Trump returned to the site of the first assassination with Musk and Vance
Tesla CEO and X owner Elon Musk speaks as Republican presidential candidate and former US president Donald Trump reacts during a rally at the site of Trump’s assassination in July , in Butler, Pennsylvania, USA, October 5, 2024.
Carlos Barria | Reuters
Former President Donald Trumpthe return of butlerPennsylvania, the location of his July 13 incident assassination plotquickly evolved from a memorial service for the tragic shooting into his standard form of protest.
Within 20 minutes of his roughly 90 minutes speaking, Trump turned to attacking the Vice President Kamala Harris and called on allies like Tesla CEO Elon Musk to help him run for re-election.
“Twelve weeks ago, we all took a bullet for America,” Republic the presidential candidate said at the same location where the shooting occurred in July. “We cannot endure another four years of this. We will no longer have a country.”
Trump’s campaign sees the event as a way to honor Corey Comperatore, a former firefighter who died during a protest in July, and the city of Butler, which has attracted national attention since from the shooting.
The Comperatore family attended as featured guests, along with David Dutch, one of the protest attendees who was shot and injured. In response to Trump’s headline-grabbing remarks, several local Butler officials took the stage to recount their July 13 experiences.
But Butler’s rally was more than just a memorial service.
After about 20 minutes of honoring Butler and the victims of the protests, Trump turned to his more standard speech.
“Who is Harris? We can’t find out who she is, because if we did, our country would be in big trouble,” Trump said.
November 5 is about four weeks away electionThe Butler event marks one of Trump’s last high-profile chances to run for reelection — in a crucial swing state with 19 electoral votes no less.
Trump also used the rally to draw attention to some new members of his entourage.
In the middle of Trump’s speech, Elon Musk took the stage to praise the former president.
“The true test of someone’s character is how they behave under fire,” Musk said.
“As you can see, I’m not just MAGA, I’m Dark MAGA,” the tech billionaire said.
He continued: “This is not a normal election. “President Trump must win to protect the Constitution. He must win to protect democracy in America.”
Trump was impeached crime regarding a reported effort to overturn his loss to President Joe Biden in the 2020 election.
Musk publicly endorsed Trump hours after Butler’s assassination, but has contributed to Republican candidates and causes for years. Since then, their alliance has grown stronger thanks to Musk’s help fundraising for Trump’s election campaign. Trump also said he would create a government efficiency commission to audit and cut waste throughout the federal government, an idea Musk proposed.
Ohio Sen. JD Vance, who was named Trump’s running mate days after the Butler shooting, also spoke at the rally.
“What happens right here in Butler is a metaphor for the United States of America,” Vance said. “Without…without defeat, we cannot turn into victory.”
Other close Trump allies who also gave short introductory speeches included real estate mogul Steve Witkoff, Trump’s son Eric Trump and Republican National Committee co-chairman and daughter-in-law Lara Trump.
Tesla CEO and X owner Elon Musk speaks during a campaign rally for Republican presidential candidate and former US president Donald Trump, at the site of Trump’s assassination in July, in Butler, Pennsylvania, USA, October 5, 2024.
Carlos Barria | Reuters
Trump returns to Butler in a presidential race very different from his previous visit.
On July 13, Trump was still reveling in Biden’s disastrous performance at their tournament. June 27 debate, making Democrats increasingly skeptical about their candidate’s ability to win a second term.
Since then, Biden has drop out of school of racing, Harris has taken over the Democratic leadership and she has begun to erode Trump’s advantage.
Trump first announced His plan was to return to Butler in July, 13 days after the protest shooting.
Going into Saturday’s protest, the Secret Service said it had beefed up its security plan after facing intense scrutiny following a shooting at a protest in July and Another assassination against Trump in September.
On Friday, the Secret Service pledged that it had “made comprehensive changes and improvements” to its communications capabilities and resources.
“The former President is receiving enhanced protection and we take our responsibility to ensure his safety and security very seriously,” spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said in a statement.
