BUTLER, Pa. — Former President Donald Trump on Saturday reinforced his fighter image by rallying supporters in the same place where a gunman came within inches of taking his life, eschewing lingering concerns about his safety and sending a clear message to his supporters that he will never stop fighting for them.
The solemn and celebratory event served as a chance to mourn Corey Comperatore, who died shielding his wife and daughter at the July rally, honor first responders and depict Mr. Trump as a resilient, inspirational and God-protected leader the nation needs.
With the world’s wealthiest man, Elon Musk, in tow, Mr. Trump told the thousands gathered here he is on a mission to “rescue” the nation from a “crooked” and “failed” political establishment and usher in a new era of prosperity for all Americans.
“I will never quit, I will never bend, I will never yield — not even in the face of death itself,” Mr. Trump said, standing behind bullet-proof glass.
“Over the past eight years, those who want to stop us from achieving this future have slandered me, impeached me, indicted me, tried to throw me off the ballot and — who knows — maybe even tried to kill me,” Mr. Trump said.
Mr. Trump narrowly escaped that day after the 20-year-old gun, Thomas Matthew Crooks, fired eight rounds at the former president and Republican presidential nominee during a rally in Butler. Secret Service agents killed Mr. Cooks.
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A bullet in the attack grazed Mr. Trump. Secret Service agents quickly encircled him. He emerged, blooded, raised his fist and shouted, “Fight! Fight! Fight!”
A bullet struck and killed Comperatore. David Dutch, 57, and James Copenhaver, 74, were seriously injured in the gunfire.
Mr. Musk, founder of electric car maker Tesla, rocket producer SpaceX and owner of social media platform X, said this is a “must-win” situation.
“The true test of someone’s character is how they behave under fire,” Mr. Musk said, wearing a black “Make America Great Again” baseball cap. “And we had one president who couldn’t climb a flight of stairs and another who was fist-pumping after getting shot,” he said before urging people to register to vote.
Always the showman, Mr. Trump opened his remarks by telling the crowd: “And as I was saying,” before briefly picking up on the comments about immigration he was delivering when bullets whizzed past his head months ago.
Mr. Trump paid tribute to Mr. Comperatore with a moment of silence and an opera singer provided a live rendition of Ave Maria. The seat in the stands where he sat at the July 13 rally featured his fireman’s jacket and helmet.
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The race has been flipped since Mr. Trump’s first rally here at the Butler Farm Show.
Days after the shooting, President Biden dropped out of the race and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris, a Democrat who has turned the race into a dogfight, erasing Mr. Trump’s polling lead.
Mr. Trump also avoided another assassination attempt on his golf course in Florida and has faced threats from Iran, according to intelligence officials.
It has increased the safety concerns for Mr. Trump and Ms. Harris as they march into the weeks of a hyper-competitive race in a volatile political environment.
Security was heightened here, starting with the bullet-proof glass on stage, which was not there the last time. Meanwhile, Secret Service snipers were scattered across the tops of nearby buildings, and state and local law enforcement officials were also dispersed throughout the rally.
Republican vice presidential nominee J.D. Vance said he believes “God saved President Trump” and blamed Ms. Harris and Mr. Biden for fueling the attempts on his boss’ life.
“Even after that terrible assassination attempt … they continued to use dangerous and inflammatory rhetoric,” Mr. Vance said. “With all the hatred that they had spewed at President Trump, it was only a matter of time before someone tried to kill him.”
Mr. Vance said Mr. Trump wants to unify the nation.
Mr. Trump’s path to victory in Pennsylvania — and other key states — likely runs through rural areas like Butler, where party insiders and analysts say he must raise the score to counter the success Ms. Harris is expected to have in the cities and suburbs.
According to polls, the presidential race between Mr. Trump and Ms. Harris is a toss-up.
The Trump team sees that as good news, given that he dramatically outperformed polls in the 2020 and 2016 races.
Mr. Trump won Pennsylvania in 2016 but lost the state in 2000 by roughly 80,000 votes.
Team Trump also feels good about the voter registration gains Republicans have made in counties across Pennsylvania.
The rally had the familiar Trump flare.
In addition to Mr. Musk, Lee Greenwood crossed the stage with him after he was introduced to sign his signature song, “God Bless the USA,” which has become a staple of the Trump campaign.
Scott Labaido, an artist, took the stage to finish off a patriotic painting of Mr. Compentore.
Veteran parachuter glided into the rally, flying the American flag, and Mr. Trump did a flyover in his plane while music from the movie “Top Gun Anthem” played.
• Seth McLaughlin can be reached at smclaughlin@washingtontimes.com.
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