“God intervened”: Lee Greenwood, Trump’s “favorite singer,” reacts to the assassination attempt

(NEXSTAR) – Among the notable attendees at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee this week is Lee Greenwood, the five-time Grammy Award winner and singer of “God Bless the USA.”

Greenwood not only performed his well-known hit on the first night of the Republican National Convention, but also announced the arrival of former President Donald Trump.

While Greenwood and his song have become synonymous with Trump’s election campaign, his time in politics stretches back to the time of Ronald Reagan – before he even became president.

Speaking to Nexstar on Tuesday during the RNC, Greenwood explained that he accompanied Reagan during his campaign for governor of California.

He is now spending the week at the RNC and told Nexstar that his schedule has changed following the assassination attempt on Trump on Saturday.

“We weren’t supposed to be here on Monday. After the assassination, Trump changed his behavior,” Greenwood told Nexstar. “That’s why (the first night) was so powerful and emotional, because he was performing, his favorite singer was here to sing for him, and I was singing the song that everyone knows I would sing.”

Officials say the assassination in Pennsylvania has changed many things about the RNC, including the event’s message and its security.

“We believe God intervened and saved (Trump’s) life,” Greenwood told Nexstar when we spoke about the moment.

“I’m not going to say that God had an angel watching over Trump, or that he turned his head an inch one way or the other and the bullet missed him,” he added. “I don’t know why the shooter was there, he had no motive to do this. This is not a plot, this is a single guy who was very confused and got his father’s AR.”

So far, the details about the man who authorities say tried to kill Trump are little more than a stick figure drawing: a politically enigmatic loner who worked in a nursing home. The motives behind the attempted murder at Saturday’s rally in Pennsylvania are still unknown.

The FBI believes Crooks, who had bomb-making materials in his car as he drove to the rally, acted alone and with a gun purchased by his father.

“The events are very strange,” Greenwood said. “What I do know is that (Trump) survived, he’s a survivor, and as he proved Monday night, he’s full of energy and he wants to let the RNC and the rest of the world know that the campaign goes on.”

Greenwood is staying in Milwaukee during the RNC and says he will “probably” introduce Trump again when the former president is expected to accept the party’s nomination.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.