Trump to Hold Rally on Site of Assassination Attempt in Butler, PA

Former President Donald Trump is set to hold a rally on October 5 in Butler, Pennsylvania, marking the site where he survived an assassination attempt on July 13. His campaign made this announcement on Wednesday.

During the rally, Trump will honour the memory of Corey Comperatore, a firefighter who lost his life shielding his family from gunfire during the attack. He will also acknowledge David Dutch and James Copenhaver, two others injured in the incident, expressing gratitude to law enforcement and first responders for their support in the aftermath.

Former President Donald Trump plans to hold a rally next week in Butler, Pennsylvania, at the precise spot where he was almost assassinated on July 13, 2024. AP

The assassination attempt was carried out by 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, who fired eight shots at Trump from a distance of less than 150 yards. Trump was grazed by a bullet in the right ear while turning to view a chart. Crooks was killed by a counter-sniper shortly thereafter. Following the incident, Trump and his campaign have portrayed the survival as an act of divine intervention, asserting that he was spared to reclaim the presidency.

The Trump campaign said in a statement that “President Trump will honour the memory of Corey Comperatore, who heroically sacrificed his life to shield his wife and daughters from the bullets on that terrible day.” AP

Just days after the attack, Trump paid tribute to Comperatore at the Republican nomination acceptance speech in Milwaukee. The shooting prompted investigations into security lapses that led to the resignation of Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle.

A recent Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee report revealed that security personnel had yet to communicate credible intelligence about the threat effectively.

The former president was targeted by Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, who fired eight shots at Trump. Obtained by NY Post

The report noted that two months after the Butler incident, Trump was targeted again at his golf course in West Palm Beach, Florida, by Ryan Wesley Routh, who had waited hours with a sniper rifle before being thwarted by a Secret Service agent.

In response to the assassination attempts, Trump’s campaign stated, “After not one, but two attempts on his life in the past nine weeks, President Trump is more determined than ever to see his mission through to the end.” The rally serves as a platform for Trump to assert his commitment to democracy.

Trump suffered a wound in his right ear by one of the bullets shot by Crooks. Dan Scavino Jr. via REUTERS

Additionally, Trump revealed during a recent event in Mint Hill, North Carolina, that federal authorities have uncovered a potential recruitment effort by Iran to target him. He mentioned having been briefed on specific threats from Iran, which have been assessed as efforts to destabilise the United States.

The Shiite theocracy has been accused of attempting to undermine Trump politically during the 2020 election and of backing a hack that leaked internal information from his campaign.