Donald Trump returned on Saturday to the Pennsylvania fairgrounds where he was nearly assassinated in July, holding a sprawling rally with thousands of supporters in a critical swing state Trump hopes to return to his column in November's election.
The former president and Republican nominee picked up where he left off back in July when a gunman tried to assassinate him and struck his ear. As he had suggested he would for weeks beforehand, he began his speech with, “As I was saying,” and gestured toward an immigration chart that he was looking at when the gunfire began.
The Trump campaign wanted to maximize the event’s headline-grabbing potential with just 30 days to go in his race against his Democratic opponent U.S. Vice-President Kamala Harris. Trump said the assassin tried to silence him, calling him “a vicious monster” and saying he did not succeed by “by the hand of providence and the grace of God.”
One of the most expected guests of the evening was Elon Musk, who climbed onto the stage on Saturday jumping and pumping his fists in the air after Trump introduced him as a “great gentleman” and said he “saved free speech.”
“President Trump must win to preserve the Constitution. He must win to preserve democracy in America,” said Musk, who endorsed Trump after the assassination attempt. “This is a must-win situation.”
Musk, who bought Twitter and rebranded it as X and has pushed into conservative politics, met with Trump and Vance backstage, donning a black “Make America Great Again” hat. A billboard on the way into the rally said, “IN MUSK WE TRUST,” and showed his photo.
Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk listens as Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign event at the Butler Farm Show, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Butler, Pa. (Alex Brandon/AP Photo)
Earlier on Saturday, Trump's running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, got on stage and reflected on the events that day while severely criticizing Democrats for calling Trump “a threat to democracy,” saying that kind of language is “inflammatory."
"You heard the shots. You saw the blood. We all feared the worst. But you knew everything would be OK when President Trump raised his fist high in the air and shouted, ‘Fight, fight!’" said Vance, who was chosen as his vice-presidential nominee less than two days later. “Now I believe it as sure as I’m standing here today that what happened was a true miracle.”
Crowds were lined up as the sun rose Saturday. A memorial for firefighter Corey Comperatore, who died as he shielded family members from gunfire, was set up in the bleachers, his fireman's jacket set up on display surrounded by flowers. His sisters were crying as speakers mentioned him. There was a very visible heightened security presence, with armed law enforcers in camouflage uniforms on roofs.
Trump’s plane did flybys over the venue before his arrival, drawing cheers from those gathered on the field below. As spectators spotted Trump’s plane overhead, cellphones popped into the air.
Trump planned to use the event to remember Comperatore, a volunteer firefighter struck and killed at the July 13 rally, and to recognize the two other rallygoers injured, David Dutch and James Copenhaver. They and Trump were struck when 20-year-old shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks of Bethel Park, Pa., opened fire from an unsecured rooftop nearby before he was fatally shot by sharpshooters.
The building from which Crooks fired was completely obscured by tractor trailers, a large grassy perimeter and a fence. Most bleachers were now at the sides, rather than behind Trump.
How Crooks managed to outmaneuver law enforcement that day and scramble on top of a building within easy shooting distance of the ex-president is among many questions that remain unanswered about the worst Secret Service security failure in decades. Another is his motive.
Butler County District Attorney Rich Goldinger told WPXI-TV this week that “everyone is doubling down on their efforts to make sure this is done safely and correctly.”
Mike Slupe, the county sheriff, told the station he estimates the Secret Service, was deploying ”quadruple the assets” it did in July. The agency has undergone a painful reckoning over its handling of two attempts on Trump’s life.
Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump is surrounded by U.S. Secret Service agents at a campaign rally, July 13, 2024, in Butler, Pa. (Evan Vucci/AP Photo)Butler County, on the western edge of a coveted presidential swing state, is a Trump stronghold. He won the county with about 66 per cent of the vote in both 2016 and 2020. About 57 per cent of the county’s 139,000 registered voters are Republicans, compared with about 29 per cent who are Democrats and 14 per cent something else.
Chris Harpster, 30, of Tyrone, Pa., was accompanied by his girlfriend on Saturday as he returned to the scene. Of July 13, he said, “I was afraid” -- as were his parents, watching at home, who texted him immediately after the shots rang out.
Heightened security measures were making him feel better now, as well as the presence of his girlfriend, a first-time rallygoer. Harpster said he will be a third-time Trump voter in November, based on the Republican nominee’s stances on immigration, guns, abortion and energy. Harpster said he hopes Pennsylvania will go Republican, particularly out of concern over gas and oil industry jobs.
Other townspeople were divided over the value of Trump's return. Heidi Priest, a Butler resident who started a Facebook group supporting Harris, said Trump's last visit fanned political tensions in the city.
“Whenever you see people supporting him and getting excited about him being here, it scares the people who don’t want to see him reelected,” she said.
Terri Palmquist came from Bakersfield, California, and said her 18-year old daughter tried to dissuade her. “I just figure we need to not let fear control us. That’s what the other side wants is fear. If fear controls us, we lose,” she said.
She said she was not worried about her own safety.
“Honesty, I believe God’s got Trump, for some reason. I do. So we’re rooting for him.”
But Trump needs to drive up voter turnout in conservative strongholds like Butler County, an overwhelmingly white, rural-suburban community, if he wants to win Pennsylvania in November. Harris, too, has targeted her campaign efforts at Pennsylvania, rallying there repeatedly as part of her aggressive outreach in critical swing states. ___
Gomez Licon reported from Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
U.S. president-elect Donald Trump has nominated former diplomat and U.S. congressman Pete Hoekstra to be the American ambassador to Canada.
A group of researchers say they have more evidence to suggest the COVID-19 pandemic started in a Chinese seafood market where it spread from infected animals to humans. The evidence is laid out in a recent study published in Cell, a scientific journal, nearly five years after the first known COVID-19 outbreak.
The average salary needed to buy a home keeps inching down in cities across Canada, according to the latest data.
A London father and son they’re shocked and confused after their home was riddled with bullets while young children were sleeping inside.
Police in Peru have arrested a man caught trying to leave the country with 320 tarantulas, 110 centipedes and nine bullet ants strapped to his body.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced embattled minister Randy Boissonnault is out of cabinet.
A four-month-old baby is dead after what Toronto police are calling a “suspicious incident” at a Toronto Community Housing building in the city’s midtown area on Wednesday afternoon.
A Saskatchewan woman who refused to provide a breath sample after being stopped by police in Regina did not break the law – as the officer's request was deemed not lawful given the circumstances.
The families of the victims of Paul Bernardo will be allowed to attend the serial killer’s upcoming parole hearing in person, the Parole Board of Canada (PBC) says.
A London father and son they’re shocked and confused after their home was riddled with bullets while young children were sleeping inside.
A Saskatchewan woman who refused to provide a breath sample after being stopped by police in Regina did not break the law – as the officer's request was deemed not lawful given the circumstances.
The families of the victims of Paul Bernardo will be allowed to attend the serial killer’s upcoming parole hearing in person, the Parole Board of Canada (PBC) says.
A four-month-old baby is dead after what Toronto police are calling a “suspicious incident” at a Toronto Community Housing building in the city’s midtown area on Wednesday afternoon.
Massive trees toppled onto roads, power lines and parked cars as hurricane-force winds battered the B.C. coast overnight during an intense “bomb cyclone” weather event.
A measles outbreak in New Brunswick that began last month with a single travel-related case is growing and today stands at 44 cases.
A piece of conceptual art consisting of a banana duct-taped to a wall sold for US$6.2 million at an auction in New York on Wednesday.
A Florida man was arrested Wednesday and charged with a plot to “reboot” the U.S. government by planting a bomb at the New York Stock Exchange this week and detonating it with a remote-controlled device, according to the FBI.
House Ethics Committee Republicans voted Wednesday against releasing the panel’s long-running investigation into U.S. president-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for attorney general, former Rep. Matt Gaetz, the top Democrat on the panel said.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on Wednesday welcomed China’s President Xi Jinping for a state visit at the Alvorada Palace in Brasilia.
Donald Trump said Wednesday that he has chosen former acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker to serve as U.S. ambassador to NATO, the bedrock Western alliance that the president-elect has expressed skepticism about for years.
Police in Peru have arrested a man caught trying to leave the country with 320 tarantulas, 110 centipedes and nine bullet ants strapped to his body.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced embattled minister Randy Boissonnault is out of cabinet.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford says there is 'clear consensus' among premiers for separate bilateral trade deals with the U.S. and Mexico, following a phone call with all the leaders on Wednesday.
Canadian human rights advocate and former Liberal justice minister Irwin Cotler — who was the target of an alleged foiled assassination plot by agents of Iran — says he isn’t concerned about the alleged threats, because he has confidence in his protective detail.
A Dallas anesthesiologist was sentenced Wednesday to 190 years in prison for injecting a nerve-blocking agent and other drugs into bags of intravenous fluid at a surgical center where he worked, leading to the death of a coworker and causing cardiac emergencies for several patients.
A measles outbreak in New Brunswick that began last month with a single travel-related case is growing and today stands at 44 cases.
Raw pistachios sold by Nutworks are being recalled in Ontario due to possible Salmonella contamination.
Australia’s communications minister introduced a world-first law into Parliament on Thursday that would ban children younger than 16 from social media, saying online safety was one of parents’ toughest challenges.
President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to repeal President Joe Biden's signature artificial intelligence policy when he returns to the White House.
Giraffe populations are declining at such an alarming rate — from habitat loss, poaching, urbanization and climate change-fueled drought — that U.S. wildlife officials announced a proposal on Wednesday to help protect several of the species.
Lady Gaga is returning to the desert to mark her second appearance as the headliner for Southern California’s Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.
Liam Payne's family, friends and former bandmates have come together to pay tribute to the British singer at his funeral in England on Wednesday, just over a month after the One Direction star died aged 31 in Argentina.
Post Malone and Morgan Wallen's collaboration 'I Had Some Help' could make both men big winners at Wednesday’s night's Country Music Association Awards.
Black Friday and Cyber Monday are quickly approaching, meaning many people will be looking to score a deal ahead of the holidays. There are some precautions to take before shopping online.
The union representing port supervisors in British Columbia is formally challenging the legal and constitutional authority of the federal labour minister to order them back to work.
The heat has been turned up on two Canadian frozen-potato giants who have been named in separate price-fixing lawsuits south of the border.
After driving near the water that winter day, Brian Lavery thought he saw a dog splashing in the waves – then realized it was way too cold for that.
CTVNews.ca wants to hear from digital nomads who have taken up location-independent jobs and can work from anywhere with an internet connection.
Delta Air Lines’ newest dining option for first class passengers isn’t anything fancy. In fact, it’s the exact opposite, because it’s fast food.
Major League Baseball will test robot umpires as part of a challenge system during spring training at 13 ballparks hosting 19 teams, which could lead to regular-season use in 2026.
Since 2022, Dutch-born rider Rien Schuurhuis has become the first cyclist to compete for the tiny city-state of the Vatican at an elite level.
If the latest dance sweeping the sports world is any indication, Donald Trump and the NFL might get along much better in his second term in the White House than they did the first time around.
Even though sales of electric vehicles aren't growing as fast as in past years and President-elect Donald Trump may ditch tax credits for EV buyers, automakers are moving ahead with new models that should appeal to mainstream buyers.
A Saskatchewan woman who refused to provide a breath sample after being stopped by police in Regina did not break the law – as the officer's request was deemed not lawful given the circumstances.
In Canada a car is stolen every six minutes, though some vehicles are more sought after than others.
After driving near the water that winter day, Brian Lavery thought he saw a dog splashing in the waves – then realized it was way too cold for that.
Toronto radio and podcast host Jax Irwin has recently gone viral for videos of her cute -- and at times confusing -- phone conversations.
Two young women from New Brunswick have won one of the most prestigious and sought-after academic honours in the world.
Stretching 3,000 kilometres from the tip of New Zealand to its southernmost point, with just a bicycle for transport and a tent to call home, bikepacking event Tour Aotearoa is not for the faint of heart.
When he first moved to his urban neighbourhood, Barry Devonald was surprised to be welcomed by a whole flock of new neighbours.
When George Arcioni began renovating his kitchen last summer, he didn’t expect to find a stack of letters hidden in the wall behind his oven.
A Nova Scotia couple fulfilled their wildest dreams Thursday night when they got engaged at Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour in Toronto.
Some Calgary residents caught what appeared to be a meteor streaking across the sky early on Wednesday morning.
Four years ago, Phill Hebb started up 'Phil’s Unique Birdhouses' and since then, they’ve made their way all across Canada and into the United States.
Several thousand British Columbians remain in the dark Wednesday morning after a windstorm known as a bomb cyclone slammed coastal communities.
A UBC instructor is facing backlash following the release of a 12-minute audio file from a lecture she gave on Sept. 18.
The clean up was well underway Wednesday on Vancouver Island after a night of chaos.
A four-month-old baby is dead after what Toronto police are calling a “suspicious incident” at a Toronto Community Housing building in the city’s midtown area on Wednesday afternoon.
A Markham hockey buff who built a massive backyard ice rink without permissions or permits has reluctantly agreed to remove the sprawling surface, following a years-long dispute with the city and his neighbours.
Toronto is looking to retrofit its heavy-duty vehicles with side guards in an effort to reduce pedestrian deaths.
The Calgary Zoo says its two-year-old western lowland gorilla named Eyare died after being hit by a hydraulic door at the rear of the exhibit.
There is quite the buzz around the small southern Alberta town of Nanton over its fall stage production, and for more reasons than one.
Calgary police are seeking public assistance in relation to a Tuesday fire in Hillhurst that they believe was deliberately set.
The consortium responsible for building Ottawa's new north-south line, TransitNext, says it is ready for the City of Ottawa to begin the final phase of approvals before opening the line to the public.
Thirty-nine new photo radar cameras will be installed to keep an eye on Ottawa roads over the next 14 months, including on roads in the rural villages of Dunrobin, Manotick, Richmond and Vars.
One of Canada's premier high-end gym chains is set to open in Ottawa on Wednesday.
Facing criticism for requiring health care workers with two jobs within the public system to choose one to comply with labour laws, Santé Québec has announced a one-year extension to the transition period.
A family in Rosemont-La-Petite-Patrie is facing an emotional upheaval as the STM moves forward with expropriating their home for a new mechanical ventilation station to serve the Orange Line.
A Saint-Sauveur couple was back in court on Wednesday, accused of attacking a teenager over a prank.
As we head into the holiday season, one Edmonton small business owner says she's shutting down online orders – something not all businesses may be able to do
Former prime minister Stephen Harper is the new chairman of the Alberta Investment Management Corporation, or AIMCo, which oversees more than $160 billion in funds, including pension funds and the Heritage Savings Trust Fund.
Dale McFee will retire as head of the Edmonton Police Service (EPS) on Feb. 21, the Edmonton Police Commission said in an email on Wednesday.
A school bus hit parked vehicles and pushed one into a Middle Sackville, N.S., home Wednesday afternoon.
A 19-year-old is facing charges after video of him allegedly driving close to 200 km/h while holding alcohol was shared on social media in the Yarmouth, N.S., area.
The RCMP in Nova Scotia is searching for a man wanted on a provincewide warrant following an incident in North Preston.
A Winnipeg woman is warning others to be on guard after she was nearly duped by an elaborate scam involving fake Manitoba Hydro workers, Bitcoin machines, and a “frightening” amount of her own personal information.
Illegal cigarettes in Manitoba are taking a big chunk out of the market.
A recent drop in river levels is turning back the pages of time in Winnipeg and opening the doors to a hobby that is attracting people who aren’t afraid to get their feet wet and their hands dirty with an interest in Manitoba history, also known as mudlarking.
Former Saskatchewan Party MLA Greg Lawrence has been sentenced to 12 months probation – after pleading guilty to one count of assault.
A Saskatchewan woman who refused to provide a breath sample after being stopped by police in Regina did not break the law – as the officer's request was deemed not lawful given the circumstances.
Many commuters in and outside of Regina are facing tough driving conditions Wednesday morning following a significant snowfall on Tuesday that has closed highways and snarled traffic on many of the city's main throughfares.
A man who plead guilty to a double stabbing in 2015 will soon be out on statutory release, but he'll have to follow some strict conditions set out by the parole board.
The Waterloo Regional Police Service presented their 2025 budget, totaling $252.5 million, to the Region of Waterloo’s Strategic Planning and Budget Committee on Wednesday morning.
The families of the victims of Paul Bernardo will be allowed to attend the serial killer’s upcoming parole hearing in person, the Parole Board of Canada (PBC) says.
A 15-year-old girl who was set on fire at a Saskatoon high school earlier this fall is still recovering in hospital.
A Saskatoon teen accused of driving a car involved in a high-speed crash that killed a 16-year-old last spring has pleaded guilty to his charges.
Former Saskatchewan Party MLA Greg Lawrence has been sentenced to 12 months probation – after pleading guilty to one count of assault.
The owner at a North Bay rental home has been fined and seven people displaced after a kitchen fire Tuesday.
Next week, Sudbury city council will decide how to rehabilitate the College Street underpass, which was built in 1949.
A Canadian Taylor Swift fan has some 'Bad Blood' with the Calgary International Airport after security staff confiscated hundreds of dollars worth of beads she was going to use to make friendship bracelets.
A London father and son they’re shocked and confused after their home was riddled with bullets while young children were sleeping inside.
They were raising a glass to a new business in St. Clair Township, but now it appears the cap has to go back on the bottle.
Back in July, Nicolas Lemke plead guilty to impaired driving causing the death of Aiden Curtis, and impaired driving causing bodily harm to two other adults who were injured.
Several apparent homemade explosive devices were found inside an RV where an allegedly armed man had barricaded himself for 16 hours, forcing evacuations in the north end of Barrie, police said.
Weeks after more than a dozen mayors, including Barrie mayor Alex Nuttall, signed a letter to Premier Doug Ford asking him to consider using the notwithstanding clause as cities struggle with how to handle growing encampments, a coalition of councillors are speaking out against its potential use.
With some milder winters in recent years Barrie city councillors are exploring if there's an appetite to dine outdoors in the coldest months of the year.
*WARNING: This story contains graphic content that some may find disturbing. Reader's discretion is advised.*
Town of Essex councillors have voted not to move ahead with a hiring freeze meant to tackle a six per cent tax levy increase that is currently on the table.
A Kingsville family, who for years put up elaborate Christmas lights and decor outside their home on Marshwoods Boulevard, has instead put up a for sale sign this year.
The clean up was well underway Wednesday on Vancouver Island after a night of chaos.
Several thousand British Columbians remain in the dark Wednesday morning after a windstorm known as a bomb cyclone slammed coastal communities.
One person is unaccounted for after a fire that destroyed a home in Nanaimo's south end Wednesday morning.
Police are appealing for information on a targeted shooting that resulted in the hospitalization of a man in Kamloops.
British Columbia's independent police watchdog has cleared officers of wrongdoing in a crash where three people were killed south of Kamloops in July of last year.
A B.C. woman who stole more than $14,000 in volunteer-raised funds that were supposed to be spent on school supplies and programs – including hot meals for vulnerable kids – won't spend any time in jail.
There’s a new way to give this holiday season.
Lethbridge police say four teenagers have been arrested in connection with an autumn attack that saw a 16-year-old badly injured.
Some Lethbridge residents will be heading to the polls next month to elect their next MLA. The Government of Alberta announced the Lethbridge-West byelection will take place on Dec. 18.
Students in Sault College’s business accounting program have a new learning pathway that will ultimately give them a head start to a career.
The Transport Safety Board of Canada says the crew of a Porter Airlines flight landing in Sault Ste. Marie in April 2023 didn't realize the plane was so far down the runway.
The owner at a North Bay rental home has been fined and seven people displaced after a kitchen fire Tuesday.
An international group led by a Canadian is in Rome this week to push the Catholic Church to adopt a zero-tolerance policy on abuse by clergy.
A company hoping to build a multi-billion-dollar wind-to-hydrogen project in western Newfoundland is eyeing other options as Canada's plans to supply Europe with green energy have not yet materialized.
The four women sipping tea around an antique wooden table in rural Newfoundland said they weren't looking for much in a mate: kindness, humour, a good sense of fun and, ideally, a full set of teeth.
The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at CTV News. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop. Read about us.
