Donald Trump pumped his fist in the air with blood streaming across his face seconds after being shot in the ear by a gunman in stunning images seen across the world. 

The former president, 78, survived the horrifying assassination attempt when the bullet missed him by less than an inch on Saturday afternoon, at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. 

It came eight minutes after he took the stage at 6:03pm ET, where Trump began his remarks and pointed to a large graphic in the same direction where the shooter was perched atop an AGR International building. 

At the same moment, Trump supporters said they spotted the gunman - named as Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20 - 'bear-crawling' across the roof with a rifle, but claimed their warnings to Secret Service were ignored. 

'I'm thinking to myself "Why is Trump still speaking, why have they not pulled him off the stage,''' one witness told the BBC. 'The next thing you know, five shots ring out.' 

1PM 

The grounds to the event at Butler Farm Show opened at 1pm. 

It began an hours-long build up that saw MAGA supporters immediately pour into the area to camp out. 

Security swept the area and set up perimeters, however questions have been raised over how the gunman was able to secure a clear shot just 400ft from the stage. 

5PM 

An hour before Trump took the stage at approximately 5pm, former GOP Senate candidate Sean Parnell warmed up the crowd, bringing cheers as he slammed President Biden and his stuttering campaign. 

With the sun still high on a bright day, Trump emerged to 'God Bless the USA' playing over the loudspeakers at 6:03pm, and remained waving and shaking his fist at the crowd for several minutes.