Trump gathers in Butler: Live for the first time since the assassination

Trump thanked members of the U.S. Secret Service who “threw their bodies on top of mine” and said they “didn’t have even a moment of doubt” when they moved in to help him.

After the attack in July, the Secret Service was under close surveillance. After the attack, Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle resigned.

Donald Trump began his rally Saturday in Butler, Pennsylvania, by saying “like I said,” noting that his last rally in Butler ended abruptly when Thomas Matthew Crooks attempted to assassinate him.

“By the hand of providence and the grace of God, this villain did not achieve his goal,” Trump said.

The former president took the stage to hear a live performance of “God Bless the USA,” sung by Lee Greenwood.

Donald Trump took the stage for a live performance of “God Bless the USA,” sung by Lee Greenwood.

The former president returned to the Butler stage less than three months after a lone gunman attempted suicide. A supporter in the crowd died and two others were injured. Trump suffered a wound to his ear.

As promised, Trump began his rally right where he left off in July: “Like I said…”

The rally on July 13th was interrupted after just a few minutes when shots were fired. Trump ducked behind a podium and Secret Service rushed onto the stage to crowd around the former president, who eventually stood up with blood smeared on his face.

“The vicious monster unleashed pure evil from his sniper perch,” he said of the shooter.

“Donald Trump took a bullet for us. Please use your ballot and support him on November 5th,” Scott Presler told the crowd on Saturday.

The controversial campaigner, who has millions of followers on his various social media accounts, has tried to urge Trump supporters in Pennsylvania to register for mail-in ballots – a message that echoes that of the former president, who has spoken out repeatedly , directly contradicts postal voting.

“Democrats vote for 50 days, Republicans vote for 12 hours. “If we want to be competitive in this election, we must apply all of the above when voting,” Presler said previously The Independent.

Presler’s efforts have won the support of Eric and Lara Trump.

Richard Hall has the whole story.

God “spared Donald Trump’s life because he wasn’t done with Donald Trump. “He did it not once, but twice,” said Lara Trump, Eric’s wife and RNC co-chair, referring to the two assassination attempts against the former president in the past two months.

The former president acted with “strength and confidence,” he said.

Lara Trump also mentioned the RNC’s efforts toward what she called a “transparent election.”

“If you are a person who is contemplating fraud in our elections, we will find you, we will track you down and we will prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law.” If you are an illegal citizen voting in our election , we will prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law – and you will leave this country.”

Their claims come after Trump and his allies baselessly claimed that the 2020 election was “stolen” from him.

“They tried to kill him. “The Democratic Party can’t do anything right,” Eric Trump, the former president’s son, said as he took the stage Saturday night.

“They” have been after his father since he walked down the golden escalator, he said.

He didn’t define “they,” but it seemed to refer to the Justice Department, which is investigating his father, the suspected Butler assassin, and perhaps to Democrats as well.

“The good news? “Help is on the way,” he said, referring to his father.

The younger Trump led the crowd to chant, “Fight! Battle! Battle!”

Steve Witkoff, an investor and longtime Trump ally, was with the former president at Mar-a-Lago during the last suspected assassination attempt.

He has donated more than $2 million to Trump-affiliated PACs and testified briefly during the fraud trial in Manhattan.

Witkoff called the former president a “dear friend” on stage at the Butler rally on Saturday.

Acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe said in September that the agency had provided the “highest level of protection” for presidential candidates since the July 13 attack.

The agency faced intense scrutiny, prompting its then-chief to resign after the attack in July.

A number of security measures were taken for Saturday, police said The Independent. The Secret Service will work from a “unified command post” with state, local and federal partners, a law enforcement source familiar with the plan said. There will be “a large coordinated law enforcement presence,” the source added.

The authorities had “secured some sight lines,” such as the roof from which the 20-year-old gunman opened fire. Drones will also be on site; In July, the drone system experienced technical difficulties.

Trump has faced two assassination attempts in recent months. But since the first attack, Trump made it clear that he planned to return to the Butler compound.

A week before Saturday’s rally, Trump assumed the venue would be the “safest place in the world.” He joked that he would start Saturday’s rally right where he left off in July: “I think I’ll start the speech by saying, ‘Like I said.'”

The investigation into the Butler rally shooting suspect is ongoing — and a motive has yet to be determined.

In August, the FBI revealed that the suspect, who was shot dead at the scene by Secret Service agents, was involved in “detailed attack planning” leading up to the rampage.

The agency closely examined his search history from 2019 to 2024 and found that the 20-year-old suspect had sought information about explosives, such as how to make a bomb from fertilizer and how remote detonators work. ”

The investigation led to “valuable insight into his thinking, but not a definitive motive,” an agent said in August.