At the White House Congressional Ball last week, President Donald Trump returned to a story he's told before: the 2017 shooting of then-House Majority Leader Steve Scalise by a left-wing activist during GOP congressional baseball practice. This time, Trump's focus landed on both Scalise's bravery and the emotional reaction of his wife, Jennifer Scalise.

Speaking alongside First Lady Melania Trump, the President praised Scalise's courage in characteristically blunt terms: "I always say he's got great courage because he got hit real hard."

Then came the unusual part. Trump described Jennifer Scalise's state at the hospital that night, telling the congressman: "I found out that night, you have a wife that loves you dearly. I know many wives who would not even be crying. Your wife was absolutely a mess. She was crying. She was inconsolable, Steve."

It's the kind of comment that sounds like it's meant as a compliment, though the comparison to hypothetical uncaring spouses gives it a distinctly Trumpian flavor.

The President also emphasized what he called the "miracle" of Scalise's recovery, pointing out that the congressman returned to play in the congressional baseball game just four months after being shot. That's genuinely remarkable considering the severity of his injuries.

This isn't Trump's first time telling this particular story. He delivered a similar account during a Fourth of July speech, again highlighting Scalise's resilience and recovery. The repeated telling suggests Trump views the incident as a powerful example of courage in the face of danger—both for public figures who face real threats and for the families who support them through crisis.