5 takeaways from Trump’s return to Butler

Former President Trump returned to the site of a July assassination attempt on Saturday, rallying with thousands of supporters in Butler, Pa., and honoring a supporter who was killed that day.

Trump had said he felt an “obligation” to return to Butler, and he was joined Saturday by several high-profile guests and allies, including Elon Musk.

Here are five takeaways from the event.

Trump returns to site of assassination attempt

Trump’s return to Butler had been long anticipated since just days after the July 13 shooting there that upended the presidential campaign.

During that event, a gunman opened fire from a nearby rooftop just a few minutes after Trump took the stage. The former president’s ear was hit by a bullet, multiple attendees were injured and one rallygoer was killed.

On Saturday, Trump stood behind panes of bulletproof glass. Snipers and Secret Service agents could be seen around the venue. And attendees carried signs that read “Fight, Fight, Fight,” a nod to Trump’s words after he was wounded in July.

The former president began his remarks by thanking Pennsylvania and telling the crowd, “As I was saying.”

“Tonight, I return to Butler in the aftermath of tragedy and heartache to deliver a simple message to the people of Pennsylvania and the people of America: Our movement to make America great again stands stronger, prouder, more united, more determined, and nearer to victory than ever before,” Trump said.

July victims honored

Trump recognized the individuals who were injured in the July 13 shooting, as well as Corey Comperatore, who was killed in the assassination attempt.

“Corey is not with us tonight, and he should be. He has become somewhat of a folk hero, I have to tell you,” Trump said.

At 6:11 p.m., Trump noted it was “12 weeks to the minute that the shooting began.” He called for a moment of silence. A bell tolled out, and a singer on stage performed “Ave Maria.”

The former president met before the rally with Comperatore’s family members, and several of them were in attendance as he spoke. The area where Comperatore sat on July 13 was occupied Saturday by a memorial featuring his old firefighter’s jacket.

He also recognized David Dutch and Jim Copenhaver, both of whom were injured in the shooting. A nurse who treated Trump at a local hospital in July spoke earlier in the day, and Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-Texas), who oversaw Trump’s medical care in the days after the shooting, was also in attendance.

Musk joins Trump on stage

Elon Musk, the owner of Tesla and the social media company X, made a rare appearance on the campaign trail and joined Trump on stage during the rally.

“The true test of someone’s character is how they behave under fire. We had one president who couldn’t climb a flight of stairs and another who was fist pumping after getting shot,” Musk said, swiping at President Biden.

Musk had endorsed the former president on the day he was shot in July, and he used his remarks on Saturday to rail against Democrats, claiming the party wanted to “take away your freedom of speech, they want to take away your right to bear arms, they want to take away your right to vote, effectively.”

He also predicted, without evidence, that November could mark the country’s last election if Democrats are victorious.

Democrats have pushed for expanded voting rights laws, though Republicans have argued that their rivals have sought to make it easier for noncitizens to vote. There is little evidence to show that large numbers of noncitizens are voting.

Democrats have sought to enact tougher gun control measures as a response to years of mass shootings at schools, workplaces and places of worship in the United States.

But Vice President Harris, the party’s nominee for president, has been adamant she is not seeking to take away gun owners’ firearms.

Trump draws big crowd in key state

Saturday’s crowd rivaled the size of any of Trump’s previous rallies, with tens of thousands of people filing into Butler to see the former president speak.

While crowd size is not a perfect indicator of a candidate’s performance at the ballot box, the enthusiasm could be key for Trump in a state that he acknowledged may decide the winner of November’s election.

“If we win Pennsylvania, we will win the whole thing. The whole thing will be won,” Trump said.

“Twelve weeks ago we all took a bullet for America, and all we are all asking is that everyone goes out and votes. We’ve gotta win,” he added.

Trump and his campaign have spent significant time in Pennsylvania. In a nod to its importance, Trump will return to the commonwealth Wednesday for two rallies: one in Scranton and one in Reading.

A Decision Desk HQ/The Hill average of polls show Harris leading Trump in Pennsylvania by less than 1 percentage point.

Tight race in homestretch

Trump returned to Butler in a very different position politically from when he was last there.

The July 13 shooting came at a time when Trump appeared on track to win the White House in November. He was leading Biden in the polls, and the assassination attempt only solidified his strength with Republicans and put Democrats on the back foot. 

Since then, Biden has dropped out of the race, and Harris has energized Democrats, raked in cash, turned in a strong debate performance and erased Trump’s polling lead.

Trump and Musk both repeatedly urged voters to make sure they were registered, particularly with deadlines approaching in states such as Georgia and Arizona. 

“We’re all having fun here tonight, but if we don’t register and we don’t vote, we’ll just look upon this as another sort of nice day in our life,” Trump said.

Polling has shown the race between Trump and Harris in key battleground states is neck and neck with roughly four weeks to go until Election Day.

A Decision Desk HQ/The Hill average of polls shows Harris narrowly leading in the battleground states of Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, while Trump is narrowly ahead in Arizona and Georgia.