Donald Trump returned to the scene where he narrowly escaped assassination in July, pushing the emotional buttons of his supporters and warning that his political opponents “may have even tried to kill me” to prevent him from taking back the White House. No,” he hinted.
The Republican presidential candidate and longtime showman put on an unabashedly sentimental show Saturday in Butler, Pennsylvania. Billionaire Elon Musk joined him in making the baseless claim that “this will be the last election” if Trump’s supporters don’t turn out.
The pair’s performance in front of an enthusiastic crowd of thousands of people limited hours of programming to the July 13 mass shooting at Trump’s base, which occurred just a month before the presidential election. It seems that it was intended to mythologize.
The rally was held under tight security at the same venue where Trump suffered a graze wound to his right ear and one rally attendee, firefighter Corey Comperatore, was killed by gunfire. Thomas Crooks, a 20-year-old would-be assassin from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, was shot and killed by a Secret Service sniper.
Corey Comperatore’s family, including his wife Helen, second from right, stand with Lara Trump and Senate candidate Dave McCormick (left) as President Donald Trump speaks at the Butler Farm Show. . Photo: Evan Vucci/APA photo was posted showing President Trump with his fist raised and yelling, “Fight!” with streaks of blood appearing on his face. It became an unforgettable image of his campaign. But just a week later, Joe Biden’s decision to step aside and support Vice President Kamala Harris robbed Trump of the shockwave and changed the trajectory of the campaign.
On Saturday, Trump returned to the scene of an assassination attempt, becoming the first former president to weaponize it for political gain. His campaign sought to restore the candidate’s aura as a hero and martyr.
When Trump took to the stage, the video was juxtaposed with footage of George Washington crossing the Delaware River and a photo of Trump with his fist raised. “You can’t stop this guy. You can’t lose to this guy.”
“That’s what I said,” Trump said as he appeared on stage and gestured to the immigration form he was looking at when the shootings began 12 weeks ago. The overwhelmingly white crowd held signs that read “Fight!” and chanted enthusiastically. fight! fight! “
President Trump recalled, standing behind the protective glass that covered the stage at the outdoor rally. “In this very land, a cold-blooded assassin tried to silence me, to silence MAGA, the greatest movement in the history of our country…but by his own hands.” By providence and God’s grace, the villain fails to achieve his goal. did. He didn’t stop us. ”
Trump even appeared to be trying to emulate President Abraham Lincoln’s Getsyburg speech, describing the field as a “monument to the courage” of first responders and predicting: We will learn about the character and courage shown by so many great American patriots. ”
But President Trump also hinted, without evidence, that he faces “enemies from within” that are more dangerous than foreign enemies. “For the past eight years, those who have tried to stop us from achieving this future have slandered me, impeached me, prosecuted me, tried to remove me from the ballot, and maybe even killed me. I might even have said that,” he said. “But I have never stopped fighting for you and I never will.”
President Trump paid tribute to Comperatore, a volunteer firefighter who was shot and killed by a gunman, and two other supporters who were injured. A memorial was set up in the bleachers and his fireman’s jacket was surrounded by flowers. On the giant screen was a caption that read, “In loving memory of Corey Comperatore” and a photo of him. Comperatore’s family was also in attendance.
President Trump called for a moment of silence at 6:11 p.m., the exact time the gunshots occurred on July 13. After that, the bell rang four times, once for each of the four victims, including Trump. Opera singer Christopher Macchio then passionately sang “Ave Maria.”
Trump then steered into more familiar territory of falsehoods about immigration and other topics. He then called Musk, Tesla’s chief executive and owner of social media platform X, who leans to the political right, onto the stage. Wearing a black hat, black “Occupy Mars” shirt and coat, Musk jumped around with his arms held high and was greeted with cheers.
he said: “The true test of a person’s character is how they conduct themselves under gunfire. Some presidents couldn’t walk up the stairs, others fist pumped when they got shot. Fight, fight. , fight!”
Despite President Trump’s attempt to cling to power by staging a coup on January 6, 2021, Musk insisted that “President Trump must win in order to protect the Constitution.” He must win to protect American democracy. This is a must-win situation. Gather everyone you know and drag them to register to vote. If we don’t, this will be our last election. That’s my prediction. ”
Elon Musk stands with Donald Trump on stage in Butler, Pennsylvania. Photo: Brian Snyder/Reuters
The Butler shooting led to widespread criticism of the Secret Service and the resignation of its director. Critics raised concerns about how Crooks was able to gain access to a nearby rooftop with a direct view of where President Trump was speaking. In September, the former president survived another attempt on his life after a gunman hid undetected for nearly 12 hours on his Florida club’s golf course.
Security was stepped up on Saturday, with Secret Service and other law enforcement officers in camouflage gear stationed on the roof. The building where Crooks fired was completely hidden by a tractor trailer and a fence.
The gathering had a cheerful atmosphere, like a giant picnic. People sat in the hot sun on grass, in folding chairs and walkers. They looked up at the bright blue sky and saw four Special Forces skydivers, one carrying a giant American flag, jump from a Cessna 206 from more than 5,000 feet. Afterwards, we watched a flypast of “Trump Force One” set to the movie’s theme music. Movie “Top Gun”.
One tent displayed the now-famous painting of Trump with a bloody fist raised, and copies sold for up to $200. The photo appears on numerous T-shirts worn by Trump supporters with slogans such as “Fight…Fight…Fight!”, “America’s Bad Guys”, “Never Surrender” and “Fight! Fight!” was also seen. Trump 2024. Legends never die. ” The commercialization of the former president’s near-death experience was clearly evident.
Attendees spoke of their fervent support for Trump, their suspicions that Democrats were behind the assassination plot, and their suspicions that divine intervention might have spared Trump’s life.
Patricia King, 82, used a walker to attend a rally in Butler in July with her 63-year-old daughter Diana, and they both felt it was important to return. “I remember the wait was long, it was hot, people were standing there faithfully, and I remember some people fainting,” said King, a retired nurse. “I remember a gunshot went off. Pop, pop, pop, pop, and I turned around and saw where he was and everyone started running.”
Dr. King praised President Trump’s instinctively combative response that day. “That’s great to me. It’s like, ‘I’m not quitting, that’s what America is about.’ we won’t quit. Kamala Harris is too weak. She will ask Putin to have tea with her, but that is not my power. ”
Debbie Hassan, 61, a homeowner wearing a Trump 2024 cap, described Saturday’s rally as “history in the making” and recalled the events of July 13. “I was watching TV and my husband was in another room. I started screaming: ‘They shot Trump!’ They shot Trump!” Then I called my brother and I’m screaming. The sight of him standing up and giving a fist pump was spectacular. he’s a wonderful person. ”
Hasan outlined a baseless conspiracy theory that Democrats orchestrated the shooting. “I hate to say it, but I think they were behind all of this. There’s no other way to bring him down. They tried to put him in court on all kinds of trumped-up charges. It’s over. They don’t know what else to do. They promote hatred and bigotry. Some weirdos say he needs to be keyed in. I would say there is.”
Supporters at the Butler Farm Show where Donald Trump speaks. Photo: Will Oliver/EPA
Many rallygoers echoed Trump’s claim that God had saved him to save the country. said Rodney Moreland, 66, who retired from a variety of jobs including welding, truck driving and security. After that changed his attitude, everything about him changed. Now he is calm, collected and knows what to say. ”
But Moreland warned of a possible backlash to the election results. “If we go the other way, there will be war. The last election was rigged. They said they can’t let him remain president again.”
Christy Massemer, 52, who works at Walmart, wore a T-shirt that said, “I’m still a Trump girl.” I will not apologize,” he said, criticizing those who say they wish a would-be assassin had killed the former president.
“A lot of people said, ‘It’s too bad he’s not there.’ In fact, people said that about other human beings. That’s the Democratic Party. Are you kidding me? That’s not humanity. Who would think that? Is that so?”
Macemer praised the restraint of Trump supporters after the assassination attempt. “The best thing of all is that the people of the MAGA movement did not riot after that. We did not fight back against these people because we are not hated. We just want our homeland back. , that’s it.”
Butler County is a suburban and rural community on the western edge of a highly coveted presidential battleground state, home to President Trump. He won the county in both the 2016 and 2020 elections, receiving about 66% of the vote. Of Butler County’s 139,000 registered voters, approximately 57% are Republicans, compared to 29% Democrats and 14% of other parties.
“I don’t think a woman should be president,” said Jana Anderson, 62, who works at an animal shelter. “It’s just because presidents have always been men. I’m a woman, but I don’t think a woman should be a man. I think the woman should lead the country. In my opinion, the woman is a hopeful Wassy. I mean, she says a lot and promises a lot, but she doesn’t deliver on those things. I don’t know if it can be done.”
