Security at Saturday’s rally was extremely tight due to heightened Secret Service surveillance, following two recent assassination attempts on Donald Trump. The latest incident occurred last month at his West Palm Beach golf course in Florida. In attendance were Trump’s running mate JD Vance, his son Eric Trump, daughter-in-law Lara Trump, and tech billionaire Elon Musk, who voiced support for Trump after the attacks.
Former President Donald Trump returned to Butler, Pennsylvania, nearly three months after surviving an assassination attempt that took the life of volunteer fire chief Corey Competore. Trump suffered a gunshot wound to the ear during the July 13 shooting, which also left two others seriously injured. At the rally, Trump promised his supporters a victory in the upcoming November 5th presidential election.
“For 15 seconds, time stood still,” Trump said, recounting the incident. He described the attack as the work of a “ferocious monster” that “failed” in its mission.
Increased security at the rally was in response to the previous attempts on Trump’s life. Alongside JD Vance, his running mate, were close family members and supporters, including Elon Musk.
During his speech, Trump stuck to his usual rhetoric, criticizing the “corrupt system” and vowing to restore “respect” in U.S. foreign policy. He also promised to address the “open border” situation, which he claimed was contributing to crime.
“You deserve a government that protects your sovereignty, your security, your dignity, and your freedom,” Trump told the cheering crowd at the Butler Fairgrounds.
Trump took a moment to honor the memory of Corey Competore, referring to him as a “folk hero.” He then addressed the political attacks and assassination attempts against him, saying, “They’ve slandered me, tried to interfere with the election, and who knows – maybe even tried to kill me. But I never stopped fighting for you. Never.”
The rally ended with a moment of silence in tribute to Competore.
