WASHINGTON: Former President Donald Trump returned to the site of the July 13 assassination attempt on him in Pennsylvania on Saturday, dramatically trying to recapture the momentum that unexpectedly evaporated after the vivid moment was upstaged by Kamala Harris replacing Joe Biden on the Democratic ticket.
In a massive commemorative rally at the very grounds where he courageously emerged from under a security blanket after a bullet nicked his ear, the MAGA supremo sought to re-energize his campaign, with the dubious claim that his political opponents had tried to kill him to stop him regaining the White House.
“Over the past eight years, those who want to stop us from achieving this future have slandered me, impeached me, indicted m, tried to throw me off the ballot, and who knows, maybe even tried to kill me,” Trump said, adding, “But I never stopped fighting for you, and I never will.”
Trump began his speech with faux nonchalance -- "As I was saying..." in an effort to establish continuity with the moment he survived the assassin's bullet, before rolling out his familiar talking points replete with falsehoods and hyperbole. They included demonizing illegal immigrants, purported voting fraud, botched hurricane relief etc., all aimed at stirring voters into believing the US is doomed if they do not elect him.
“Twelve weeks ago, we all took a bullet for America,” he said. “All we are all asking is that everyone goes out and votes. We got to win. We can’t let this happen to our country.”
Trump was backed by the new MAGA adherent, tech mogul Elon Musk , who bounded up on stage in all-black when invited by the the former President and warned darkly that it would the last election in America if Trump was not elected because "the other side wants to take away your freedom of speech ... your right to bear arms... your right to vote effectively."
"The true test of someone's character is how they behave under fire... America is the home of the brave, and there's no truer test than courage under fire. Who do you want representing America?" Musk asked, reminding the audience of the iconic fist pumping moment when Trump surfaced mouthing "fight, fight, fight!" with blood streaking across his cheek. Many in the crowd held placards and wore T-shirts with the fight slogan.
The Trump campaign punched several emotional buttons to recapture the energy that seemed certain to pitch the former president back to the White House after an aging Biden stalled badly in the first debate and days later, Trump survived the assassination attempt, followed by rousing Republican convention. But after Democrats swapped the younger Harris for Biden, the momentum dissipated so badly that even a second attempt on Trump's life has not revived his poll numbers.
Pennsylvania is among the seven battleground states that will determine the outcome of the elections, and Trump's daring return -- under a heavy security blanket -- to the scene of the attempt on his life, was aimed at securing its 19 electoral votes that will be pivotal in reaching the 270 needed to win the White House. Polls show the two candidates virtually tied in the state, which Trump won in 2016 and lost in 2020 by narrow margins.
At the start of the rally, Trump asked for a moment of silence to honor firefighter Corey Comperatore, who died as he shielded family members from the gunman's bullets. Classical singer Christopher Macchio sang “Ave Maria” after a bell rung at 6.11 pm, the same time that bullets flew on July 13, amid a patriotic outpouring through the evening.
In a massive commemorative rally at the very grounds where he courageously emerged from under a security blanket after a bullet nicked his ear, the MAGA supremo sought to re-energize his campaign, with the dubious claim that his political opponents had tried to kill him to stop him regaining the White House.
“Over the past eight years, those who want to stop us from achieving this future have slandered me, impeached me, indicted m, tried to throw me off the ballot, and who knows, maybe even tried to kill me,” Trump said, adding, “But I never stopped fighting for you, and I never will.”
Trump began his speech with faux nonchalance -- "As I was saying..." in an effort to establish continuity with the moment he survived the assassin's bullet, before rolling out his familiar talking points replete with falsehoods and hyperbole. They included demonizing illegal immigrants, purported voting fraud, botched hurricane relief etc., all aimed at stirring voters into believing the US is doomed if they do not elect him.
“Twelve weeks ago, we all took a bullet for America,” he said. “All we are all asking is that everyone goes out and votes. We got to win. We can’t let this happen to our country.”
Trump was backed by the new MAGA adherent, tech mogul Elon Musk , who bounded up on stage in all-black when invited by the the former President and warned darkly that it would the last election in America if Trump was not elected because "the other side wants to take away your freedom of speech ... your right to bear arms... your right to vote effectively."
"The true test of someone's character is how they behave under fire... America is the home of the brave, and there's no truer test than courage under fire. Who do you want representing America?" Musk asked, reminding the audience of the iconic fist pumping moment when Trump surfaced mouthing "fight, fight, fight!" with blood streaking across his cheek. Many in the crowd held placards and wore T-shirts with the fight slogan.
The Trump campaign punched several emotional buttons to recapture the energy that seemed certain to pitch the former president back to the White House after an aging Biden stalled badly in the first debate and days later, Trump survived the assassination attempt, followed by rousing Republican convention. But after Democrats swapped the younger Harris for Biden, the momentum dissipated so badly that even a second attempt on Trump's life has not revived his poll numbers.
Pennsylvania is among the seven battleground states that will determine the outcome of the elections, and Trump's daring return -- under a heavy security blanket -- to the scene of the attempt on his life, was aimed at securing its 19 electoral votes that will be pivotal in reaching the 270 needed to win the White House. Polls show the two candidates virtually tied in the state, which Trump won in 2016 and lost in 2020 by narrow margins.
At the start of the rally, Trump asked for a moment of silence to honor firefighter Corey Comperatore, who died as he shielded family members from the gunman's bullets. Classical singer Christopher Macchio sang “Ave Maria” after a bell rung at 6.11 pm, the same time that bullets flew on July 13, amid a patriotic outpouring through the evening.
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