Donald Trump will return to Butler, Pa., for rally at site of assassination attempt
The Trump campaign says the rally will honor law enforcement and Corey Comperatore, a firefighter who was killed during the shooting at Trump's Butler rally in July.
Former President Donald Trump will return to Butler, Pa., on Oct. 5 for a rally at the Butler Farm Show grounds, where just two months ago a gunman attempted to assassinate him.
This will mark Trump’s first time back in Butler since Thomas Matthew Crooks opened fire at the July rally, killing Corey Comperatore, 50, a firefighter, who died while shielding his wife and daughter, and injuring three individuals, including Trump, whose ear was grazed by a bullet.
During the October rally, Trump plans to honor Comperatore as well as the two other injured individuals, David Dutch and James Copenhaver, according to a Trump campaign news release. The campaign also said Trump will “express his deep gratitude” to law enforcement.
Trump first hinted at his plans to return to Butler and pay tribute to Comperatore in a July 26 Truth Social post. Since then, Trump has been the target of an apparent second assassination attempt, this time at his golf club in West Palm Beach, Fla.
The attempts on Trump’s life have fueled intense scrutiny of the Secret Service. The failures leading up to the July rally shooting were preventable, according to the results of a bipartisan Senate investigation released Wednesday.
Attendees at the rally told The Inquirer that security measures there mirrored what they had experienced at other Trump rallies. Rally-goers went through bag checks and metal detectors. Attendees also noted a large police presence there and said items such as firearms, weapons, explosives, umbrellas, and laser pointers were prohibited.
After the assassination attempt in July, Trump has often recounted the moments leading up to the shooting in his rallies and marveled how his supporters stood by him after Crooks opened fire.
Trump’s Oct. 5 visit will be his 13th trip to Pennsylvania this year. It comes exactly one month before Election Day, when the commonwealth will play a critical role in determining the outcome of the presidential election.