Donald Trump picking up where he left off in July when a gunman tried assassinate but only hit him in the ear before he raised his fist and shouted “Fight!” and had blood splashed all over his face.
“Tonight, I return to Butler in the wake of tragedy and heartbreak to send a simple message to the people of Pennsylvania and the American people,” the Republican presidential candidate said. “Our movement aims to make America great again, stronger, prouder, more united, more determined and closer to victory than ever before.”
The Trump campaign wanted to maximize the event’s attention-grabbing potential simply by 30 more days in the race against Democratic opponent Vice President Kamala Harris. Trump said the assassin tried to silence him, calling him a “vicious monster” and saying he was unsuccessful thanks to “the providence and grace of God.”
Trump’s companion, Ohio State Senator. J.D. Vancetook the stage at the Butler Farm Show grounds to address the former president and reflect on the events of that day, sharply criticizing Democrats for calling Trump “a threat to democracy,” said the language was “inflammatory.”
“You heard gunshots. You saw blood. We all feared the worst. But you know everything is going to be okay when President Trump raises his fist and yells, ‘fight, fight!’” said Vance, who was chosen as vice presidential candidate less than two days later. “I am now as convinced as I am standing here today that what happened was a true miracle.”
Billionaire Elon Musk is also expected to speak as the campaign raises the potential for news for his comeback in a tight race with Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. A billboard on the way to the rally read “IN MUSK WE TRUST” and displayed his photo.
A huge crowd stood shoulder to shoulder from the stage to the press booth a few hundred meters away at the event billed as a “celebration of the American spirit.” Hotels, motels and motels in the area were said to be full and some protesters arrived on Friday.
Crowds lined up as the sun rose on Saturday. Firefighters Memorial Corey Computerwho died shielding family members from gunfire, was placed in the stands, his firefighter jacket on display surrounded by flowers. His sisters cried when speakers mentioned him. There is a very visible increased security presence, with armed law enforcers wearing camouflage uniforms on rooftops.
Trump’s plane flew over the venue before he arrived, drawing cheers from those gathered in the courtyard below. When the audience saw Trump’s plane overhead, cell phones flew into the air.
Trump plans to use the event to remember Comperatore, a volunteer firefighter who was killed during the July 13 protests, and to remember two other injured protesters, David Dutch and James Copenhaver. They and Trump came under attack when 20-year-old shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, opened fire from a nearby unsecured roof before he was shot dead by snipers.
The building where Crooks shot was completely obscured by tractor-trailers, a large grassy yard and a fence. Most of the audience now stood on either side, not behind Trump.
How Crooks managed to elude law enforcement that day and climb to the roof of a building within easy shooting distance of the former president is one of them. Many questions remain unanswered of the worst Secret Service security failure in decades. Another thing is his motivation.
Butler County District Attorney Rich Goldinger told WPXI-TV this week that “everyone is redoubling their efforts to make sure this is done safely and correctly.”
Mike Slupe, the county sheriff, told the station that he estimates the Secret Service is deploying “four times the number of assets” it did in July. The agency has endured a painful reckoning over its handling of two attempts on Trump’s life.
Butler County, on the western edge of the coveted presidential swing state, is a Trump stronghold. He won the district with about 66% of the vote in both 2016 and 2020. About 57% of the county’s 139,000 registered voters are Republicans, compared with about 29% who are Democrats and 14% are other party members.
Chris Harpster, 30, of Tyrone, Pennsylvania, was with his girlfriend Saturday when he returned to the scene. On July 13, he said, “I was scared” — as were his parents, watching at home, who texted him shortly after the shots rang out.
Increased security measures now make him feel more comfortable, as does the presence of his girlfriend, a first-time protester. Harpster said he would be Trump’s third voter in November, based on the Republican nominee’s views on immigration, guns, abortion and energy. Harpster said he hopes Pennsylvania will go Republican, especially because of concerns about jobs in the oil and gas industry.
Other The townspeople are divided on the merits of Trump’s return. Heidi Priest, a Butler resident who started one Facebook group supporting Harris, said Trump’s last visit had increased political tensions in the city.
“Whenever you see people supporting him and excited about him being here, it scares off people who don’t want to see him reelected,” she said.
Terri Palmquist from Bakersfield, California, said her 18-year-old daughter tried to dissuade her. “I just think we need to not let fear control us. That’s what the other side wants is fear. If fear controls us, we will lose,” she said.
She said she is not worried about her own safety.
“Honestly, I believe God got Trump, for some reason. I know. So we support him.”
But Trump needs to promote voter turnout in conservative strongholds like Butler County, a largely white rural-suburban community, if he wants to win Pennsylvania in November. Harris has also targeted his campaign efforts in Pennsylvania, gathering there several times as part of her plan. proactive approach in critical conflict situations.
