What to know about Trump's Butler rally
- Former President Donald Trump spoke at a rally in Butler, the Pennsylvania city where he was shot at a rally in July. Trump discussed the assassination attempt throughout his remarks, marking the minute shots rang out at the prior Butler rally with a moment of silence.
- Among those joining Trump at the Butler event were his running mate, Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio; his son Eric Trump; and billionaire SpaceX owner Elon Musk. Family members of Corey Comperatore, the Pennsylvania fireman who was killed in the July shooting, are also in attendance at the rally.
- Meanwhile, Vice President Kamala Harris traveled to North Carolina, which has been ravaged by Hurricane Helene. She met with volunteers and received a briefing from officials on the ground on the storm response.
Trump recalls violent images from assassination attempt
Trump throughout today's rally recalled the July assassination attempt, sometimes using metaphors of the day's violence to the political landscape.
"Right here in Pennsylvania, we have bled together," he said.
He connected the assassination attempt to his pitch for the presidency, saying, "I will never quit. I will never bend. I will never break. I will never yield, not even in the face of death itself."
Trump also ran through a brief history of Pennsylvania's role of American politics, connecting it to the Butler shooting.
"From Gettysburg to Germantown and Philadelphia to Barren Hill, and from Brandywine to right here in Butler, this is the place where Pennsylvania patriots poured out their blood with the love of their country," he said.
Elon Musk says Democrats are trying to take away people's right to vote
During brief remarks at the Butler rally, Elon Musk said Democrats "want to take away your right to vote."
"And I think this, this, this election, I think it’s the most important election of our lifetime. This is, this is no ordinary election. The other side wants to take away your freedom of speech. They want to take away your right to bear arms that they want to ... they want to take away your right to vote," he said.
Harris thanks volunteers helping with N.C. disaster relief
Harris visited North Carolina today to survey damage from Hurricane Helene. She thanked private citizens affected by the storm who volunteered their efforts to help others affected in the state.
“I have always found in my life and career that some of the people who are most generous have the least to give and give everything they can to take care of each other, and so we are saying the heroes among us, and I’m very grateful for all the folks who are doing this work on the ground," Harris said.
The vice president helped pack donations, putting deodorants into Ziploc bags and passing them down the line. Harris spoke to a volunteer organizing the efforts, asking how her family was doing and saying "all hands [were] on deck" to help those affected.
Harris pledged that she and President Joe Biden were in it for the long haul, promising to aid recovery and rebuilding efforts for as long as necessary.
Elon Musk takes the stage
Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and owner of X, has taken the stage at the Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Musk previously backed Democratic candidates but endorsed Trump this cycle.
Trump pauses remarks as first responders tend to apparent medical incident in the crowd
Trump paused his speech and called for a doctor to attend to an apparent medical incident in the crowd. Details of the incident are unclear.
"You doing okay?" Trump said in the direction of the incident. "Take your time."
He turned to the crowd: "We've got to protect our people, right?"
Moments later, the crowd began singing the national anthem. Trump then resumed his remarks.
Trump leads moment of silence at 6:11 p.m., marking the moment the shooting started at the prior Butler rally
Trump asked for his supporters to hold a moment of silence at 6:11 p.m., marking the time that the July shooting began.
The sound of a bell chimed, and an opera singer performed "Ave Maria."
Trump says Butler rally site is now a monument to first responders
Trump called the field of the rally, the same one where he got shot in July, a "monument to the valor of our first responders" and to Corey Comperatore, the firefighter killed by a bullet while he attended the former president's rally.
The crowd exploded into chants of "Corey! Corey! Corey!"
Trump: 'As I was saying...'
Trump kicked off his remarks with a joke about his previous speech in Butler being abruptly cut short amid gunshots during the assassination attempt.
"As I was saying..." Trump said as the crowd applauded.
He reiterated that he loved the chart, referring to a chart depicting migration statistics which he was looking at when the gunman opened fire in July. Trump has credited his decision to turn his head to look at the chart with saving his life.
Trump takes the stage in Butler
Trump takes the stage in front of a large crowd in Butler, Pennsylvania.
The last time Trump was behind this podium, he narrowly avoided an assassination attempt. Now he takes the stage again — this time behind bulletproof glass.
Steve Witkoff recalls second apparent assassination attempt
At the Butler rally, Trump's friend Steve Witkoff recalled being 10 feet away from the former president when the second apparent assassination attempt took place.
Witkoff, who has spoken about his experience that day in Palm Beach, Florida, before, called Trump "the toughest fighter I know" and said that Trump "chose strength."
Vance says 'what happened in Butler is a metaphor' for the U.S.
During his remarks at Trump's rally, his running mate compared the Butler community to the nation, telling attendees, "what happened right here at Butler is a metaphor for the United States of America. In this land, we may get knocked down, but we get right back up and we keep fighting, because in America, hope is never lost."
Vance added that, "on this field at this exact spot, nearly three months ago, we thought President Trump was going to lose his life. But God still has a plan for him, just like he still has a plan for the United States of America."
Butler County commissioners honor Corey Comperatore
Butler County commissioners Kimberly Geyer and Leslie Osche addressed the rally to honor Corey Comperatore, the volunteer fire chief who died in the shooting at Trump's July 13th rally.
"Today, we stand like Corey with the courage of quiet resilience to defend our community and our country against forces that seek to divide us, forces that seek to turn us against one another," Osche said in her remarks.
Trump's return to Butler, Pennsylvania features flyover from his campaign plane
Trump's rally in Butler is underway and featured what appeared to be his campaign plane flying over the rally.
Heightened security measures are in place for Trump’s return to Butler
Trump's rally in Butler today seeks to "honor" Corey Comperatore and others
Ahead of Trump's rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, the site of a July assassination attempt against him, a campaign official told NBC News that the tone of today's event will be "honor."
The rally will "honor the life of Corey [Comperatore]. Honor those who were injured. Honor the town that is moving forward. Honor those in the crowd and across the country who won’t let this terrorize them," the campaign official added.
Comperatore, a volunteer fire chief, died while attending the July rally.
In the days after the shooting, there was much speculation about whether and how this near-death experience might change Trump. The first night of the Republican National Convention, which was just days after the assassination attempt, the former president seemed more somber and reflective as he sat in the audience, but by the time he gave his speech that later that week, he sounded more like usual campaign rallies.
As he returns to the exact location of that assassination attempt — will we see more of the same or might this feel different?
Trump pitches watches, crypto and his wife’s book in the campaign's final weeks
A new cryptocurrency platform. An upcoming memoir authored by his wife. A set of NFT trading cards. Watches that cost as much as $100,000.
With just weeks left before the November election, former President Donald Trump has taken to promoting items and businesses that are not at all connected to his presidential campaign.
Elon Musk and family of slain rallygoer expected at Butler rally
Among those expected to attend the rally are the widow and children of Corey Comperatore, the rallygoer who was killed in the assassination attempt, and billionaire Elon Musk, the Trump campaign said.
In addition to members of the Comperatore family, others who were injured in the shooting and rallygoers who acted as first responders are also expected to attend the rally at the site where Trump "took a bullet for democracy," the campaign said.
Trump's son Eric Trump and his wife, RNC head Lara Trump, will also attend, as well as Trump running mate JD Vance. Other Republican politicians are expected as well, including Texas U.S. Rep. Ronny Jackson, the former White House physician who tended to Trump in the days after shooting, and Dave McCormick, who's running for U.S. Senate in the battleground state.
Vance shares meme accusing Harris and Liz Cheney of wanting 'nuclear war'
In a post on X Saturday morning, Vance urged people under 30 to fear Harris and former Wyoming GOP Rep. Liz Cheney, who has endorsed Harris and campaigned with her earlier this week.
"If you’re under the age of 30 it should scare the hell out of you that Liz Cheney is lining up behind Kamala Harris," Vance tweeted, alongside a meme that alleged the "best [Cheney and Harris] can do is nuclear war" for young people who just want "a decent job and affordable rent."
Spokespeople for Harris and Cheney did not immediately respond to request for comment.
In response to a request for comment from NBC News, William Martin, a spokesperson for Vance, blasted Harris for “hitting the campaign trail with the warmongering Cheney family.” He also blasted Walz, suggesting, “Perhaps Kamala Harris and the Cheney’s have shipped Tim Walz off to Guantanamo Bay in a bid to drop that dead weight off the Democratic ticket, but it won’t work."
Vance's tweet comes two days after Harris and Cheney rallied together in Ripon, Wisconsin, on Thursday, a city commonly called the birthplace of the Republican Party.
At the campaign event, Cheney told attendees that she has never voted for a Democrat but is “proudly” casting her ballot for Harris this year.
Massive increase in security for Trump's Butler return
Trump's rally in Butler is expected to be larger in scale than the one he held in July, with a massive increase in security for the event.
Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said in a statement that since July 13 assassination attempt, the agency has “made comprehensive changes and enhancements to our communications capabilities, resourcing, and protective operations, and Trump is "receiving heightened protection."
His statement did not go into details, but said area residents "should expect traffic delays and an increased presence of state, local, and federal law enforcement as part of our efforts to ensure a safe and secure event.”
Officials told NBC News the law-enforcement presence at the event will be highly visible, and will include drones and additional counter sniper teams. The stage itself will be fortified and will include ballistic glass, the officials said.
Harris to survey storm damage in North Carolina today
Harris will travel to North Carolina today to survey the damage left behind by Hurricane Helene.
The vice president will receive a briefing about the ongoing recovery efforts across North Carolina, and she will share how the federal government is supporting emergency response efforts across the Southeast, Harris' office said in a news release.
Since the hurricane made landfall in Florida on Sept. 26, more than 220 people died and hundreds more are missing as a result of the hurricane. North Carolina has had the most hurricane-related deaths out of any state, and over 200,000 customers are still without power as the state suffers lasting damage from the storm.
Harris previously received briefings at FEMA's headquarters and visited another affected state, Georgia.