On Friday, just under two weeks after he was nearly assassinated during a campaign rally in Butler, Pa., Donald Trump announced his intention to return to Butler for “a big and beautiful rally.”
“I WILL BE GOING BACK TO BUTLER, PENNSYLVANIA, FOR A BIG AND BEAUTIFUL RALLY, HONORING THE SOUL OF OUR BELOVED FIREFIGHTING HERO, COREY, AND THOSE BRAVE PATRIOTS INJURED TWO WEEKS AGO,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social. “WHAT A DAY IT WILL BE — FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT! STAY TUNED FOR DETAILS.”
Thirteen days ago, Trump narrowly escaped an assassin’s bullet thanks to a slight turn of the head before shots rang out. Trump was hit in the ear before the shooter was shot and killed by a Secret Service sniper. Two rally attendees were seriously injured, and another, Corey Comperatore, was killed while shielding his family from the gunfire.
David Dutch, 57, was released from the hospital this week after being in critical condition. James Copenhaver, 74, another shooting victim, is still hospitalized in serious but stable condition.
The security lapses that resulted in the nearly successful assassination attempt caused bipartisan outrage. On Monday, Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle went before the House Oversight and Accountability Committee to answer questions about those security lapses, and representatives from both sides of the aisle eviscerated her for her failure to answer questions.