Salena Zito Tops NYT Bestseller List With ‘Butler’ Book

A new book detailing the Butler, Pennsylvania, assassination attempt on President Donald Trump debuted at No. 1 on The New York Times’ bestseller list this week.

Salena Zito, a journalist and Daily Signal columnist who witnessed the shooting just feet from then-candidate Trump, wrote about the harrowing episode in “Butler: The Untold Story of the Near Assassination of Donald Trump and the Fight for America’s Heartland.”

Her book was released July 8, nearly a year after the July 13, 2024, assassination attempt. Zito, who lives in Western Pennsylvania, was covering Trump’s rally when the shots were fired, hitting Trump in the ear and killing volunteer firefighter Corey Comperatore. Zito was tackled by a campaign staffer after the president was shot.

The day after the assassination attempt, Trump called Zito seven times to apologize for his inability to do a scheduled interview.

“I just want to make sure that you’re OK, that your daughter Shannon is OK, and I really want to apologize for not doing the interview,” Zito recalled the president telling her in the aftermath of the shooting.

“[Trump] talked deeply about faith, about purpose. I could tell he needed to work it out with someone who had been there,” she added.

Trump heavily promoted Zito’s book after it was announced. He called it “powerful” in a Truth Social post, praising its successful launch and status as New York Times bestseller.

In the book, Zito examines perspectives on Trump from those living in Middle America, and she condemns the bias of Washington’s press corps for their coverage of him, according to the Washington Examiner’s Paul Bedard.

Zito said she “almost cried” during a Fox News interview when Bret Baier broke the news that “Butler” hit No. 1 on The New York Times bestseller list. Her book is currently being adapted into a movie.