Donald Trump on Saturday returned to the stage where he took an assassin’s bullet to send an unmistakable message — to fans and detractors alike — that the man and the movement he has led since he entered the political scene lives on.
Trump’s second rally in Butler, days before Election Day, represented a starter’s pistol for the final sprint of the campaign — just eight weeks after a bullet struck Trump on that very spot.
He began his talk with the crowd of 105,000 people, with "As I was saying..."
The would-be assassin's bullet that pierced his ear---less than a quarter inch from his brain, has clearly not given him pause in his commitment to set a new path---a new direction for our country, which I believe he loves deeply.
The remarks by Trump and others on the stage set a new cadence for the remainder of this presidential campaign and, more importantly, for the country going forward.
Be informed, not misled.
Real Americans are standing their ground.
This event firmly planted the America First flag deeply into this presidential campaign and into the hearts and minds of Americans everywhere.
Breitbart News says, "Trump’s resilience has been remarkable, befuddling Democrats and the few remaining obstinate remnants of the pre-Trump Republican Party. He has persisted through impeachments, multiple criminal and civil lawsuits, attempts to kick him off the ballot, attacks on the business empire he created, and now multiple attempts on his life."
They continued, "Disbelieving Democrats grew so desperate to stop Trump and his movement they took the unprecedented step of replacing the sitting president of the United States on the ballot against his will."
JD Vance, Trump's choice for VP, said, "First, they tried to silence him, he said to the roaring crowd. “When that didn’t work, they tried to bankrupt him. When that didn’t work, they tried to jail him. And with all the hatred they’ve spewed at President Trump, it was only a matter of time before somebody tried to kill him.”
The July 13 attempt on Trump’s life was never far from mind. In addition to Trump’s, another name was on the lips of rallygoers.
“Corey.”
Corey Comperatore was shot and killed on July 13 by the assassin who trained his sights on Trump.
Comperatore has become a folk hero among Trump’s supporters, who view him as one of their own. Throughout the event, multiple chants of “Corey! Corey! Corey! Corey!” erupted from the crowd. Many brought memorials and signs honoring Comperatore and his family.
Trump led a moment of silence for Comperatore, which culminated in a stirring performance of “Ave Maria” by renowned classical singer Christoper Macchio.
But while the rally appropriately had its somber moments, the mood for the majority of the day was celebratory.
Trump, the consummate showman, took the stage alongside Lee Greenwood as he sang his iconic anthem, “God Bless the USA.” The crowd went wild.
The crowd always goes wild when someone unabashedly demonstrates they love this country.
Bradley Jaye writes, "Many had tears in their eyes. The president, their president, was alive, and he was not done fighting for them."
“Don’t stop, keep fighting, we need it,” one Pennsylvania resident attending his first Trump rally said he would like to tell Trump. “We all support you out here. We’re here, man.”
Jaye says, "Most political rallies are inherently political in nature, full of bland talking points and cringey, forced applause breaks."
He also observed, "Trump’s rallies are not so much traditional political events as organic celebrations of American patriotism. There are speeches and music, but the crowd itself is an essential feature."
“The difference is you, you, me, and everyone else here,” another attendee said.
Of course, these people love Trump, and they love their country. But they love each other too. Many attendees Saturday were taking photos together, exchanging numbers and Instagram handles.
Democrats mock Trump for focusing on his crowd sizes. But he does so because he understands the people are the true stars of his movement.
The media tried, as they always do, to somehow diminish the event by reporting that about 60,000 people attended. However, the venue maintenance people told the Trump campaign that the event space on Saturday was packed shoulder to shoulder from the stage back to the metal detectors. More than 105,000 people attended.
Even Elon Musk, the billionaire and former Barack Obama supporter, joined the stage.
Musk was there to encourage Americans to register to vote and get to the polls for Trump.
He said, “Trump must win to preserve the Constitution. He must win to preserve democracy in America,” he told the crowd. “This is a must-win situation.”
Last Thursday, Musk told a crowd, "The Dem machine’s voter importation scam is the true threat to democracy, not Trump!”
“The Dems are doing deliberate voter importation to swing states & fast-tracking them to citizenship,” Musk wrote, issuing the warning in a post on his X.com (formerly, Twitter) social media platform:
“The only question is when (not if) enough migrants can vote to flip all swing states, shifting the whole country to permanent one-party rule, just like what happened to California after the 1986 amnesty.”
The scheme is “Diabolically smart,” Musk conceded, expressing fear that the U.S. will become a one-party nation where elections will be irrelevant:
“That’s why I keep saying that, unless Trump wins and reverses this scam, 2024 is the last election in America."
The Dems are doing deliberate voter importation to swing states & fast-tracking them to citizenship.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 3, 2024
The only question is when (not if) enough migrants can vote to flip all swing states, shifting the whole country to permanent one-party rule, just like what happened to… https://t.co/2eNPtYOxOZ
Musk reposted a list titled “Increases in Illegal Immigration Populations in Swing States under the Harris/Biden Administration.”
Takeaway
JD Vance concluded his remarks with an admonition about God and His plans and purposes.
He told the supporters gathered in Butler, Pennsylvania, that God “has a plan for the United States.”
The vice presidential candidate told supporters, who had been in the audience on the day of the shooting and returned to attend Saturday’s rally to support their presidential ticket, that it was “a testament to your courage and your patriotism” that they were there.
“[Y]ou heard the shots; you saw the blood. We all feared the worst but you knew everything would be OK when President Trump raised his fist high in the air and shouted, ‘fight, fight,’” Vance said.
“Now, I believe, as sure I’m standing here today, that what happened was a true miracle. And on that day, America felt the truth of Scripture,” he added, citing Psalm 23:4, in part: “Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.”
Though supporters and viewers who watched the July 13 rally at home all feared the worst when they witnessed Trump being shot, Vance assured that “God still has a plan for him (Trump) just like He still has a plan for the United States of America.”
“I truly believe that God saved President Trump’s life that day. And I believe that God is with us right now and watches over this incredible nation every single day,” he declared. “We especially thank God for the two great Americans who were wounded and survived in July — that’s David Dutch and James Copenhaver. God bless you guys.”
He continued: “We pray for their full and complete recoveries, and we’re honored that David and his family were able to join us today. […] God bless you and God bless your family. But our hearts are heavy with sadness, knowing that there’s one hero who’s not here with us today. And that’s, of course, the great Corey Comperatore.”
“We’re never going to forget his heroism that day. And I want everyone to join me right now in sending our support, our respect, our love, to the Comperatore family here with us today. We love you guys. […] Thank you for loving this country and thank you for not giving up on it.”
Following the shocking first assassination attempt, Vance said he’d hoped the country would “turn a page” and that the media and his political opponents “would remember that before we are Democrats or before we are Republicans, we are Americans.”
And I would add, hopefully and prayerfully, that we are Christians.
Be Informed. Be Discerning. Be Sober. Be Vigilant. Be Engaged. Be Prayerful. VOTE.