Former President Donald Trump began his rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday introducing the same chart that was displayed when an assassin abruptly ended Trump’s last Butler rally nearly three months ago.
Trump returned to Butler after being shot in the ear by an assassin at a July 13 rally. The assassination attempt on the former president failed, but resulted in the death of one rally goer, Corey Comperatore. Several others were wounded.
At the July 13 rally, Trump had been explaining a chart contrasting the Biden administration’s record on illegal immigration to his when he was shot in the ear. Trump began his second Butler rally where he left off.
“A very big thank you to Pennsylvania, we love Pennsylvania. And as I was saying,” Trump began. The audience roared in approval as Trump gestured to a giant chart next to the stage.
“I love that chart, I love that graph,” Trump said.
Trump: “As I was saying…”
Shows the immigration graph he was displaying as he was shot pic.twitter.com/t4zGj0mlPS
— Mary Margaret Olohan (@MaryMargOlohan) October 5, 2024
The chart shows the unprecedented surge in illegal immigration that took place after President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris won the election in 2020. The surge has persisted for years.
Trump had been speaking about the chart on July 13 when an assassin began to fire at him from a nearby rooftop. Trump had just turned his head to look at the chart off to the side of the stage when a bullet whizzed past his head, nicking his ear.
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The rally ended with Secret Service rushing the former president off the stage. While leaving, Trump put his fist in the air and yelled, “fight, fight, fight,” to encourage and embolden the audience, many of whom waited without panicking despite the chaos inspired by the assassin’s gun.
Trump was taken to a nearby hospital to treat his wounded ear.
The Butler rally brought tough questions on the U.S. Secret Service because of its security failure and breakdown in its duty to keep Trump safe. Former Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle announced her resignation from the agency 10 days after the rally amid mounting pressure from a bipartisan group of lawmakers.
The assassin, identified as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, was able to outmaneuver Secret Service agents and local law enforcement to perch on the roof of a building about 400 feet from Trump’s stage. He was able to get multiple shots off before being killed by a Secret Service counter-sniper.