Donald Trump made a bold return to the site of a campaign rally where an assassin’s bullet narrowly missed him in July, questioning whether political adversaries attempted to eliminate him and asserting he would “never quit”.
“Exactly 12 weeks ago this very evening, on this ground, a cold-blooded assassin aimed to silence me,” the Republican leader told thousands of enthusiastic supporters after taking the stage behind bulletproof glass.
Referring to the gunman as a “vicious monster,” Mr. Trump pledged he would “never quit… never bend … never break.”
Mr. Trump’s highly publicized return to Butler, Pennsylvania, occurred exactly one month before the 5 November presidential election, whose result President Joe Biden hinted on Friday might not be peaceful.
Security was noticeably enhanced compared to Mr. Trump’s July rally, with sniper teams positioned on several buildings nearby and a surveillance drone monitoring from above.
“There’s a lot going on that’s unnerving,” stated Heather Hughes, 43, who journeyed from New Castle in the pivotal state of Pennsylvania.
Donald Trump was the target of a previous assassination attempt in July
“Do I think he’s safe? No, I suspect there will be another attempt. But I think he will make it through.”
Following the assassination attempt, images of Mr. Trump – bloodstained, pumping his fist, and shouting “fight, fight, fight” – became iconic symbols of the campaign.
Many Trump supporters donned shirts featuring this imagery, with some wearing ear coverings reminiscent of the bandage the former president wore post-shooting.
Billionaire Elon Musk joined Mr. Trump on stage, emphasizing the narrow margins that will likely determine the election in battleground states like Pennsylvania and urging the audience to register to vote.
Mr. Trump “must win to preserve democracy in America,” asserted Mr. Musk, echoing the alarmist messages he often shares with his 200 million followers on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, which he owns.
Race Transformed
Much has shifted since Mr. Trump’s last visit to Butler, when he was riding high in polls after decisively defeating Biden in a televised debate.
Just a week after the thwarted assassination attempt, the presidential race underwent a dramatic change when Mr. Biden stepped down, leading to Vice President Kamala Harris stepping in as the Democratic nominee.
The Harris campaign has made significant strides in the polls – reversing deficits in several states – and the seismic events in Butler have largely faded from focus.
Mr. Trump’s rally seemed aimed at regaining momentum as a tough campaign enters its final phase.
Ms. Harris was in North Carolina, meeting first responders and individuals affected by Hurricane Helene, which claimed at least 220 lives as it swept through the southeast.
The emergency response exemplified “the best we can do when we unite resources at the federal, state, and local levels and tap into the kind of collaboration that achieves results,” she informed officials at a briefing.
Mr. Trump has criticized the federal response, alleging without evidence that the Biden-Harris administration misallocated relief funds to migrants.
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Concerns About Election Violence?
The heavy security presence on Saturday emphasized ongoing security concerns, particularly after another assassination attempt on Mr. Trump’s life was thwarted last month.
The Secret Service has faced criticism for failing to secure the building where the Butler shooter managed to fire eight shots at Trump before being shot dead.
Alongside Mr. Trump, two supporters were injured, and one – firefighter Corey Comperatore – lost his life.
Trump and his campaign have sought to counter Democrats’ warnings regarding the former president as a threat to democracy.
“The Republicans aren’t violent… I believe they (the Democrats) incite. They keep invoking Hitler and the end of democracy,” remarked retiree Glen Scheirer, who was with five relatives all wearing identical “By the grace of God” T-shirts depicting Trump post-shooting.
In the immediate aftermath of the Butler incident, all parties called for reducing political tensions.
However, Mr. Trump quickly returned to his characteristic inflammatory rhetoric and has not committed to accepting the eventual election results in November.
He has been indicted over efforts to overturn the 2020 election, which culminated in his supporters storming the Capitol.
When asked on Friday about the possibility of further election-related violence, Mr. Biden stated he was uncertain if the vote would transpire peacefully.
