Former U.S. President Donald Trump held a campaign rally in North Carolina on Wednesday (August 21), marking his first outdoor event since narrowly escaping an assassination attempt in Pennsylvania last month. The rally took place in Asheboro, North Carolina, with bulletproof glass walls in place to protect him during his speech. This heightened security measure by the Secret Service was implemented following the incident at a Butler rally on July 13 where Trump was at risk of assassination.
The outdoor rally in North Carolina was held at the North Carolina Aviation Museum and Hall of Fame. It was Trump’s first appearance at an outdoor event since the attack in Butler that resulted in an injury to his upper right ear. During the rally, he focused on national security issues, criticizing the Biden-Harris administration for the hasty withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan in 2021. He reiterated his belief that if re-elected, he could quickly end the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza.
Prior to Trump taking the stage, his campaign partner and Republican U.S. Senator from Ohio, JD Vance, also delivered a speech.
Apart from the bulletproof glass walls, additional security measures were taken by the Secret Service during Wednesday’s rally. Near the stage, storage bins were piled up and trucks were parked to obstruct distant views.
At one point during the event, Trump briefly left the protection of the glass walls to walk down to the crowd and check on an attendee who appeared to have a medical emergency. A group of Secret Service agents responsible for his protection closely monitored his every move.
Before Trump’s arrival, his plane flew over the rally site, which prompted cheers from the crowd. An estimated 2500 people were expected to attend the rally.
While Trump attended the rally, the Democratic Party was holding its national convention in Chicago, officially nominating Vice President Kamala Harris as their presidential candidate for the 2024 elections.
On the day of the rally, a congressional special working group comprised of members from both parties, responsible for investigating the July 13 shooting incident, was scheduled to hold a meeting with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to discuss the progress of the FBI’s investigation into the fatal shooting.
On July 26, Trump announced on his social media platform “Truth Social” that after narrowly escaping an assassination attempt nearly two weeks ago, he planned to return to Butler for a campaign rally, without specifying the exact timing and location of the event.