BUTLER, Pa. (KDKA) – Former President Donald Trump held a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday, where nearly three months ago he was almost killed. Billionaire Elon Musk appeared with him on the campaign trail for the first time.
“Tonight I returned to Butler in the wake of tragedy and heartache to deliver a simple message to the people of Pennsylvania and to the people of America,” Trump said during his opening address on the grounds of the Butler Farm Show.
“During the gunfire, time stood still for 16 harrowing seconds as this evil monster unleashed pure evil from his sniper position not so far away,” Trump said. “But by the hand of providence and the grace of God, that villain did not succeed in his purpose, he did not come close.”
He also praised the “men and women of the United States Secret Service who threw their bodies on mine without even thinking about their own lives.”
“There wasn’t even a moment of doubt in their minds,” Trump added.
Saturday’s rally was nearly identical to July’s, complete with a large American flag flying over the crowd, but with notable security exceptions. The Secret Service expanded the security perimeter and stationed personnel on the roof from where the gunman fired.
Snipers stood atop a row of trailers set up to block the line from the barn to the stage.
Trump also paid tribute firefighter Corey Comperatorewho was killed in the July 13 assassination attempt while trying to protect his family from the bullets. Comperatore’s widow and daughters were present Saturday. Comperatore’s place in the crowd on July 13 was marked by his firefighter uniform.
“I can only begin to imagine the depth of your grief,” Trump told the Comperatore family. “…Our hearts, as long as we live, everyone in this stadium and everyone who was there on that tragic night, we think of Corey, we think of him a lot.”
He asked the audience to join him in a moment of silence in memory of Comperatore, prior to the playing of ‘Ave Maria’.
Musk, wearing a MAGA hat, later appeared on stage with Trump and called the November election “the most important of our lifetimes.”
The Tesla founder echoed some common Republican talking points, claiming that Democrats want to take away “the freedom of speech” and “the right to bear arms,” and asserting that Trump “must win to preserve the Constitution, to to preserve democracy in America.”
“This election could be decided by 1,000 votes, 500 votes,” Musk said.
JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images
Rob Hunt stood just 80 feet from the podium that day in July and returned on Saturday.
“If he was willing to come back to where he was shot, I’m willing to come back,” Hunt told CBS News, saying Trump’s return to Butler “means he’s a fighter and for us is going to fight.”
Before Trump’s speech, his running mate, Senator JD Vance of Ohio, also spoke. As he has previously alleged, Vance claimed, without evidence, that it was Democratic rhetoric that led to the assassination attempt on Butler, as well as the apparent murder attempt on September 15 in West Palm Beach, Florida, saying, “It was only a matter of time before someone tried to kill him.”
“And with all the hate they expressed towards President Trump, it was only a matter of time before someone tried to kill him,” Vance told the crowd. “And that’s exactly what happened, not just here in Butler, Pennsylvania, but just a few weeks later in Florida, three weeks ago, while these guys are still going out and attacking him as a threat to democracy.”
Trump’s son, Eric Trump, and his wife, Lara Trump, co-chair of the Republican National Committee, also addressed the crowd.
“Donald Trump was made for a time like this,” said Lara Trump.
Rally attendees were also included, according to the guest list one of the men who was injured during the July 13 meeting, together with Malphine Fogel, the mother of Marc Fogela Pennsylvania resident imprisoned in Russia.
Butler County Commissioner Leslie Osche said the Butler County Emergency Services Agency is a unified communication bridge between the United States Secret Service, state and local police, fire departments, and EMS personnel.
Security for Saturday’s Trump rally was different
On July 13, Trump was grazed in the ear, Comperatore was killedand two others were injured when Crooks opened fire from the top of a nearby building.
In contrast to the rally of July 13, on Saturday there was one command postand at that post personnel from all law enforcement and emergency services worked on the rally.
During the first rally, three separate radio systems were created delays in communication. Saturday there was one for state and local police and one for the Secret Service. Each state and local team also had a Secret Service agent embedded in it.
Goldinger told KDKA-TV earlier this week that the snipers had posted themselves in the AGR building Crooks fired away asked again to help. Law enforcement officers were also present on top of the AGR building.
A participant who stood behind Trump during the taping planned to attend Saturday
One person expected to be at Saturday’s rally was a man who was sitting behind Trump when the former president was grazed by the bullet.
Chesher told CBS Pittsburgh that he witnessed the attempted murder.
“It’s been a few months, but I’m still trying to process what happened that day. Emotions are all over the place,” Chesher said. “…We are now forever linked to President Trump.”
Chesher said he believed there would be “a spiritual positivity” at Saturday’s meeting. He also planned to get behind Trump again.
“He said it should be the safest event. In my heart I believe it will be the safest event. However, I think God is on our side,” Chesher said.
Caitlin Huey-Burns contributed to this report.
Chris Hofman
