Donald Trump makes a theatrical return to Butler, the site of the attack | Donald Trump

Donald Trump returned to the place where he narrowly escaped an assassination attempt in July, pressing the emotional buttons of his supporters and suggesting that his political opponents “maybe even tried to kill me” to prevent him from taking back the White House.

The Republican presidential candidate – and longtime showman – staged an unashamedly sentimental spectacle in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday. He was joined by billionaire Elon Musk, who made the baseless claim that if Trump supporters don’t show up, “this will be the last election.”

Their joint appearance before an enthusiastic audience of thousands of hours of programming was apparently intended to mythologize the Trump base shooting that took place on July 13, exactly one month before the presidential election.

The rally took place under heightened security in the same area where Trump was grazed in the right ear and one of the rally participants – firefighter Corey Comperatore – was killed when a gunman opened fire. The would-be assassin, 20-year-old Thomas Crooks of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, was shot and killed by a Secret Service sniper.

A photo of Trump standing with blood on his face, raising his fist and shouting “Fight!” became an indelible image of his campaign. But Joe Biden’s decision just a week later to step down and support his running mate, Kamala Harris, stole Trump’s thunder and changed the trajectory of the race.

On Saturday, Trump became the first former president to return to the site of an assassination attempt and use it for political purposes. His campaign aimed to recreate their candidate’s aura as a hero and martyr.

As he took the stage, the video juxtaposed a photo of George Washington crossing the Delaware River with a photo of Trump with his fist raised. A voice rang out, “There’s no stopping this man. You can’t beat this man.”

“Like I was saying…” Trump said as he appeared on stage, pointing to the immigration card he was looking at when the shootings began 12 weeks earlier. The overwhelmingly white crowd roared enthusiastically, holding aloft signs that read, “Fight! Fight! Fight!”

Standing behind the protective glass that now surrounds the stage of his outdoor rallies, Trump recalled: “It was on this land that a cold-blooded killer sought to silence me and the greatest movement – Maga – in the history of our country… But by the hand of providence and the grace of God, the evildoer failed to achieve his goal. He did not stop our movement.”

Trump even seemed to be trying to imitate Abraham Lincoln’s Gettsyburg speech, describing the field as a “monument to the valor” of our first responders and prophesying: “All who have visited this sacred place will forever remember what happened here, and we will know the character and courage shown by so many incredible American patriots.”

But Trump also grimly suggested, without evidence, that a “domestic enemy” more dangerous than any foreign adversary must be faced. “Over the past eight years, those who want to prevent us from achieving this future have slandered me, impeached me, impeached me, tried to get me off the ballot, and who knows, maybe even tried to kill me,” he said. “But I never stopped fighting for you and I never will.”

Trump greeted volunteer firefighter Comperatore, who was shot by the gunman, and two other supporters who were wounded. A monument was placed in the stands and his fireman’s jacket was surrounded by flowers. The words “In Memory of Corey Comperatore” were displayed on giant screens, accompanied by his photo. The Comperatore family was present.

At 6:11 p.m., the exact time when shootings broke out on July 13, Trump called for a moment of silence. The bell then rang four times, once for each of the four victims, including Trump. Opera singer Christopher Macchio then sang “Ave Maria.”

Trump then entered more familiar territory with lies about immigration and other topics. He later called Musk, Tesla’s CEO and owner of social media platform X, who has veered politically to the right, to the stage. Wearing a black cap and a black shirt and coat with the words “Occupy Mars” written on them, Musk jumped with his hands raised and was greeted with cheers.

He said: “The true test of a man’s character is how he behaves under fire. We had one president who couldn’t climb stairs and another who clenched his fists after being shot! Fight, fight, fight!”

Despite Trump attempting to stage a coup and stay in power on January 6, 2021, Musk argued: “President Trump must win to preserve the Constitution. He must win to preserve democracy in America. This is a must-win situation. Gather everyone you know, drag them to register and vote. If they don’t, this will be the last election. That’s my prediction.”

Butler’s shooting sparked widespread criticism of the Secret Service and the resignation of its director. Critics raised concerns about how Crooks was able to gain access to a nearby rooftop with a direct view of where Trump spoke. In September, the former president survived another attempt on his life when a gunman hid unnoticed on the golf course of one of his clubs in Florida for almost 12 hours.

There was a heavy security presence on rooftops Saturday, including Secret Service officers and other law enforcement officers in camouflage uniforms. The building from which Crooks fired was completely obscured by tractor trailers and a fence.

The rally was accompanied by a cheerful atmosphere reminiscent of a great picnic. People sat on the grass or on folding chairs and walkers in the hot sun. They looked up at the blue sky and saw four Special Forces skydivers – one holding a giant Star and Stripes – jump from a Cessna 206 plane from more than 5,000 feet, then Trump Force One flew over to the theme song from the movie “Top Gun.”

In one tent, paintings depicting the now famous image of a bloody Trump with a raised fist were displayed – reproductions could be purchased for up to $200. The image also appeared on numerous T-shirts worn by Trump supporters, with slogans such as “Fight… Fight… Fight!”, “American Tough Guy,” “Never Give Up,” and “Fight. Trump 2024. Legends never die.” The commercialization of the former president’s near-death experiences was clearly visible.

Participants spoke of their ardent support for Trump, their suspicions that Democrats were behind the assassination plot and that his life was spared thanks to divine intervention.

Patricia King, 82, who uses a walker, attended a rally in Butler in July with her 63-year-old daughter, Diana, and both said it was important to return. “I remember how long the wait was, how hot it was and that people were loyal enough to stand there and some of them fainted,” said King, a retired nurse. “I remember when the shots rang out – pop, pop, pop, pop – and I turned and looked to see where he was and everyone started running.”

King praised Trump’s instinctively combative response that day. “It’s great for me. It’s like, I won’t give up and that’s what America is all about. We don’t give up. Kamala Harris is too weak. “I think she would ask Putin to have tea with her, which is not a strength for me.”

Debbie Hasan (61), the owner of the venue wearing a Trump 2024 hat, described Saturday’s rally as “history in the making” and recalled the events of July 13. “I was watching TV and my husband was in the other room. I start screaming, “They shot Trump!” They shot Trump!” Then I called my brother and screamed. And then seeing him stand up and pump his fist was an amazing sight. He’s a wonderful man.”

Hasan presented a baseless conspiracy theory that the shooting was orchestrated by Democrats. “I hate to say it, I think they were behind it all. They can’t beat him any other way. They tried to put him on trial on various charges. They are at the end of their abilities. They don’t know what else they can do. They promote hatred and prejudice. When they talk about him, some madman will say that he needs to be locked up.

Many rallygoers repeated Trump’s claim that God saved him to save the country. Rodney Moreland, 66, who retired from a variety of jobs including welding, truck driving and security, said: “I don’t know if you believe in God but there was definitely an angel around him that day. After this event, his behavior changed everything about him. Now he is calm, cool and collected and knows what words to say.”

Moreland, however, warned of a possible backlash against the election results. “If it goes in the opposite direction, there will be a war. The last elections were rigged. They said we cannot allow him to hold office again.”

Kristi Masemer, 52, Walmart employee, wearing a T-shirt that read, “I’m still a Trump girl. “I’m not sorry,” criticized people who expressed regret that the potential assassin did not kill the former president.

“The amount of people who said, ‘I’m sorry he missed it.’ People actually said that about another person. This is the Democratic Party. Are you kidding me? This is not humanity. Who would think that?”

Masemer praised Trump supporters’ restraint after the assassination attempt. “The best part of it all was that the Maga people didn’t start a riot. We didn’t attack these people because we are not haters. We just want to get our country back and that’s all.”

Butler County, located on the western edge of the coveted presidential swing state, is a rural-suburban community and a Trump stronghold. He won the county with about 66% of the vote in both 2016 and 2020. About 57% of Butler County’s 139,000 registered voters are Republicans, compared with about 29% Democrats and 14% from other parties.

Jana Anderson, 62, who works at an animal shelter, said: “I don’t think a woman should be president just because it’s always been men. I am a woman, but I believe that the country should be led by men, not a woman. In my opinion, women are greedy. I mean, he says a lot of things, he promises a lot, but I don’t know if he can do it.