Donald Trump returns to scene where first attempt was made on his life
Butler, Pennsylvania: Three months after a would-be assassin almost took his life, Donald Trump was given a hero’s welcome as he returned to the scene of his near-death experience, marking the home stretch of an election fraught with upheaval and violence.
As Kamala Harris visited North Carolina at the weekend to assess the recovery efforts following Hurricane Helene, Trump held a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, cheered on by guests including Elon Musk and the family of Corey Comperatore, the former volunteer fire chief who was killed in the crossfire of the July 13 assassination attempt.
Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump at a campaign event at the Butler Farm Show, Pennsylvania, on Saturday.Credit: AP
This time, however, security was on high alert: counter-snipers were positioned on the roofs of the buildings surrounding the fairgrounds; helicopters and drones circled overhead and there was a heavy police presence at every entry point.
“During the gunfire, time stopped as this vicious monster unleashed pure evil from his sniper’s perch, not so far away,” Trump recalled on stage behind bulletproof glass.
“But by the hand of providence and the grace of God, that villain did not succeed. He did not shake our unyielding resolve to save America.”
The rally was an act of defiance for Trump, who survived two assassination attempts in as many months and has used the events to galvanise his base as he seeks to return to the White House.
Some die-hard fans began lining up the day before the rally, while thousands began piling into the Butler showgrounds throughout the morning, many wearing t-shirts with the iconic fist-pumping image of Trump — or variations of it.
“Thank God the Left can’t aim,” read one shirt, featuring an illustration of the former president sticking up his middle finger.
“Jesus is my Savior; Trump is my president,” said another.
For some, however, the trauma of the assassination attempt still lingers.
Butler resident Melissa Sehrecen was at the rally on July 13 but at this event chose to watch Trump’s speech from the back of the venue, in case something happened, and she needed to get out quickly.
“I remember just standing there when I heard, ‘pop, pop, pop’. I looked at my friend, and we both ducked down, and I said a prayer,” Sehrecen said. “You never think something like that is going to happen.”
Trump’s right ear was grazed when 20-year-old gunman Thomas Crooks opened fire from a nearby roof, in an incident that shocked the world and reignited the debate over political violence in the United States.
When he made his first appearance after the shooting at the Republican National Convention two days later, Trump appeared sombre and uncertain as he walked onto the convention floor.
But while Trump began Saturday’s speech with a more optimistic tone, it didn’t take long before he returned to form, hitting out at Democrats over everything from fracking and immigration, to transgender athletes and foreign wars.
Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk listens as Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump speaks at a campaign event in Pennsylvania.Credit: AP
Earlier, Trump’s vice-presidential running mate J.D. Vance revved up the rally and suggested Harris had incited the assassination attempt by depicting Trump as a threat to democracy.
“How dare you talk about threats to democracy,” he said.
“Donald Trump took a bullet for democracy – what the hell have you done?”
Damase Pendelton at a Trump rally in Pennsylvania at the weekend.Credit: Farrah Tomazin
Musk, wearing a black cap and black t-shirt, was also called to the stage, jubilantly declaring: “I’m not just MAGA – I’m dark MAGA!”
Trump began his speech about 5.30pm – almost eight hours after the gates opened. Before arriving, his plane, Trump Force One, circled in the sky above the rally, much to the thrill of the tens of thousands of fans gathered below.
Among those in the crowd was Damase Pendelton, who is black but was wearing a t-shirt that echoed Trump’s doubts about Harris’ racial identity.
“Roses are red, Kamala’s not black, Joe has dementia and Hunter’s on crack,” it read.
Pendelton said: “My family came off a plantation and fought for freedoms.
“Trump stands for a lot of the freedoms that we fight for, and now they’re under attack.
“So I knew I had to be here, to support him and be a part of history.”
Dave Beazley, a Michigan resident, also attended the event and arrived carrying a giant wooden crucifix.
“Our motto in this country is ‘One nation under God’, and Trump is the only one who can bring us all back to that,” Beazley said.
Kit Ayars and Cindy Abbott at a Kamala Harris rally in Pittsburgh.Credit: Farrah Tomazin
Harris, meanwhile, headed to Charlotte in North Carolina to check on the recovery efforts after Hurricane Helene and to meet people affected by the storm.
The night before, her husband, Doug Emhoff, appeared on stage in Pittsburgh, about an hour from Butler, to headline a rally alongside REM lead singer Michael Stipe.
In the crowd were Pittsburgh residents Kit Ayars and Cindy Abbott. Asked how they felt about Harris’ chances at the election, Abbott replied: “Cautiously optimistic.”
Ayars agreed. “To me, it seems like it should be a slam dunk, and yet the polls are very close,” she said.
“I understand that for some people, Trump’s personality and policies are resonating. I don’t understand why, but I know it’s happening, so I do want to temper my optimism with that dose of reality.”
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