Trump officially announces October 5 return to Butler, Pennsylvania – location of first assassination attempt
By Piper Hudspeth Blackburn and Brian Rokus, CNN
(CNN) — Donald Trump’s campaign officially announced Wednesday that the former president plans to return to Butler, Pennsylvania – the location of the first assassination attempt on his life this year – for a rally on October 5.
“President Donald J. Trump will return to Butler, Pennsylvania to hold a rally on the very same ground where he came within a quarter of an inch of losing his life less than three months ago,” the campaign said in a news release.
In his return to Butler, the campaign said, Trump will honor firefighter Corey Comperatore – the 50-year-old father shot and killed during the attempted assassination. Trump had previously announced plans for a “big and beautiful” rally to honor Comperatore and others injured in the shooting.
The attempted assassination shook up the presidential campaign on the eve of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, where Trump seized on the moment to call for unity. The former president was also the target of a second assassination attempt last week when he was golfing at his Florida club. The former president was quickly rushed away from the golf course after a Secret Service agent fired at the suspect, Ryan Wesley Routh, after spotting him in the bushes at the perimeter of the club. Routh was later arrested and subsequently indicted Tuesday on an attempted assassination charge. He also faces two gun-related charges.
Trump’s upcoming rally in Butler, located north of Pittsburgh in a key battleground state, will come less than three months after the July 13 attempt on the former president’s life. Trump was minutes into a speech when a gunman fired eight shots at the stage, bloodying the former president’s right ear. Secret Service agents killed the gunman at the scene.
According to Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, Comperatore, a father to two daughters, was shot as he dove on his family to protect them from the gunfire.
The Trump campaign said Wednesday that the October 5 rally in Butler will also honor law enforcement and first responders in the community.
“President Trump will also recognize the two other Americans who were wounded by the shooter, David Dutch and James Copenhaver,” the release said. “He will express his deep gratitude to law enforcement and first responders, and thank the entire community for their outpouring of love and support in the wake of the attack.”
Trump’s reaction to the shooting – standing and raising his right fist while mouthing “Fight” to the Butler crowd as the Secret Service rushed him off stage – became a rallying cry at the Republican convention and in his campaign appearances since. During his speech at the convention in Milwaukee, Trump honored Comperatore, walking over to an onstage display of the former’ fire chief’s protective gear and kissing his helmet.
The first attempt on Trump’s life led to the resignation of Kimberly Cheatle, the Secret Service director at the time of the July rally. Bipartisan outrage on Capitol Hill over the attack led to increased scrutiny of the agency and prompted the House to unanimously pass a bill bolstering Secret Service protection for major presidential and vice presidential candidates.
A bipartisan Senate committee also revealed in a new report Wednesday that Secret Service agents had failed to take charge of decision-making for security at the rally, leading to key lapses in preparation and communication.
This story has been updated with additional information.
CNN’s Hannah Rabinowitz, Holmes Lybrand, Annie Grayer, Zachary Cohen, Eric Bradner and Kit Maher contributed to this report.
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