Trump returns to Butler County to finish rally cut short by assassination attempt
BUTLER, Pa. 无毛视频� Less than three months after a would-be assassin无毛视频檚 bullet grazed his right ear, former President Donald Trump returned to the Butler Farm Show to pay homage to the family of the supporter killed in the shooting and make a final push ahead of next month无毛视频檚 presidential election.
Saturday afternoon无毛视频檚 rally near Butler drew tens of thousands of supporters and took on both a somber tone and carnival-like atmosphere in what was seen as a way to heal by finishing Trump无毛视频檚 July 13 political rally cut short by gunfire.
Trump and two rally-goers were injured in the shooting, and 50-year-old Corey Comperatore of Sarver died when he was struck by one of the bullets meant for the former president.
In his much-anticipated return to the site where he nearly lost his life, Trump took the stage at 5:56 p.m. to Lee Greenwood无毛视频檚 无毛视频淕od Bless the USA无毛视频� and raucous applause as most of the rally-goers had been at the fairgrounds waiting nearly eight hours to listen to the 45th president speak. He then started his speech off with a joke.
无毛视频淭hank you. We love Pennsylvania,无毛视频� Trump said before a slide showing immigration statistics appeared on the large video screen, which was what was seen on the board the moment he was shot in the ear.
无毛视频淎nd as I was saying,无毛视频� he said, bringing laughs from the audience.
Trump then addressed the shooting 12 weeks ago when he was nicked by a bullet, discussing his own near-death experience. The would-be assassin, a 20-year-old man from Bethel Park, fired multiple shots at Trump and the rally crowd from the roof of a nearby building, and he was killed when a U.S. Secret Service counter sniper returned fire.
无毛视频淏y the grace of God, the bullet did not hit (the shooter无毛视频檚) mark,无毛视频� he said. 无毛视频淵ou cannot stop our movement. You cannot break our spirit.无毛视频�
Sounding somewhat subdued at the beginning of his 90-minute speech, Trump called the Butler Farm Show 无毛视频渉allowed grounds无毛视频� as he then turned his attention to 无毛视频渂eautify Corey无毛视频� Comperatore, who attended the July rally and was fatally struck by gunfire.
无毛视频淗e无毛视频檚 become somewhat of a folk hero,无毛视频� Trump said.
He then asked for a moment of silence in remembrance, with the tolling of bells ringing over the loudspeakers before an opera singer performed 无毛视频淎ve Maria无毛视频� live for the crowd. Trump then acknowledged Comperatore无毛视频檚 widow, Helen, and other family members, who were seated in the grandstands behind the stage next to the slain firefighter无毛视频檚 protective coat and helmet. Comperatore served as fire chief for his hometown Buffalo Township Volunteer Fire Company in the early 2000s.
无毛视频淲e无毛视频檒l carry his memory in our hearts for as long as we live,无毛视频� Trump said. 无毛视频淲e know he无毛视频檚 looking down from Heaven smiling on us.无毛视频�
Earlier in the day, as the fairgrounds opened at 10 a.m. 无毛视频� eight hours before Trump was set to speak 无毛视频� tens of thousands of people, mostly adorned in Republican 无毛视频淢ake America Great Again无毛视频� hats, strolled through security lines and into the front gates of the fairgrounds.
Greg Sulc of Canonsburg, who was waving traffic into the nearby airfield used for parking, said there had been a massive stream of visitors ever since he arrived at 5:30 a.m. to volunteer.
无毛视频淲ith the turnout of today无毛视频檚 event, you can tell people want a change,无毛视频� Sulc said.
He said there was no apprehension about returning to the place where tragedy occurred just a few months earlier, noting that while there was a heavy police presence, it was more of a party-like atmosphere.
无毛视频淧eople are excited. The intensity level is through the roof,无毛视频� he said.
Supporters swamped the fairgrounds, with most standing on the grass, but some lounging on beach towels as others sought shady areas on the unseasonably warm October day.
Frankie 无毛视频淒a Fridge无毛视频� Somma drove overnight six hours from his home in East Stroudsburg in northeastern Pennsylvania and made fast friends with Rock and Barb Testa of West Deer. Somma entertained himself by playing his harmonica while grabbing a shady seat with the Testas by a fence with fabric announcing the words 无毛视频淔ight! Fight! Fight!无毛视频� that Trump shouted to the crowd on that fateful day after being escorted off the stage with blood streaming down his cheek.
无毛视频淚 want America to be great again,无毛视频� Somma said, echoing Trump无毛视频檚 long-held political slogan. 无毛视频淚f we can get him back in office, we can make America great again.无毛视频�
Somma has been to a couple of Trump无毛视频檚 smaller rallies in the past, but he said the enthusiasm here was 无毛视频渉ot and cold无毛视频� difference as he chatted with his new friends.
无毛视频淚t无毛视频檚 all about the camaraderie. You know what I mean?无毛视频� Somma said.
无毛视频淲e couldn无毛视频檛 come to the first one, it was so hot,无毛视频� Rock Testa responded. 无毛视频淲e weren无毛视频檛 going to miss this.无毛视频�
The rally took on an especially patriotic theme with a huge American flag 无毛视频� the same one from the previous rally that was twisted over in a way following the assassination attempt that many of Trump无毛视频檚 supporters thought it resembled an angel 无毛视频� once again hung behind the stage.
Supporters who attended said they had various reasons to attend Saturday无毛视频檚 rally, including Mark Henry of Latrobe, who said the attempted assassination inspired him to paint again. Henry, who stood under a tent within view of the stage while painting a patriotic image of St. Michael the Archangel, said he hadn无毛视频檛 painted in 35 years until he replicated the now iconic image of Trump pumping his fist in victory.
无毛视频淲hen this happened, I started painting again,无毛视频� Henry said, pointing to his paintings. 无毛视频淭his image inspired me and I haven无毛视频檛 stopped.无毛视频�
He无毛视频檚 painted 35 to 40 pieces of art since that time, including a likeness of Comperatore and his firefighter coat and helmet. He wants to eventually give that painting to Comperatore无毛视频檚 family as a gesture of kindness.
无毛视频淚无毛视频檓 painting the (Trump image) as his victory. But then there无毛视频檚 (the Comperatores),无毛视频� Henry said. 无毛视频淭his family lost a father. It无毛视频檚 an expression of compassion.无毛视频�
Henry said Saturday无毛视频檚 rally was a needed experience for Trump无毛视频檚 supporters after what happened there before.
无毛视频淚t无毛视频檚 wonderful,无毛视频� Henry said. 无毛视频淚 feel a part of the energy.无毛视频�
Security was understandably heightened with drones and helicopters circling above and police counter snipers positioned on all nearby buildings, including the one the shooter was perched atop in July. Numerous Pennsylvania State Police troopers were stationed around the fairgrounds, including some mounted on horseback.
John Koyder and his wife Yvette traveled from their hometown of Lafferty in Belmont County, Ohio, to see Trump speak. They weren无毛视频檛 deterred by the July shooting and wanted to show that they supported Trump无毛视频檚 decision to come back to the rally site.
无毛视频淚 wanted to show him support for not being afraid of being shot,无毛视频� he said. 无毛视频淎nd we无毛视频檙e not afraid either.无毛视频�
A Plexiglass barrier was erected in front of the lectern to protect Trump and the other speakers, which is now protocol for all of the Republican presidential candidate无毛视频檚 outdoor rallies. Other supporters and dignitaries who appeared alongside Trump on stage included his running mate, JD Vance, and tech billionaire Elon Musk.
While supporters continued pouring in the fairgrounds as Trump began speaking at exactly 6 p.m., some people began leaving about 30 minutes into his speech. The crowd had noticeably thinned out by the time Trump ended speaking after 90 minutes, but he struck a defiant and victorious tone as he closed his remarks.
无毛视频淲e无毛视频檙e going to win, win, win,无毛视频� Trump said of his campaign against Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris exactly one month to the day before the Nov. 5 election. 无毛视频淣othing will slay us. Nothing will stop us.无毛视频�