Tesla CEO and X proprietor Elon Musk speaks as Republican presidential nominee and former U.S. president Donald Trump reacts throughout a rally on the web site of the July assassination try in opposition to Trump, in Butler, Pennsylvania, U.S., October 5, 2024.
Carlos Barria | Reuters
Former President Donald Trump’s return to Butler, Pennsylvania, the location of his July 13 assassination try, rapidly developed from a commemoration for the tragic capturing into his normal rally format.
Inside 20 minutes of his roughly 90-minute speech, Trump turned to attacking Vice President Kamala Harris and calling on allies like Tesla CEO Elon Musk to assist make his case for reelection.
“Twelve weeks in the past, all of us took a bullet for America,” the Republican presidential nominee mentioned on the identical venue because the July capturing. “We will not take one other 4 years like this. We cannot have a rustic left.”
The Trump marketing campaign billed the occasion as a method to honor Corey Comperatore, the previous firefighter who was killed on the July rally, and the town of Butler, which has been catapulted into nationwide consideration for the reason that capturing.
Comperatore’s household attended as featured friends, together with David Dutch, one of many rally attendees who was shot and injured. Forward of Trump’s headlining remarks, a number of native Butler officers took the stage to recount their July 13 experiences.
However the Butler rally was not only a ceremony for remembrance.
After roughly 20 minutes of honoring Butler and the rally’s victims, Trump turned to his extra normal stump speech.
“Who’s Harris? We will not discover out who she is, as a result of if we do, our nation goes to be in large bother,” Trump mentioned.
With roughly 4 weeks till the Nov. 5 election, the Butler occasion marked one in every of Trump’s final high-profile marketing campaign alternatives to make his case for reelection — in a key swing state with 19 electoral votes no much less.
Trump additionally used the rally to place a highlight on a number of new members of his entourage.
Halfway via Trump’s speech, Elon Musk got here up on stage to laud the previous president.
“The true check of somebody’s character is how they behave beneath hearth,” Musk mentioned, sporting a black MAGA baseball cap, black blazer and “Occupy Mars” t-shirt.
“As you may see, I am not simply MAGA, I am Darkish MAGA,” the tech billionaire mentioned.
“That is no strange election,” he continued. “President Trump should win to protect the Structure. He should win to protect democracy in America.”
Trump is charged with crimes associated to his alleged effort to overturn his loss to President Joe Biden within the 2020 election.
Musk formally endorsed Trump hours after the Butler assassination try, marking a stark pivot within the two billionaires’ beforehand antagonistic relationship. Since then, their nascent alliance has grown stronger as Musk helps fundraise for the Trump marketing campaign whereas eyeing a possible White Home place.
Ohio Sen. JD Vance, who was named Trump’s working mate a number of days after the Butler capturing, additionally spoke on the rally.
“What occurred proper right here in Butler is a metaphor for america of America,” Vance mentioned. “There may be…no defeat we can not flip into victory.”
Different shut Trump allies additionally gave brief introductory speeches together with actual property magnate Steve Witkoff, Trump’s son Eric Trump and Republican Nationwide Committee co-chair and Trump’s daughter-in-law Lara Trump.
Tesla CEO and X proprietor Elon Musk speaks throughout a rally for Republican presidential nominee and former U.S. president Donald Trump, on the web site of the July assassination try in opposition to Trump, in Butler, Pennsylvania, U.S., October 5, 2024.
Carlos Barria | Reuters
Trump returned to Butler in a really completely different presidential race in comparison with his final go to.
On July 13, Trump was nonetheless reveling within the disastrous efficiency of Biden at their June 27 debate, which spurred Democrats’ rising doubt about their candidate’s capacity to win a second time period.
Since then, Biden has dropped out of the race, Harris has taken the helm of the Democratic ticket and she or he has begun to erode Trump’s edge.
Trump first introduced his plan to return to Butler in July, 13 days after the rally capturing.
Going into Saturday’s rally, the Secret Service mentioned it beefed up its safety plan after going through intense scrutiny following the July rally capturing and one other assassination try in opposition to Trump in September.
On Friday, the Secret Service pledged that it had “made complete adjustments and enhancements” to its communications talents and sources.
“The previous President is receiving heightened safety and we take the duty to make sure his security and safety very significantly,” spokesman Anthony Guglielmi mentioned in a press release.
