Trump mocks Democrats, insults Pelosi in first campaign rally since assassination attempt

GRAND RAPIDS, Michigan – Donald Trump on July 20 held his first campaign rally since

he narrowly escaped an assassination attempt

on July 13, mocking Democrats and comparing former Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to a “dog”.

After briefly calling for national unity earlier last week, Trump has since returned to his usual campaign tactics – using insulting and sometimes offensive language to attack his opponents, and repeating a string of false claims about immigration, the economy and election fraud, major elements of his speech on July 20.

Trump frequently mocked Democratic President Joe Biden as feeble. He derided senior Democrats, including Mrs Pelosi, for

trying to persuade Mr Biden to end his re-election bid.

There was a heavy police presence at Trump’s rally in Grand Rapids on July 20, with police on every street corner for several blocks.

US Secret Service officers were positioned on the top balconies in the Van Andel Arena, giving them a bird’s eye view of the crowd inside.

Fresh from his nominating convention in Milwaukee where his takeover of the Republican Party was cemented, Trump appeared in Grand Rapids with his new vice-presidential pick, Senator J.D. Vance from Ohio. They took the stage in their first campaign event together with the party unified behind them.

In contrast, it is no longer certain that President Biden will be the Democratic Party’s nominee facing Trump in the Nov 5 election.

Mr Biden has faced calls from some senior Democrats to end his re-election bid after his poor debate performance in June raised concerns over whether he could beat Trump or complete another four-year term.

Many Democrats fear Mr Biden may not have a realistic path to victory and that the party needs a new candidate to take on Trump.

Trump attacked the Democrats, saying they wanted to kick Mr Biden off the ticket after he won their presidential nominating contest.

“They have a couple of problems. No. 1 – they have no idea who their candidate is,” Trump said to laughter and jeers. “This guy goes and he gets the votes and now they want to take it away.”

Referring to Mrs Pelosi, Trump said: “She has turned on him like a dog. She’s as crazy as a bed bug.”

Mrs Pelosi’s office did not immediately return a request for comment.

Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung, when asked for a comment on Trump’s “dog” remark, wrote: “Hahahahahahaha.”

Trump referred to the assassination attempt several times in his speech. “I hope I don’t have to go through that again. It was so horrible,” he said.

Opinion polls show a tight race between Trump and Mr Biden at a national level, but Mr Biden trailing Trump in the battleground states that will likely determine the winner.

The July 13 rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, was outdoors. At the event, the gunman was able to scale the roof of a building outside the Secret Service perimeter before opening fire on Trump, clipping his ear, killing a rallygoer and wounding several others.

The Secret Service, which is responsible for protecting Trump, declined to comment on security for the Grand Rapids event.

An investigation is under way into the security failures at the Butler rally.

Trump gave a detailed account of his narrow brush with death in his convention speech on July 18, telling the audience that he was talking to them only “by the grace of Almighty God”.

Trump’s former physician, Dr Ronny Jackson, said on July 20 that the former president is recovering as expected from the gunshot wound to his right ear, but noted intermittent bleeding and said Trump may require a hearing exam.

The bullet fired by the would-be assassin at the rally came “less than a quarter of an inch from entering his head”, said Dr Jackson, a Republican congressman from Texas who had also served as physician to then President Barack Obama. REUTERS