On Saturday, October 5th, former US president and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump returned to Butler, Pennsylvania to hold a rally. The event took place at the Butler Farm Showgrounds. Back on July 13th, Trump was targeted and shot at this location, fortunately escaping with just a bullet grazing his ear. The venue had been under lockdown due to the investigation of the attack, and this was the first time it was open to the public.
Before his speech, Trump was photographed meeting with the families of the victims of the July incident. Corey Comperatore, the former chief of the Buffalo Town Fire Department, tragically lost his life while protecting his wife and daughter during the shooting. Additionally, two other individuals from the crowd were hospitalized due to injuries sustained.
Vice Presidential candidate Senator JD Vance, Pennsylvania Republican Senatorial candidate Dave McCormick, and billionaire Elon Musk were among those in attendance at Saturday’s rally.
Trump made his entrance to a thunderous applause. A migration chart popped up on the large screen behind him, a chart he praised for potentially saving his life during the July incident.
Right before the shooter fired, Trump turned and pointed at the chart. He mentioned that this action was what spared him from a direct headshot, with the bullet grazing his ear instead.
He stated, “Tonight, after tragedy and pain, I return to Butler to convey a simple message to the people of Pennsylvania and America: our MAGA movement is stronger, prouder, more united, more determined than ever before, and closer to victory. We will make America great again.”
After being shot, Trump’s first concern was how many people were injured. He then proceeded to recite the names of the injured individuals from the July rally, honoring the memory of firefighter Comperatore who tragically passed away 12 weeks ago.
“We are here tonight, with record-breaking attendance… not only to commemorate the American spirit triumphing over evil and adversity, but also to pay tribute to the finest, bravest individuals in our history,” Trump said.
Vance concluded his speech, his first joint campaign rally with Trump since late August. He expressed his belief that it was a miracle that saved Trump on that fateful day in July.
Vance emphasized that what happened in Butler, Pennsylvania on July 13th was a miracle. He stated that on that day, America felt the presence of the Bible, quoting a passage, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.”
“The media has constantly portrayed Trump, the true winner of the primaries, as a threat to democracy,” Vance said. “Donald Trump took a bullet for democracy.”
He asked the crowd, who they prefer to face foreign adversaries, “someone afraid of accepting friendly American media interviews, or someone who faced two assassins and triumphantly returned to the very spot where he was shot?”
“When you heard the shots, saw the blood, we all feared the worst. But when President Trump raised his fist, you knew everything would be alright,” Vance stated.
After being shot in July, Trump stood up, and with his fist raised in the iconic gesture, he declared, “Fight, fight, fight.” There was no chaos among the rally attendees even after the shooting incident.
Lara Trump, co-chair of the Republican National Committee and Trump’s daughter-in-law, mentioned that she knew Trump would come back to Butler before he even expressed the desire to return.
“All throughout life, you can choose to act with fear and weakness, or you can choose to act with strength and belief,” she added.
When discussing her work, Lara stressed the importance of ensuring “we have free, fair, and transparent elections, where only legitimate citizens can vote in America.”
“If you are a non-citizen and you vote in our elections, we will track you down, prosecute you, and then send you out of this country,” she elaborated.
Lara concluded by encouraging Pennsylvanians to register to vote.
Among the 50 states in the USA, 43 lean towards either the Democratic or Republican party. This makes the remaining 7 battleground states crucial for winning the election.
For Democrats to secure a victory, they must win in the “blue wall” states. On the other hand, Republicans need to deepen their presence in the “sunbelt” states to win the election. Regardless of these distinctions, both parties cannot overlook Pennsylvania.
In the first week of October, Heidi Heitkamp’s campaign team booked a significant number of ads in the critical three “blue wall” states, with their ad spending in Pennsylvania exceeding $5 million. Trump’s campaign team also had the highest ad spending in Pennsylvania for that week, totaling $3.8 million.