Trump holds campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, months after July assassination attempt
Former President Trump is speaking in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday afternoon, nearly three months after gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks attempted to assassinate the Republican presidential candidate.
Republican vice presidential nominee U.S. Senator JD Vance (R-OH) gestures as he attends a rally for Republican presidential nominee and former U.S. president Donald Trump, at the site of the July assassination attempt against Trump, in Butler, Pennsylvania, U.S., October 5, 2024. (REUTERS/Carlos Barria)
Vice presidential candidate JD Vance laid out harsh criticisms of the White House at the Butler, Pennsylvania, rally on Saturday afternoon.
The Ohio senator criticized both President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris for the federal government's response to Hurricane Helene. The storm has caused extreme flooding in North Carolina and killed more than 220 Americans.
"Now we're seeing reports, the deployments of the military and the National Guard are moving at a snail's pace," Vance said. "My friends, who the hell is running this country right now? Because it sure isn't Joe Biden."
"It sure isn't Kamala Harris," he added. "The Harris administration has given billions of dollars to foreign countries and illegal aliens, but now they swoop in and they promised $750 to American citizens who have lost everything."
Safety was foremost on the minds of ardent Trump supporters who flocked to the Butler Farm Show grounds to hear the former president.
Police were ubiquitous among the crowd estimated by a Butler County Sheriff's officer to number up to 60,000 people, snipers could be seen perched on rooftops ahead of the rally, and the Secret Service acknowledged heightened security. The event marked Trump's return to the Pennsylvania venue where he narrowly survived an assassination attempt in July. The former president's remarks are scheduled for 5 p.m. EST.
Friends who traveled over three hours to see Trump said that their families had concerns about them coming to the rally, but expressed how they felt safe with the bolstered security.
Read the full article about the Butler rally by Sarah Rumpf-Whitten
Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump greets family members of Corey Comperatore as he arrives at Pittsburgh International Airport en route to speak at a campaign rally at the Butler Farm Show, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Former President Trump was seen comforting the family of Corey Comperatore before leaving to attend his Butler, Pennsylvania, rally on Saturday.
Comperatore was killed at the July 13 rally while shielding his family members from gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks.
In the photo, Trump hugged Comperatore's widow and daughters on the runway of Pittsburgh International Airport.
"He was an all around good guy that was always there to lend a hand and support not just his own children but all the other kids who were friends of their girls and on the team," Eileen Shamanski, who knew Comperatore, said to Fox News Digital in July.
"He had a 'just give it your all' attitude, [and] a lot of kids respected him for that, just always being there supporting, giving those pep talks to get them going. It's going to be a big loss."
Fox News Digital's Mike Ruiz contributed to this update.
Increased security surrounds the perimeter for Former President Donald Trump's rally in Butler, PA on Saturday, October 5, 2024. The rally is in the same location as the one on July 13 at which an assassination attempt was made on Trump's life. (Credit: Matthew McDermott for Fox News Digital)
The Secret Service said that they made “comprehensive changes and enhancements” to former President Trump’s security following the disastrous July 13 rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
At Saturday's rally, Fox News Digital observed snipers on roofs and law enforcement milling around.
Guests were also subject to a screening when entering the official area of rally, where the Republican nominee for president is set to make remarks.
The heightened security comes as the U.S. Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi said that Trump received “heightened security” on Saturday.
“Since the attempted assassination of former President Trump on July 13, the U.S. Secret Service has made comprehensive changes and enhancements to our communications capabilities, resourcing, and protective operations. Today, the former President is receiving heightened protection, and we take the responsibility to ensure his safety and security very seriously.”
Guglielmi said that the top agency is “coordinating closely” with the Pennsylvania State Police as well as local law enforcement.
“Regarding the October 5 event in Butler, we are coordinating closely with the Pennsylvania State Police as well as local law enforcement in and around Butler Township,” he said.
The spokesperson warned residents to expect traffic delays and increased security personnel in Butler.
“We are also leveraging other federal security resources to expand personnel and technology,” Guglielmi said. “To maintain the integrity of our protective operations, we cannot go into specifics regarding the security enhancements. Residents in the area should expect traffic delays and an increased presence of state, local, and federal law enforcement as part of our efforts.”
Former President Donald Trump returns to Butler, PA. to hold another rally after the assassination attempt which took place on July 13th and supporters arrive in mass. (Credit: Matthew McDermott for Fox News Digital)
Pennsylvania officials have told Fox News Digital that they expect tens of thousands of attendees to show up in support of former President Trump on Saturday.
An official from the Butler County Sheriff's Office told Fox News Digital that they expected 50,000 to 60,000 people at the rally.
Former President Trump is expected to speak at 5 p.m. on Saturday, almost three months after a gunman shot him at same venue on July 13.
Fox News Digital's Sarah Rumpf-Whitten contributed to this update.
Former President Trump admitted to not feeling safe on the campaign trail during an exclusive sit-down interview with Fox Nation host Kellyanne Conway, where he told his former senior counselor that the risks he faces mean he's "doing the right thing."
"I'm in a very dangerous position and, sadly, it's only consequential presidents that this happens to," he said during a recent episode of "Here's the Deal with Kellyanne."
I have a lot of enemies because I'm doing the right thing. This ‘MAGA’ is a great thing because it says it better than anything anybody can say. I want to make America great again, and that's what we're doing. We have more support, I think, than anybody's ever had, and I think we're going to have a great election."
Read the full article about Donald Trump by Taylor Penley
A law enforcement sharpshooters position themselves on a roof as attendees wait in line prior to a rally by Republican presidential nominee, former President Donald Trump, at the Butler Farm Show Inc. on Oct. 5, 2024, in Butler, Pennsylvania. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
Pumped-up spectators poured into the Butler, Pennsylvania, Fair Grounds on Saturday, saying that it was "gutsy" for former President Donald Trump to make an appearance at the location where he was nearly assassinated.
Trump is set to appear at the site where he was nearly killed in a deadly July 13 shooting, with the Republican presidential nominee slated to speak at 5 p.m.
Supporters decked out American flags and Trump slogans shared with Fox News Digital that Trump's return to the site was "gutsy."
Read the full article about the Trump Butler rally by Sarah-Rumpf Whitten
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