Donald Trump makes a theatrical return to Butler, the site of the assassination | Donald Trump

Donald Trump has returned to the place where he narrowly escaped assassination in July, pushing the emotional buttons of his supporters and suggesting that his political opponents “may have even tried to kill me” to stop him , to retake the White House.

The Republican presidential candidate — and perennial showman — put on an unashamedly sentimental spectacle in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday. He was joined by billionaire Elon Musk, who made the baseless claim that if Trump's supporters don't vote, “this will be the last election.”

Their joint appearance before an enthusiastic crowd of thousands capped hours of programming, apparently intended to mythologize the July 13 shooting for the Trump base exactly one month before the presidential election.

The rally was held under heightened security at the same site where Trump was grazed in the right ear and a rally attendee – firefighter Corey Comperatore – was killed when a gunman opened fire. The suspected bomber, 20-year-old Thomas Crooks of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, was shot and killed by a Secret Service sniper.

A photo of Trump standing with his face covered in blood as he raised his fist and shouted “Fight!” became the indelible image of his election campaign. But Joe Biden's decision just a week later to step down and support his running mate, Kamala Harris, stole Trump's spotlight and changed the course of the race.

On Saturday, Trump became the first former president to return to the site of his assassination and use it as a weapon for political purposes. His campaign aimed to recapture their candidate's aura as a hero and martyr.

As he took the stage, a video juxtaposed an image of George Washington crossing the Delaware River with a photo of Trump with his fist raised. A voice boomed, “This man is unstoppable. This man cannot be defeated.”

“As I said…,” Trump said as he appeared on stage, pointing to an immigration map he had been looking at when the shooting began 12 weeks ago. The mostly white crowd roared enthusiastically and held signs that read “Fight! Battle! Battle!”

Standing behind protective glass that now covers the stage of his outdoor rallies, Trump recalled: “On this very ground, a cold-blooded assassin sought to silence me and the greatest movement – MAGA – in our country's history… But with his hand. “ Thanks to providence and the grace of God, this villain failed to achieve his goal. He didn’t stop our movement.”

Trump even appeared to try to emulate Abraham Lincoln's Gettsyburg address when he described the field as a “monument to the bravery” of our first responders and predicted, “All who have visited this sacred place will forever remember what was here and.” “It happened.” will know the character and courage shown by so many incredible American patriots.”

But Trump also suggested darkly and without evidence that he was dealing with an “enemy from within” more dangerous than any foreign adversary. “Over the last eight years, those who want to stop us from achieving that future have vilified me, impeached me, accused me, tried to remove me from the ballot, and who knows, maybe even tried to… to kill me,” he said. “But I have never stopped fighting for you and never will.”

Trump saluted volunteer firefighter Comperatore, who was shot by the gunman, and two other supporters who were injured. A memorial was erected in the stands with his firefighter's jacket surrounded by flowers. Giant screens read “In Loving Memory of Corey Comperatore,” accompanied by his picture. Comperatore's family was present.

At 6:11 p.m., just as gunfire erupted on July 13, Trump called for a moment of silence. A bell then rang four times, once for each of the four victims, including Trump. Then the opera singer Christopher Macchio sang Ave Maria.

Trump then moved into more familiar territory of falsehoods about immigration and other issues. He later called Musk to the stage, the CEO of Tesla and owner of the social media platform X, who has veered politically to the right. Wearing a black cap and a black “Occupy Mars” shirt and coat, Musk jumped around with his arms raised and was greeted with cheers.

He said, “The true test of a man's character is how he behaves under fire.” We had a president who couldn't climb stairs and another who flailed after being shot! Fight, fight, fight!”

Despite Trump's attempt to stage a coup on January 6, 2021 and remain in power, Musk argued: “President Trump must win to preserve the Constitution.” He must win to preserve democracy in America. This is a must-win situation. Get everyone you know to register and vote. If not, this will be the last choice. That’s my prediction.”

The Butler shooting led to widespread criticism of the Secret Service and the resignation of its director. Critics raised concerns about how Crooks was able to gain access to a nearby rooftop with a direct line of sight to Trump's speeches. In September, the former president survived another assassination attempt when a gunman hid undetected for nearly 12 hours on a golf course at one of his Florida clubs.

There was an increased security presence on Saturday, with Secret Service and other police officers in camouflage uniforms stationed on rooftops. The building from which Crooks fired was completely obscured by tractor trailers and a fence.

The rally had an exuberant atmosphere like a huge picnic. In the blazing sun, people sat on the grass or on folding chairs and strollers. They looked up into the bright blue sky and saw four special forces parachutists – one carrying a giant stars and stripes – jumping from a Cessna 206 plane from more than 5,000 feet, and then a flyby of Trump Force One, accompanied by the Theme music from the movie Top Gun.

A tent displayed paintings of the now-famous image of a bloodied Trump with his fist raised – reproductions were available for up to $200. This photo was also featured on numerous T-shirts worn by Trump supporters with slogans such as “Fight…Fight…Fight!”, “American Badass,” “Never Surrender,” and “Fight.” Trump 2024. Legends never die.” The commercialization of the former president’s near-death experience was clearly visible.

Participants spoke about their fervent support for Trump, their suspicion that Democrats were behind an assassination plot and that his life was spared by divine intervention.

Patricia King, 82, attended the rally in Butler in July with her 63-year-old daughter, Diana, using a walker, and both felt it was important to return. “I remember the long wait and how hot it was and how loyal the people were standing there and some of them fainted,” said King, a retired nurse. “I remember the shots – bang, bang, bang, bang – and I turned around and looked where he was and everyone started running.”

King praised Trump's instinctive combative response that day. “This is great for me. That means I'm not giving up, and that's what America is all about. We don't give up. Kamala Harris is too weak. I think she would ask Putin to have a cup of tea with her, which is not a strength for me.”

Debbie Hasan, 61, a landlady wearing a Trump 2024 hat, described Saturday's rally as a “history in the making” and recalled the events of July 13. “I was watching TV and my husband was in the other room. I start screaming, 'They shot Trump!' They shot Trump!' Then I called my brother and I'm screaming. And then to see him stand up and pump his fist was an amazing sight. He’s a great man.”

Hasan presented a baseless conspiracy theory that Democrats staged the shooting. “I hate to say it, I think they are behind all this. There is no other way they can defeat him. They tried to take him to court on all sorts of trumped-up charges. You are at your limit. They don't know what else to do. They promote hatred and prejudice. The way they talk about him, some crazy person will say he needs to be locked through a keyhole.”

Many rally attendees repeated Trump's claim that God saved him to save the country. Rodney Moreland, 66, who is retired from a variety of jobs including welding, truck driving and security, said: “I don’t know if you believe in God but there was definitely an angel around him that day. Once his behavior changed, everything about him changed. Now he’s calm, cool and collected and knows what to say.”

However, Moreland warned of a possible backlash to the election results. “If it goes the other way, there will be a war. The last election was rigged. They said we can’t keep him in office again.”

Kristi Masemer, 52, a Walmart worker, wears a T-shirt that reads “I'm still a Trump girl.” I'm not apologizing,” criticized people who said they wished the would-be assassin had the former President killed.

“The amount of people who said, 'I'm sorry he missed it.'” People actually said that about another human being. This is the Democratic Party. Are you kidding me? That's not humanity. Who would think that?”

Masemer praised the restraint of Trump supporters after the attack. “The best thing about it was that people in the MAGA movement didn’t riot anymore after that. We didn't fight back against these people because we're not haters. We just want our country back and that’s all.”

Butler County, on the western edge of a coveted presidential swing state, is a rural suburban community and a Trump stronghold. He won the county in both 2016 and 2020 with about 66% of the vote. About 57% of Butler County's 139,000 registered voters are Republicans, compared to about 29% Democrats and 14% from other parties.

Jana Anderson, 62, who works at an animal shelter, said: “I don’t think a woman should be president just because it’s always been men. I am a woman, but I think men should run the country, not a woman. In my opinion, women are wishy-washy. I mean, she says a lot, she promises a lot, but I don’t know if she’s capable of it.”