US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump gathers supporters at rally in the same place in Pennsylvania where a gunman tried to kill him in July, the Associated Press reported, quoted by BTA.
„Today I return to the city of Butler after the tragedy to deliver a simple message to the people of Pennsylvania and the people of America,” the candidate said. “Our movement aims to make America great again, to stand up stronger, prouder, more united, more determined and closer than ever to victory,” he declared.
Trump's campaign wants to maximize the media potential of the event, which is being held less than a month before he faces Democratic challenger and Vice President Kamala Harris in the presidential election. Trump said the killer tried to silence him, calling him a “cruel monster” and added that he did not succeed “because of the hand of providence and God's mercy“.
Trump's running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vann, was first to take the stage before the former president and recalled the events of the first rally in Butler, while criticizing Democrats for calling Trump a “threat to democracy,” using similar language for “provocative“.
„You heard the shots. You saw the blood. We all feared the worst had happened. But you knew everything was going to be okay when President Trump raised his fist high in the air. "Now I believe it's a real miracle," said Vance, who was nominated for vice president just two days after the incident.
Billionaire Elon Musk is also expected to speak at the event.
A huge crowd has gathered since early dawn for the event, described as a “tribute to the American spirit”. Local hotels are full, with some attendees arriving as early as Friday.
A memorial was erected on benches at the event for firefighter Cory Comperatore, who died while shielding his family members from the gunfire, with his uniform on display surrounded by flowers.
There is heavy security at the scene, with armed police in camouflage uniforms standing on rooftops. Butler County District Attorney Rich Goldinger told local media earlier this week that “everyone has redoubled their efforts to make sure things go smoothly and safely this time.
Trump's plane flew over the stage before his arrival, to a standing ovation from those gathered on the field.
Trump plans to use the event to pay tribute to Comperatore, who died at the July 13 rally, as well as the two other injured attendees of the past rally in Butler – David Dutch and James Copenhaver. They and Trump were injured when 20-year-old gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks, of Pennsylvania, fired from a nearby rooftop before being killed by snipers. Now, most of the benches are lined up to the side, not behind Trump.
Butler County, which is located in the western part of the swing state of Pennsylvania, is considered to be firmly behind Trump. In 2016 and 2020, he won about two-thirds of the vote in it. It is believed that Trump needs to boost turnout in such districts if he wants to win the entire state in November.
Earlier, Harris also stepped up campaigning in Pennsylvania, holding several rallies – part of her efforts to win over the critically important “swingers” states.
She pledged additional federal aid during her current visit to Hurricane Helen” North Carolina State – her second in the last four days in the area affected by the disaster, the Associated Press reported, quoted by BTA.
She arrived in the city of Charlotte a day after a visit to the state by Republican Party candidate Donald Trump, who criticized the federal government's response to dealing with the aftermath of “Helen”.
After, during a meeting with state and local officials, Harris expressed her appreciation for “those standing in the room and working around the clock outside right now,”, she promised that federal aid would continue to flow.
Disputing Trump's claims that the federal response was “disgusting”, state Gov. Roy Cooper (Democrat) said North Carolina “is deeply grateful for federal resources” and for the Federal Disaster Response Agency's timely response.
More than 200 people died in the worst storm to hit the continental US since “Katrina” in 2005, with scientists warning that climate change will repeat such disasters. The AP notes that in the midst of an election campaign, even natural disasters are becoming deeply politicized, with candidates touring affected areas to win over voters in contested states.
Harris' visits represent an additional political test in the midst of a humanitarian crisis. She's trying to step into a role that Biden is well known for – showing the empathy expected of Americans in times of tragedy – in the closing stretch of her campaign for the White House.
Until this week, she had not visited a disaster site as vice president.
Meanwhile, meteorologists warn that the tropical storm “Milton” is currently forming in the Gulf of Mexico, which could develop into a hurricane that could threaten the state of Florida. According to forecasts, it should reach the west coast of Florida next week.