The former president will return to the town where he was shot two weeks ago and honor the victims.
Former President Donald Trump is planning a return to the western Pennsylvania town where he survived an assassination attempt.
In a July 26 post on his Truth Social platform, the 45th president said he will come back to Butler County for a rally to honor Corey Comperatore—a firefighter who was killed at the July 13 campaign rally as he reportedly dove in front of his wife and daughter to protect them—as well as two rallygoers who were critically injured.
“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,” wrote the nation’s top Republican.
“What a day it will be—fight, fight, fight! Stay tuned for details,” he added.
The announcement comes a week after former President Trump accepted his third nomination for president—a rarity in American history—at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee on July 19. On the same day, Mr. Comperatore was memorialized at a funeral service near his hometown.
Former President Trump did not attend the funeral but paid tribute to Mr. Comperatore during a speech at the Milwaukee convention on July 18.
Displaying Mr. Comperatore’s fire helmet and jacket, former President Trump called Mr. Comperatore “a fine man” and said, “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for others.”
Mr. Comperatore, who celebrated his 50th birthday not too long ago, was a 10-year veteran of the U.S. Army Reserves. He served in the early 2000s as the chief of the Buffalo Township Volunteer Fire Company in Sarver, Pennsylvania, and remained a member until his death.
At the July 13 Trump rally in Butler, about 13 miles from his home, Mr. Comperatore used his body as a shield for his wife and daughter against the bullets fired at former President Trump in an assassination attempt from the top of a nearby building, according to Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro citing Mr. Comperatore’s wife. The would-be assassin was killed by a Secret Service sniper almost immediately after.
By Bill Pan