John Di Domenico, a renowned Donald Trump impersonator, said a “livid liberal supporter” attempted to strangle him in a Las Vegas hotel elevator after an assassination attempt on Trump in July. He also shared that his friends are concerned for his safety and have advised him to wear a bulletproof vest during performances.
Di Domenico, who has been impersonating Trump for over two decades, has noticed a shift in public interactions since Trump’s political ascent as a Republican presidential candidate.
According to a report The Sun, Di Domenico mentioned that palpable tension from both sides of the political spectrum has led him to hire security for his performances. Di Domenico’s work primarily focuses on non-political, comedic impersonations of Trump, appearing at corporate events, speaking engagements, television programs, movies, podcasts, and more.
The impersonator shared a recent incident where a “livid liberal supporter” attempted to strangle him in a Las Vegas hotel elevator. This came after an incident in July where Thomas Matthew Crooks allegedly tried to attack Trump at a Pennsylvania rally.
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“People say if you’re doing anything outside, be careful, you better wear a bulletproof vest,” Di Domenico said, as quoted by The Sun.
He further explained that he had received warnings from semi-serious sources, suggesting that someone might attempt an assassination—not specifically targeting him, but due to his resemblance to Trump. He noted that it would only take someone mistaking him for Trump for an incident to occur.
“I don’t feel that I’m going to be shot at, but in today’s environment, you just don’t know if someone wants to make a point,” he said, as quoted by The Sun.
Di Domenico added that tensions could come from both sides, with some people thinking he was mocking Trump and others mistaking him for Trump until they got close enough to realize he wasn’t.
While Di Domenico used to balance his Trump impersonations with others like Austin Powers and Dr Phil, demand for his Trump impersonation surged when Trump entered the 2015 presidential race.