Elon Musk, Tesla CEO and
Carlos Barria | Reuters
Former President Donald Trump's return to Butler, Pennsylvania, the site of his assassination attempt on July 13, quickly evolved from a memorial service for the tragic shooting to his standard rally format.
Within 20 minutes of his roughly 90-minute break In his speech, Trump attacked Vice President Kamala Harris and called on allies like Tesla CEO Elon Musk to help him get re-elected.
“Twelve weeks ago we all took a bullet for America,” the Republican presidential candidate said at the same location where the July shooting took place. “We can’t take another four years like this. We won’t have any land left.”
The Trump campaign pitched the event to honor Corey Comperatore, the former firefighter killed at the July rally, and the city of Butler, which has drawn national attention since the shooting.
Comperatore's family was present as prominent guests, along with David Dutch, one of the rally participants who was shot and injured. Before Trump's headlines, several local Butler officials took the stage to recount their experiences on July 13th.
But the Butler rally wasn't just a memorial ceremony.
After about 20 minutes of honoring Butler and the rally's victims, Trump turned to his more usual speech.
“Who is Harris?” We can’t find out who she is because if we do, our country will be in big trouble,” Trump said.
Roughly four weeks before the Nov. 5 election, the Butler event was one of Trump's last high-profile campaign opportunities to make the case for re-election – in a key swing state with as many as 19 electoral votes.
Trump also used the rally to spotlight several new members of his entourage.
In the middle of Trump's speech, Elon Musk took the stage to praise the former president.
Elon Musk, Tesla CEO and
Carlos Barria | Reuters
“The true test of a person’s character is how they behave under fire,” said Musk, wearing a black MAGA baseball cap, a black blazer and an “Occupy Mars” T-shirt.
“As you can see, I’m not just MAGA, I’m Dark MAGA,” the tech billionaire said.
“This is no ordinary election,” he continued. “President Trump must win to preserve the Constitution. He must win to preserve democracy in America.”
Trump is being charged with crimes related to his alleged attempt to overturn his loss to President Joe Biden in the 2020 election.
Musk publicly supported Trump hours after the Butler assassination attempt, but has been committed to Republican candidates and causes for years. Since then, their alliance has grown stronger as Musk helps raise funds for the Trump campaign. Trump has also said he would create a government efficiency commission to audit the entire federal government and reduce waste, an idea that Musk had proposed.
Ohio Senator JD Vance, who was named Trump's running mate days after the Butler shooting, also spoke at the rally.
“What happened here in Butler is a metaphor for the United States of America,” Vance said. “There is… no defeat that we cannot turn into a victory.”
Other close Trump allies also gave brief introductory speeches, including real estate tycoon Steve Witkoff, Trump's son Eric Trump and Republican National Committee co-chairwoman and Trump's daughter-in-law Lara Trump.
Eric and Lara Trump attend a rally for Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. President Donald Trump on the day Donald Trump returns after the assassination attempt against him in July in Butler, Pennsylvania, USA, October 5, 2024.
Brian Snyder | Reuters
Trump returned to Butler in a very different presidential race than his last visit.
As of July 13, Trump was still reveling in Biden's disastrous performance at the June 27 debate, fueling growing doubts among Democrats about their candidate's ability to win a second term.
Since then, Biden has dropped out of the race, Harris has taken the Democratic helm and she has begun eroding Trump's lead.
Trump first announced his plan to return to Butler in July, 13 days after the rally shooting.
Ahead of Saturday's rally, the Secret Service said it had strengthened its security plan after facing intense scrutiny following the rally shooting in July and another assassination attempt against Trump in September.
On Friday, the Secret Service promised that it had made “comprehensive changes and improvements” to its communications capabilities and resources.
“The former president is receiving increased protection and we take the responsibility to ensure his safety very seriously,” spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said in a statement.
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