Donald Trump returned defiantly on Saturday to the site of a campaign rally where an assassin's bullet nearly took his life in July, questioning if his opponents were behind it and vowing he would "never quit." "Exactly 12 weeks ago this evening, on this very ground, a cold-blooded assassin aimed to silence me," the Republican candidate told tens of thousands of supporters after taking the stage behind bulletproof glass. Labeling the gunman a "vicious monster," Trump pledged he would "never quit... never bend... never break" as the crowd chanted "fight, fight, fight."
Trump's highly anticipated return to Butler, Pennsylvania, occurred exactly one month before the November 5 presidential election, a contest President Joe Biden hinted on Friday might not conclude peacefully. Trump lashed out at his political rivals, dubbing them the "enemy within" who had sought to indict him and, possibly, even attempted to assassinate him. "I wasn't supposed to make it," he ominously declared. Security measures were significantly heightened compared to Trump's July rally, with sniper squads positioned on surrounding buildings and a surveillance drone in the air.
Heather Hughes, 43, who traveled from New Castle, Pennsylvania, a must-win state, expressed unease. "Do I think he's safe? No, I think there's going to be another attempt. But I think he's going to make it through." Following the assassination attempt, images of Trump with a blood-streaked face, pumping his fist, and shouting "fight, fight, fight" became emblematic of the campaign. On Saturday, many supporters wore shirts featuring this imagery, and some donned ear coverings reminiscent of the bandage the former president wore after the shooting.
Billionaire Elon Musk joined Trump on stage, emphasizing the narrow margins likely to decide the election in battleground states like Pennsylvania and urging voter registration. Musk stated that Trump "must win to preserve democracy in America," echoing the alarmist messages he frequently posts to his 200 million followers on his X platform. Since Trump's last visit to Butler, when he was leading in polls after a strong performance in a TV debate against Biden, much has changed. Just a week after the failed assassination attempt, the presidential race was dramatically altered when Biden withdrew and was replaced as the Democratic nominee by Vice President Kamala Harris.
Harris has since narrowed the poll gap—reversing it in some states—and the seismic events in Butler that threatened to plunge the campaign into chaos have largely subsided. Trump's rally seemed aimed at regaining momentum as the bruising campaign enters its final phase. Meanwhile, Harris, whom Trump labeled incompetent, was in North Carolina meeting with first responders and victims of Hurricane Helene, which claimed at least 220 lives as it tore through the southeast. She praised the emergency response as "an example of the best we can do when we bring resources together at the federal, state, and local levels and tap into the kind of collegiality that produces results."
Trump has criticized the federal response, alleging, without evidence, that the Biden-Harris administration misallocated relief funds to migrants. The heightened security presence on Saturday underscored ongoing security concerns, highlighted when another attempt on Trump's life was thwarted last month. The Secret Service has faced criticism for failing to secure the building where the Butler shooter managed to fire at Trump eight times before being killed. Along with Trump, two supporters were wounded, and one—firefighter Corey Comperatore—was killed.
Trump and his campaign have sought to counter Democrats' warnings that the former president poses a threat to democracy. "The Republicans aren't violent... I think they (the Democrats) incite. They keep talking about Hitler and the end of democracy," said retiree Glen Scheirer, who was with five relatives wearing identical "By the grace of God" T-shirts depicting Trump after the shooting. In the immediate aftermath of the Butler incident, all sides called for a de-escalation of political tensions. However, Trump quickly reverted to his characteristic inflammatory rhetoric and has refused to commit to accepting the November result.
He has been indicted for his efforts to overturn the 2020 election, which culminated in his supporters storming the Capitol. Asked about the potential for further election-related violence, Biden said on Friday he did not know if the vote would be peaceful.
