With heightened security in place, dozens of ’special guests’ including billionaire Elon Musk will join the former president for a Pennsylvania rally.
BUTLER TOWNSHIP, Pa.—Under enhanced security, throngs are expected to join former President Donald Trump and dozens of special guests as they resume a July 13 campaign rally that was cut short when a gunman opened fire, killing one person and wounding three others, including Trump.
On Oct. 5, Trump returns to the Butler Farm Show Inc., “the very same ground where he took a bullet for democracy less than three months ago,” his campaign said in an Oct. 4 news release. He is slated to speak at 5 p.m. Eastern; pre-event speakers are expected but the Trump campaign has not released details.
The former president, who is in the final stretch of his second bid to regain the White House, vowed to come back to Butler shortly after narrowly avoiding a direct hit from a bullet; it pierced his right ear because Trump turned his head slightly at just the right moment.
“I feel that I have an obligation to go back to Butler. … We never finished what we were supposed to do,” Trump told the NewsNation cable TV network earlier this week.
At the July 13 rally, an estimated 15,000 people waited in scorching heat for hours. Trump had only spoken for a few minutes before the shots rang out, bringing the rally to an abrupt end.
The U.S. Secret Service has faced criticism for security lapses surrounding the shooting and another gunman’s foiled plan to kill Trump as he golfed in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Sept. 15. Most concerns have centered on on-site planning failures; Trump and others have praised agents for acting swiftly after threats became obvious in both instances.
Ahead of the Oct. 5 rally, local and federal officials expressed confidence that necessary adjustments have been made to protect Trump and the public.
