsley Earhardt

"This is a powerhouse of a book. Salena Zito is out there in the heartland, uncovering the truth about the 2024 fight for America's soul like only she can. This is vintage Zito, delivering the unfiltered pulse of the people with grit and brilliance--trust me, you won't put it down!"—Sean Hannity

Firsthand Account • Unbiased Narrative • Warm Genuine Portrayal • Insightful Commentary • Excellent Research
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Most people don’t understand (or even try) flyover country. So refreshing and hopeful! Over 150 days in I am still thrilled!

Small people heard!

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Good review of the 2024 Presidential Election from Butler PA on. Thought it would have more in depth about Crooks and the investigation. Still know next to nothing about him and why he did it. No discussion of how he got off eight shots. No discussion of why his father told 911 his son was in a sporting club when he called to report his adult son missing, No report on how they had top legal talent representing the parents immediately.

What I did like, and hadn’t realized the extent, was how little the Harris-Walz Campaign interacted with the public. Not just skipping Joe Rogan, but skipping all media and making ‘public’ events invite only.

The often repeated story of how great a campaign Harris ran was purely a fiction.

Good review. One problem.

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A great read !! Enjoyed and will always appreciate the unbiased account of what happened in Butler PA. TY

a secret Service failures at the highest level

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This book not only recount the events of July 13, 2024 in great detail, but it goes on to explain how and why Trump went on to win the election. As always with Salena “place” is the most important character.

Zito gets to the heart of the heartland

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This is an excellent listen which left me wanting more, more, more‼️It is my hope there will be a follow up, detailing the shooter, & Trump’s 47th presidency. This is a must read/listen for all America‼️

Most Excellent Listen, more please.

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This an excellent book that tells the story from a completely new viewpoint. I highly recommend!

New Perspective

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I love the way the author not only told the story of Butler but included background information and history. I highly recommend this book.

Awesome!

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It was so flowy. Done to earth. I loved the relationship her and the president had and she was sweet.

Loved it all

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What an incredible recap of a history making day. More journalists could learn “the art of reporting”from Salena Zito and her take on the election. It’s a book I couldn’t stop listening to once I started. You won’t be disappointed.

Butler Explained

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This contains information every one should know about this election cycle,not just the assassination attempt.

Excellent

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