OAN Staff Abril Elfi
9:20 AM – Saturday, October 6, 2024
Former President Donald Trump has held a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, for the first time since the first assassination attempt on his life.
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On Saturday, Trump returned to the same place where on July 13th, gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks opened fire during a rally, injuring the 45th president and others. A rally goer, Corey Comperatore, was fatally shot.
Trump acknowledged Comperatore’s death and thanked his relatives for attending.
“It is 6:11, 12 weeks to the minute that the shooting began,” Trump said. “I would like to ask everyone to join me in a moment of silence.”
The former president was later joined by Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who walked up to the podium to give a short speech.
“Hi everyone, as you can see, I’m not just MAGA, I’m dark MAGA,” Musk joked, a reference to his black-on-black Make America Great Again cap.
“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.”
“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.
Trump’s running mate, JD Vance (R-Ohio), also joined him at the rally and spoke at the podium.
“What happened right here in Butler is a metaphor for the United States of America,” Vance said. “There is…no defeat we cannot turn into victory.”
The Secret Service stated prior to the rally that it had strengthened its security plan in response to intense scrutiny following the July rally shooting and another attempt on Trump in September.
They pledged that they had “made comprehensive changes and enhancements” to their communications abilities and resources.
“The former President is receiving heightened protection and we take the responsibility to ensure his safety and security very seriously,” spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said in a statement.
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