BUTLER, Pa. — Mary Ann Haugh celebrated her 66th birthday and another personal milestone Saturday by turning out to see Donald Trump at the same rally site where the Republican standard-bearer was almost killed three months ago.
“Today is my wedding anniversary too — I chose Trump over my husband,” Ms. Haugh said, flashing a wry smile and chuckling.
She was celebrating with her friend Janice Hamberg, who attended the July 13 rally that was cut short when a gunman fired eight rounds at Mr. Trump, hitting him in the ear and coming within inches of killing him before the bloodied former president rose to his feet with his fist held high and chanted, “Fight! Fight! Fight!”
“I was excited to come again,” said Ms. Hamburg, who sported an “I WAS THERE” T-shirt that featured the famous bloodied Trump image and the date of the two Butler rallies. “I had no problem. I love Trump and I got denied my time with him last time.”
The retired 68-year-old’s thought process was straightforward: “I said, ’It is her birthday. We are going to the Trump rally.’”
Both stories symbolize the intense support, devotion and goodwill of the thousands of attendees who showed up Saturday, eschewing personal safety concerns to support the man they regard as their political savior.
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Mr. Trump’s path to the White House likely hinges on running up his Pennsylvania margin of victory in these sort of Republican-heavy rural areas, where his MAGA brand reigns supreme, and cutting his losses in the more liberal-leaning cities and mixed suburbs.
Mr. Trump’s rally here on July 13 ended after 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks fired his rounds at the Republican candidate from a nearby building rooftop before getting killed by a Secret Service sniper. Three attendees were also hit, with Corey Comperatore dying and two others wounded.
Mr. Comperatore was honored here with the section where he sat cordoned off and showed his firefighting jacket and helmet.
The assassination attempt sparked an uproar on Capitol Hill and with other elected leaders — particularly Trump supporters — who questioned how the Secret Service and law enforcement let the gunman get so close.
Mr. Trump even pinned some blame on President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, with whom he is locked in the presidential race.
The Secret Service has made several changes to security since the July 13 rally. The most visible is the ballistic glass the agency uses to protect Mr. Trump better when he speaks at large outdoor venues.
The beefed-up security was evident here. Snipers were visible along with a cadre of Secret Service agents and state and local law enforcement agents.
Many attendees started showing up a day early.
Vendors hawked Trump merchandise all across town, and yards were decorated with pro-Trump signs, some with the “Fight! Fight! Fight!” image.
Near the front gate was a statue of the former president with his fist on the back of a military truck draped in American and Trump-inspired flags.
Mr. Trump was slated to be joined by his running mate, Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance, and Elon Musk, the wealthiest man on the planet, CEO of electric vehicle maker Tesla and rocket producer SpaceX, and owner of X, the social media platform.
Ms. Hamburg said she was happy about the increased security and said the scene at the first rally was “surreal.”
“We thought it was firecrackers, and I started to cry because I thought he was badly injured,” she said, adding the entire episode convinced her “he is the person for us.”
Ms. Haugh also said, “he’s our guy.”
“The country is in chaos between inflation, the border, the prices of everything — gas, food — the war over there [in the Middle East,]” she said. “It is scaring the hell out of me.”
As for how her husband was celebrating their 36th wedding anniversary, she predicted he would likely watch the rally on TV from their couch.
“He spoils me every day,” Ms. Haugh said. “I will make it up to him.”
• Seth McLaughlin can be reached at smclaughlin@washingtontimes.com.
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