BUTLER, Pa. — For his supporters, Donald Trump’s triumphant return Saturday to the site where a would-be assassin’s bullet came within inches of ending his life perfectly encapsulated the grit and tenacity that has made the Republican presidential nominee a political savior in the eyes of millions.
The small city of Butler before the shooting was just another one of the countless blue-collar communities across the nation that have abandoned Democrats in favor of Mr. Trump’s populist message.
After the shooting, Butler is a symbol of Mr. Trump’s campaign — and more than that, his life.
Mr. Trump used the dramatic backdrop this weekend to promise voters that he would remain resolute in his mission to “rescue” the U.S. from a “failed and very corrupt” political establishment and revive American prosperity.
“I will never quit, I will never bend, I will never break. I will never yield — not even in the face of death itself,” Mr. Trump said, standing behind bulletproof 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 death at his July 13 rally at the Butler rally after 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks opened fire.
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!”
Corey Comperatore, a volunteer firefighter in the crowd, died shielding his wife and child in the stands behind the former president. Two more people were seriously injured. On Saturday, Comperatore was hailed as a “hero.”
The shooting put a spotlight on the failures of the Secret Service, which has since beefed up security efforts.
The most visible change has been the ballistic glass the agency uses to better protect Mr. Trump when he speaks at large outdoor venues.
Dismissing lingering safety concerns, over 20,000 supporters turned out for Mr. Trump’s return.
He rewarded them with a rally featuring flag-flying paratroopers, a flyover to “the Top Gun Anthem,” and a live rendition of “Ave Maria.”
The guest list included musician Lee Greenwood, who sang “God Bless the USA,” and billionaire Elon Musk, who praised Mr. Trump.
“The true test of someone’s character is how they behave under fire,” Mr. Musk said after taking the stage in a black “Make America Great Again” baseball cap. “We had one president who couldn’t climb a flight of stairs and another who was fist-pumping after getting shot.”
The massive crowd underscored how the assassination attempt has become a rallying cry for Mr. Trump’s most ardent supporters, including here in Pennsylvania, which could make or break his White House ambitions.
Not only has the shooting intensified their loyalty to the candidate, many said the failed assassination deepened their belief that God is protecting Mr. Trump. Others say they fear that nefarious deep-state actors are bent on stopping the GOP nominee at any cost.
Perhaps more importantly for Mr. Trump, the violence captured the attention of voters still mulling over whether to support him.
Mason Eillis, a 26-year-old Army reservist from nearby Greensburg, said the attempt on Mr. Trump’s life did not “really” influence his decision-making process. Still, the former president’s “Fight! Fight! Fight!” reaction did, pushing him from “maybe” to “probably” Trump.
He said the Trump response resonated with him because it radiated strength and sent the message: “I won’t give up. No matter what you throw at me. It’s not going to scare me away.”
“I was like, ‘Wow, that’s a leader, right there,’” Mr. Ellis said in a grocery store parking lot.
Mr. Trump’s path to victory in Pennsylvania hinges on winning big in the rural, White working-class areas while limiting Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Harris’ advantage in the more diverse urban areas around Philadelphia and nearby Pittsburgh.
How many voters either swung their support from Ms. Harris to Mr. Trump in the aftermath of the shooting or registered to vote for the first time so they could support the Republican remains to be seen.
For instance, Lutie Clausen, a reluctant Trump backer, said the candidate’s defiant response to the assassination attempt “strengthened his image” and “fired up people more for Trump.”
But when asked whether she knew anyone joined Team Trump as a result, she answered, “no.”
Ryan, who declined to give his last name, agreed, saying Mr. Trump’s support, at least in the Butler area, has been baked in.
“He doesn’t need to spend a nickel to spread his name and reputation around here,” the 53-year-old member of the Steelworkers Union said. “Get in your car and drive around. You’ll see one idiot that has a Harris-Biden sign in her yard, and then you’ll see Trump signs everywhere.”
Voters will have the final say over whether Mr. Trump has done enough to expand his appeal after winning the 2016 election and leading the Republican Party through disappointing election cycles in 2018, 2020 and 2022.
For its part, Team Trump has cited the gains Republicans have made on Democrats in voter registration since 2020 as proof they are on the right track.
They also highlight that Mr. Trump outperformed the polls in the 2016 and 2020 races, and if that trend holds, he is well-positioned to win in November.
According to the latest Real Clear Political poll average, Mr. Trump and Ms. Harris are deadlocked in Pennsylvania. In 2020, Mr. Biden led by more than 6 points.
Mr. Biden carried the state by 81,000 voters — just over a single percentage of all the votes cast.
— Lindsey McPherson contributed to this report.
• Seth McLaughlin can be reached at smclaughlin@washingtontimes.com.
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