With only one month remaining until the November 5th election, Republican candidate and former president Donald Trump returned to Butler, Pennsylvania on Saturday, October 5th to hold a campaign rally. This is the same location where he narrowly escaped an assassination attempt in July. Tesla CEO Elon Musk made a rare appearance to show his support.
The rally saw increased security measures with Secret Service snipers stationed on surrounding buildings and large bulletproof glass panels set up around the stage. Drones hovered overhead to ensure safety.
Despite the tight security, the venue was filled with Trump supporters creating a lively atmosphere. Pennsylvania state police estimated the audience at approximately 21,000 people, a significant increase compared to the July rally.
At the start of the rally, Trump paid tribute to firefighter Corey Comperatore, who was killed by the gunman, and the other two injured victims. At 6:11 pm, the exact time of the July 13th shooting, Trump called for a moment of silence with the tolling of bells four times to honor the four victims, including himself.
During his address, Trump stated, “Tonight, after the tragedy, I return to Butler to convey a simple message to the people of Pennsylvania and the American people. Our Make America Great Again movement is stronger, prouder, more united, more steadfast, and closer to victory than ever before.”
Trump emphasized, “My determination to save America from evil has never wavered… He (the gunman) did not stop our actions, he did not destroy our spirit.”
Rallying the hopeful crowd, Trump proclaimed, “I will never give up, never give in, never back down, never give in – not even facing death itself.”
“We fight together. We endure together. We move forward together. We bleed together, right here in Pennsylvania.”
Midway through his speech, Trump invited his key ally, Tesla CEO and owner of social media platform X, Elon Musk, on stage. This marked Musk’s first participation in Trump’s campaign events and his first speech since announcing support for Trump on July 13th.
Wearing a black “Make America Great Again (MAGA)” hat, Musk jokingly said, “As you can see, I’m not just MAGA – I’m the dark MAGA.”
Musk called the upcoming election “the most important election of our lifetime,” stating, “This is not a regular election; the other side wants to strip away your freedom of speech.”
Musk commended Trump’s performance during the shooting incident, saying, “The true test of a person’s character is how they perform under pressure.”
“President Trump must win to uphold the Constitution. He must win to uphold American democracy,” Musk said, describing it as a “must-win situation” and urging people to register to vote.
In addition to tech mogul Musk, the main guests at the rally included the widow and other family members of Corey Comperatore, the victim of the shooting, Republican vice-presidential candidate and Ohio Senator JD Vance, Trump’s eldest son Eric Trump and his wife, and Republican National Committee Co-Chair Laura Trump.
Earlier in the day, Trump’s running mate JD Vance took the stage to recall the events of the shooting and strongly criticized Democrats for labeling Trump as a “threat to democracy,” calling such remarks incendiary.
On July 13th, Trump was shot during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, with his right ear bleeding. One audience member died on the spot, and two others were injured. The gunman was shot dead on the scene.
(Adapted from reports by The Associated Press and Reuters)