With the highly anticipated U.S. presidential elections less than a month away, Republican candidate Donald Trump returned to the site of his assassination attempt as he addressed a large crowd in Pennsylvania during a rally that also featured tech billionaire Elon Musk.
As Trump took the stage, he humorously pretended to resume a speech that had been interrupted on July 13 when he was grazed by a bullet fired by Thomas Matthew Crooks, who was subsequently shot dead by Secret Service personnel. Trump paid tribute to firefighter Corey Comperatore, who lost his life in the attack, and acknowledged the two others who were wounded.
At 6:11 PM, the exact moment gunfire erupted, Trump called for a moment of silence. A bell tolled four times, once for each of the four victims, including Trump himself. During his speech, he hinted darkly at facing “an enemy from within” that he described as more dangerous than any foreign adversary. He characterized the gunman as “a cold-blooded assassin” who aimed to silence him but ultimately failed to stop “our movement.”
The crowd, numbering in the tens of thousands and many wearing Trump merchandise, erupted into chants of “fight, fight, fight,” a slogan Trump had used moments after the shooting. Ohio Republican Senator JD Vance, Trump’s vice presidential running mate, reinforced this sentiment, declaring, “We’re here to say, we can’t be intimidated, we can’t be stopped.” Vance dismissed claims from Vice President Kamala Harris and other Democrats that Trump poses a threat to democracy, asserting, “Donald Trump took a bullet for democracy. What the hell have you done?”
Excitement escalated when Trump’s plane conducted a flyby over the rally, with the “Top Gun” movie theme song playing over the loudspeakers. In a strategic move, trailers were positioned around the site to block views of the building where the shooter had opened fire.
Republican officials hope Trump’s return to Butler will galvanize his hardcore supporters in Pennsylvania, a state seen as pivotal for both him and his Democratic opponent, Kamala Harris, ahead of the November 5 election. Earlier in the week, Trump told NewsNation, “I’m going back to Butler because I feel I have an obligation to go back to Butler. We never finished what we were supposed to do.”
During the rally, Trump welcomed Elon Musk to the stage, marking Musk’s first appearance at a Trump campaign event since endorsing the former president after the shooting. Musk emphasized the importance of the upcoming election, stating, “The true test of someone’s character is how they behave under fire,” and urged attendees to register to vote.
