Trump holds campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, months after July assassination attempt

Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk listens as Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign event at the Butler Farm Show, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Butler, Pa. (Credit: AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Tesla CEO Elon Musk took the stage at former President Trump's rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday evening.

The entrepreneur was seeing wearing a black MAGA hat and listening intently to the former president's speech just before walking up to the podium.

"Hi everyone, as you can see, I'm not just MAGA, I'm dark MAGA," Musk joked, a reference to the Dark Brandon meme of President Biden.

"I want to say what an honor it is to be here and, you know, the true test of someone's character is how they behave under fire, right?" he continued. "And we had one president who couldn't climb a flight of stairs, and another who was fist pumping after getting shot."

Musk concluded his speech by encouraging the crowd to vote.

"Just be a pest to everyone," he laughed. "You know, people on the street everywhere: Vote, vote, vote!"

"Fight, fight, fight, vote, vote, vote," Musk added.

Musk, a prominent Trump supporter, confirmed this week that he would be at the campaign event.

"I will be there to support!” Musk said on X.

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally at the Butler Farm Show, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Butler, Pa. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Former President Trump acknowledged the opponents who "tried to stop" him over the past eight years while speaking to a crowd in Butler, Pennsylvania.

"Above all, you deserve leadership in Washington that does not answer to the lobbyists, to the bureaucrats, or to the corrupt special interests, but answers only to you, the hardworking citizens of America, of which there are a lot of them," the Republican said.

"We have a lot of them. We have a lot of them over the past eight years, those who want to stop us from achieving this future have slandered me, impeached me, indicted me, tried to throw me off the ballot, and who knows, maybe even tried to kill me," he continued. "But I've never stopped fighting for you. And I never will."

Local artist Bill Secunda not only describes Donald Trump as "tough as nails" after the former president shook off an assassination attempt here, he created a life-size sculpture to hammer the idiom home.

Secunda was so inspired by Trump's actions, in which he raised his fist defiantly and exhorted rallygoers to "Fight, fight, fight" moments after being grazed by an assassin's bullet, that he built a unique likeness of the former president out of nails. Secunda unveiled the statue at the Butler Farm Show on Saturday, the same venue where the deadly shooting took place on July 13.

"I tried to give him the expression of 'Let's fight,' but let's do it nonviolent[ly]. Let’s do it right," Secunda told Fox News Digital at his garage studio.

Read the full article about Donald Trump by Michael Dorgan

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump arrives at a campaign rally at the Butler Farm Show, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Butler, Pa. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Former President Trump's speech had a roaring start on Saturday after he made a light joke about the attempt on his life in July.

"A very big thank you to Pennsylvania," Trump began. We love Pennsylvania."

"And as I was saying...," he continued, to loud cheers from the crowds.

The Republican candidate then turned his attention to the immigration chart he had put up - the same one that was displayed when he was shot on July 13.

"I love that chart," Trump said. "I love that graph. Isn't it a beautiful thing?"

"But also beautiful because look at the number, that's the day I left office," he continued. "It was the lowest Border Patrol [apprehensions]...Today, it's out of control."

Rallygoers raise their fists as they wait for the arrival of Former President Donald Trump at a rally in Butler, PA on Saturday, October 5, 2024. (Credit: Matthew McDermott for Fox News Digital)

In the couple of weeks after Kamala Harris replaced Joe Biden atop the Democratic ticket, there was a decided doldrum I detected across the country from Trump supporters.

But Saturday, as Trump returned to the site of his July 13 near assassination and the tragic murder of Corey Comperatore, a new confidence was clear among his faithful.

Rob is a teacher who lives in Pennsylvania and was carrying a clipboard, registering voters who stood in the vast line to get in.

"I coach wrestling," Rob told me, "and when they switched in Harris it was like a wrestler had his opponent pinned, and suddenly they swap in a new, fresh opponent. Even if that new opponent is weak, it's still deflating."

Read the full op-ed piece about Trump supporters by David Marcus

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 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."

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