GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Eschewing safety concerns, Scott Lawrence said he made the nearly five-hour trek to Donald Trump’s first campaign rally since he narrowly escaped an assassination attempt to send the former president a message: If he’s willing to take a bullet for me, I am absolutely willing to take a bullet for him.
“We want Trump to know that we love you and care for you, and if we have to jump on you if another bullet comes,” Mr. Lawrence said. “You know, his life is worth more than mine.”
“He’s a great man,” the 43-year-old construction worker added. “People will follow him by the sound of his voice.”
Mr. Lawrence was among the thousands who turned out for Mr. Trump’s event Saturday in the Van Andel Arena. Some people apparently started lining up days before.
This also is the first joint campaign event Mr. Trump is holding with his new running mate, Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio.
Mr. Trump has the wind at his back coming out of Milwaukee’s Republican National Convention, which was widely seen as a major success.
More than 25 million people tuned in to watch him formally accept the party’s nomination.
The convention was the starkest reminder of the dramatic way Mr. Trump has reshaped the party since he crashed the political scene in 2015.
Much like the delegates there, rally attendees gathered here said God had a hand in saving Mr. Trump’s life last Saturday in Butler, Pennsylvania.
The massive crowd in Michigan also reinforced the idea that his near-death experience hardened the resolve of his diehard supporters and increased the likelihood that they would do everything in their power to back him.
“The shooting has made us stronger than ever — Trump supporters,” said Rich Sowards, a 56-year-old owner of a bait and tackle store from Ecorse, Michigan. Asked whether the shooting made him at all hesitant to attend the rally, Mr. Sowards said, “Absolutely not. If President Trump can do it, we can do it,” he said. “He took a bullet for us.”
Hordes of people sported shirts with the post-shooting image of a bloodied Trump holding his fist into the air with the words “Fight! Fight! Fight!”
It comes amid growing calls from top Democrats for President Biden to withdraw from the race and clear the way for Vice President Kamala Harris or someone else to lead the party’s ticket against Mr. Trump.
Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio added his name Friday to the expanding list of Democratic lawmakers who want Mr. Biden to step aside. Mr. Brown is facing a tough reelection race against Republican Bernie Moreno, a Trump-backed businessman.
Facing anxious donors, Democrats are reportedly considering an open party convention next month if Mr. Biden steps aside. He’s currently recovering from COVID.
• Seth McLaughlin can be reached at smclaughlin@washingtontimes.com.
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