Butler, Pennsylvania – Former President Donald Trump will visit Butler, Pennsylvania, Saturday for a much-anticipated rally at the spot where he narrowly escaped an assassination attempt in July. While he remains under constant threat of danger, Trump says it is an “obligation” to Butler residents to return and keep his promise.
In July, the man who shot and killed Trump was injured on a campaign stop when a gunman stormed out of a nearby roof and penetrated the then president’s ear, killing firefighter Corey Comperatore, who helped protect his family from bullets. Two other attendees, David Dutch and James Copenhaver, were injured as well. Trump was quickly taken away from the stage, his fist clenched and blood streamed out of his ear. The assailant Thomas Matthew Crooks was fatally shot by security shortly after.
Trump has joked that he will probably open his speech with “As I was saying…,” which is where the speech was interfering with the shooting. His return to the Butler Farm Show grounds is gonna be a powerful reminder of his strength and resolve to stay focused on running for President in 2024.
Elon Musk To Address Rally…
Also expected to be there and speaking, along with Trump will be Elon Musk. Musk, the billionaire CEO of Tesla and SpaceX has turned out to be an open defender of Trump and has recently jumped on board with the campaign. “IN MUSK WE TRUST” are the words printed on billboards en route to the rally that include a photograph of the tech magnate.
Musk’s presence will add considerable attention to the rally, which takes place 30 days before the election. Trump’s running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, is also coming, as the campaign attempts to electrify its support base and gain steam against Kamala Harris and Tim Walz.
The Memory of the Dead Firefighter
Hundreds of fans are expected to turn out for the event that starts at 9:00am and will feature a memorial for Corey Comperatore on the bleachers. Comperatore’s fireman’s jacket will hang among flowers in honor of the volunteer firefighter killed saving his loved ones in the July shooting.
Trump will use the rally to pay tribute to Comperatore and honor the two other victims of the attack, David Dutch and James Copenhaver. This is when [thomas Matthew Crooks] opened fire from an open rooftop before the snipers shot him. How Crooks was able to breach security and scale the roof remains an investigation as one of the largest Secret Service disasters in recent history.
Improved Safety for the Rally
‘Event security will be on an all-time low, Secret Service will put far more personnel at the event than they did at the July rally and Butler County Sheriff Mike Slupe is estimated to be using quadruple the amount of equipment’ to protect Trump. Shirted camouflaged cops will be present on rooftops and at every corner of the venue and there will be a huge fence around the event in case there’s any kind of security incident.
“Everyone is stepping up their game and doing what they can to ensure that this happens safely and properly,” Butler County District Attorney Rich Goldinger told WPXI-TV “Everyone is working so hard to make sure it does not happen behind Trump.’ The building Crooks shot from last July will completely be obliterated by tractor trailers and the bleachers will be dismantled along the sides rather than behind Trump.
Rally Aims and Trump’s Speech.
Trump’s visit to Butler, Pennsylvania, is guaranteed to bring a throng to this Trump-bundling part of the key swing state Butler County, where Trump won 66% of the vote in 2016 and 2020, will play an important role in Trump’s bid to take the White House again in 2024.
Trump will have most of his address address the strength and resilience of Pennsylvanians, making his own survival of the assassination attempt into a story of how to rise above hardship: “This rally is not only about politics, it’s about being resilient in the face of fear and gun violence,” a campaign spokesperson said. Trump’s message would serve to inoculate his base around his character as a fighter for Americans, as well as his message that winning Pennsylvania in the coming election is key.
According to Trump’s campaign spokesman Karoline Leavitt, “President Trump looks forward to returning to Butler to celebrate the victims of that horrific day. The fact that Pennsylvanians have come to his side is an expression of American strength.”
Ongoing Security Concerns
Butler’s July attack was one of two reported assassinations of Trump in this election cycle. Another was also arrested last month around Trump’s Florida golf course after Secret Service officers witnessed the suspect trying to enter the perimeter with a rifle. That alleged perpetrator Ryan Wesley Routh went on to be charged with federal firearms.
Trump is also still sticking to large campaign events, saying that he will not be frightened away by threats and violence even as security is still a problem. His re-election back to Butler will hopefully remind supporters and the public that he isn’t about to give up, come the election of 2024.
See AP News here and Reuters here for more information on Trump’s upcoming rally and security.
