On Friday, 45th President Donald Trump’s campaign announced the special guests who will join him for his upcoming rally on Saturday in Butler, Pennsylvania, the location of his first attempted assassination. This return to the rally site at the Butler Farm Show grounds in southwestern Pennsylvania comes as the 2024 race enters its final stretch, with just one month remaining until Election Day.
Joining Trump at his rally are notable politicians, industry leaders, first responders, and family members of Corey Comperatore, the man who was killed by the assassin’s bullet intended for Trump on July 13. The lawmakers expected to attend include Reps. Guy Reschenthaler (R-PA), Dan Meuser (R-PA), Ronny Jackson (R-TX), Cory Mills (R-FL), Mike Waltz (R-FL), Mike Kelly (R-PA), Glenn Thompson (R-PA), and Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-MO). Additionally, prominent figures such as Trump’s running mate Sen. JD Vance (R-OH), Eric Trump, Lara Trump, billionaire Elon Musk, Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller (R), and GOP Pennsylvania Senate candidate Dave McCormick will also be present.
During the rally, Trump will take a moment to honor Comperatore’s family, with Corey’s wife, Helen, and two daughters, Allyson and Kaylee, present. Corey’s sisters, Dawn Comperatore-Schaffer and Kelly Meeder, along with his brother-in-law, Douglas Meeder, will also be in attendance. Additionally, attendees will include David Dutch, a survivor who was struck by one of the assassin’s bullets on July 13, Dr. Jim Sweetland, one of the first responders from that day, and various other rally participants.
The trip to Butler marks the first time the Republican candidate has returned to the location of the attempted assassination by 20-year-old gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, whose body has already reportedly been cremated. The shooter fired eight rounds from a nearby rooftop toward Trump, resulting in Trump being grazed on his right ear, the death of Comperatore, and serious injuries to two others. A Secret Service countersniper team neutralized the threat while those protecting President Trump evacuated him from the area.
“President Trump’s return to Butler will mark his first visit to the site of the attack since he was struck by an assassin’s bullet on July 13—but was saved in what the world has recognized as an act of divine providence,” the campaign said in a statement. “During his visit, President Trump will honor the memory of Corey Comperatore, who heroically sacrificed his life to shield his wife and daughters from the bullets on that terrible day.
“President Trump will also recognize the two other Americans who were wounded by the shooter, David Dutch and James Copenhaver. He will express his deep gratitude to law enforcement and first responders and thank the entire community for their outpouring of love and support in the wake of the attack,” the statement added.