Trump rallies at site of assassination attempt
Trump rallies at site of failed assassination, Trump’s much-hyped return to Butler, Pennsylvania, came exactly one month before the November 5 presidential election
Donald Trump on Saturday defiantly returned to the campaign trail where he was nearly killed by an assassin’s bullet in July, questioning whether his adversary was responsible and saying he “wouldn’t accept it.”
“Just 12 weeks ago tonight, on this very spot, a cold-blooded killer tried to silence me,” the Republican candidate told the crowd of supporters as he took the podium behind of bullet glass.
Trump called the gunman a “vicious monster” and vowed “he will not let go … not let go … never let go,” as the crowd cheered “fight, fight, fight. ”
Trump’s return to Butler, Pennsylvania, comes a month before the Nov. 5 presidential election, which President Joe Biden said may not end quietly. Trump lashed out at his political opponents, saying they have an “enemy within” who is pushing for his impeachment and “who knows, maybe they tried to kill me.”
“I didn’t make it,” he said grimly.
Security was tighter than at Trump’s July rally, with sniper teams around the building and surveillance drones deployed overhead.
“There’s a lot of distractions going on,” said Heather Hughes, 43, who traveled from New Castle, Pennsylvania.
“Do I think he’s alive? No, I think there is an attempt. But I think he can.
After the assassination, images of Trump with his face covered in blood, holding his hands and shouting “fight, fight, fight” became a symbol of the war.
Many Trump supporters on Saturday wore shirts and figures, some wearing earrings to commemorate the bandages the former president wore after the shooting.
Billionaire Elon Musk joined Trump on stage to celebrate battleground states like Pennsylvania that could decide the outcome of the election and encourage voter registration.
Musk said Trump “must win to preserve American democracy,” referring to the disturbing messages he sends to his 200 million followers on the X platform.
Race upended
A lot has changed since his last visit to Butler, when he topped the polls after beating Biden in a televised debate.
Less than a week after the failed assassination attempt, the presidential race took a turn when Biden withdrew and was replaced as the Democratic nominee by Vice President Kamala Harris.
Harris has restored the electoral deficit – which has changed many states – and the earthquakes that Butler threatened to undermine have already happened.
Trump’s campaign aims to bring back the momentum as the brutal war enters its final stages.
Trump, who has described Harris as weak, was on Saturday to meet with first responders and victims of Hurricane Helene, which battered the Southeast and killed 220 people. He told officials at a news conference that the response “is an example of how well we can pool resources at the federal, state and local levels and have a spirit of cooperation. the results will come.”
He has criticized the federal government’s response, saying there is no evidence the Biden-Harris administration misappropriated aid funds to immigrants.
Election violence?
Saturday’s security announcement was aimed at highlighting security concerns, highlighted by last month’s assassination attempt.
The Secret Service was criticized for not guarding the apartment where Butler’s gunman shot Trump eight times before fatally shooting himself.
In addition two of his supporters were injured, and one firefighter, Corey Comperatore, was killed.
He and his campaign sought to defy warnings from the Democratic Party that the former president was a threat to democracy.
“Republicans don’t do violence… I think they (Democrats) are extremists. They were always talking about Hitler and the end of democracy,” said skier Glenn Scherer, who along with five of his cousins wearing “God’s Grace” T-shirts have worn the image of Trump after the shooting.
After the Butler tragedy, all parties demanded that the political temperature be lowered.
But Quickly went back on his rhetoric, refusing to accept the final results in November.
He was accused of trying to disrupt the 2020 election, and his supporters eventually stormed the Capitol. When asked about the likelihood of violence surrounding the election, Biden said Friday that he did not know if the election would be held.
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