Trump holds rally at site of assassination attempt in Pennsylvania

BUTLER, Pennsylvania - Donald Trump made a defiant return on Oct 5

to the rural Pennsylvania site

where an assassin’s bullet narrowly missed killing him in July, questioning whether his political opponents tried to take him out and declaring he would “never quit”.

“Exactly 12 weeks ago this evening, on this very ground, a cold-blooded assassin aimed to silence me,” the Republican told thousands of cheering supporters after taking the stage behind bulletproof glass.

Calling the gunman a “vicious monster”, he vowed he would “never quit... never bend... never break”.

Trump’s much-hyped return to Butler came exactly one month before the Nov 5 presidential election, the outcome of which President Joe Biden suggested on Oct 4 might not be peaceful.

“As I was saying,” Trump said as he appeared on stage, pretending he was resuming the speech that was interrupted when

he was grazed in the ear by a bullet on July 13.

In mid-speech, he called up on stage a powerful ally, Mr Elon Musk, chief executive of Tesla and owner of social media platform X. It was Mr Musk’s first time at a Trump campaign event since he endorsed the former president after July 13.

Mr Musk literally jumped up on stage with his arms held high.

“The true test of someone’s character is how they behave under fire,” he said, calling the election a “must-win situation” for Trump and urging the crowd to register to vote. “Be a pest to everyone you know,” he added.

Trump saluted firefighter Corey Comperatore, who was shot and killed by the shooter, and two other people who were wounded.

At 6.11pm, the exact time when gunfire erupted on July 13, Trump called for a moment of silence. A bell then tolled four times, once for each of the four victims, including Trump.

In a typically meandering speech, he repeated lies about immigration, transgender athletes and his political opponents, suggesting they had “maybe even tried to kill me”.

In his speech, he hinted darkly without evidence about facing “an enemy from within” more dangerous than a foreign adversary. Of the gunman, he said, “a cold-blooded assassin aimed to silence me” but “did not stop our movement”.

Retiree Glen Scheirer, who along with five relatives were wearing identical “By the grace of God” T-shirts, described the gunman who had tried to assassinate Trump on July 13 as “mentally ill”, and suggested the 20-year-old could have been influenced by rhetoric calling Trump a threat to democracy.

‘Fight, fight, fight’

Though there was no official count, the Oct 5 rally was significantly better attended than the previous one.

The crowd appeared to be in the tens of thousands, many wearing Trump regalia. Some chanted the “fight, fight, fight” slogan he used to rally his followers moments after he was shot.

“I love the fact that he came back... He said he’d come back to finish his speech, and to me, (that takes) guts,” said Mr Robert Dupain, 53, a construction worker who was at the July rally.

“That’s what (these) 50,000 people stand for,” said Mr Dupain, who described having “nervous excitement all week” about attending.

Ohio Republican Senator J.D. Vance, Trump’s running mate, told the crowd: “We’re here to say, we can’t be intimidated, we can’t be stopped.”

Mr Vance rejected the argument from Vice-President Kamala Harris and other Democrats that Trump represents a threat to democracy.

“Donald Trump took a bullet for democracy. What the hell have you done?” Mr Vance said.

People cheered when Trump’s plane did a fly-by over the rally prior to landing as the loudspeakers played the Top Gun movie theme song.

Trailers were lined up around the site as a protective measure to block the surrounding view, including the building where the shooter had opened fire.

Adding to the carnival-like atmosphere, three parachutists with American flags streaming behind them hurtled down and landed near the building.

July 13 was the first of two attempts on Trump’s life.

On Sept 15, a gunman hid undetected for nearly 12 hours at his golf course in West Palm Beach, Florida, with plans to kill him, prosecutors have said, but he was thwarted by a US Secret Service agent patrolling the course ahead of Trump.

Republican officials hope Trump’s return to Butler will drive up turnout for him among hardcore supporters in Pennsylvania, a state he and his Democratic opponent, Ms Harris, see as crucial to winning on Nov 5.

“I’m going back to Butler because I feel I have an obligation to go back to Butler,” Trump told the NewsNation cable news network earlier last week. “We never finished what we were supposed to do.”

Introductory speakers at the rally focused on remembering Mr Comperatore, whose family members attended.

“We will not let that tragic day overshadow our community’s light,” said Mr Jondavid Longo, mayor of the nearby town of Slippery Rock.

The Butler shooting led to widespread criticism of the US Secret Service and the resignation of its director, Ms Kimberly Cheatle.

Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said in a statement before the Oct 5 rally that there had been “comprehensive changes and enhancements to our communications capabilities, resourcing and protective operations”.

Trump credits turning his head to read a chart on a big video as having saved his life. With blood dripping down his face, he raised a fist and shouted “fight” to his supporters, a vivid image from that day. He wore a white bandage on his wounded ear for days after the incident.

“I love that chart,” Trump said when it flashed on screen on Oct 5. “Isn’t it beautiful?” REUTERS, AFP