Defiant Trump supporters descend on Butler just two months after witnessing horror assassination attempt: ‘I saw Secret Service blow his head off’
A group of Americans who attended the first Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, reunited Saturday as Trump prepared his return to the site of his attempted assassination in July.
Saturday morning, Greg Smith fired up his grills and started cooking outside the grounds of Brenckle’s Farms & Greenhouses, just as he did that day in July with family and friends.
Eighty-four days ago, he was near the building where he saw the gunman moving through the buildings shouting at local police and Secret Service and heard the shots minutes later while Trump was still on stage.
“I saw the Secret Service blow his head off,” he told DailyMail.com at the time.
But today, Smith isn’t interested in talking to the press and is looking forward to eating and drinking and spending time with family and friends.
Defiant Trump fans show up at the second Butler rally just months after the assassination attempt
Trump fans show up to support the presidential candidate 84 days after he was almost assassinated
Saturday morning, Greg Smith (left) fired up his grill and started cooking outside the grounds of Brenckle’s Farms & Greenhouses, just as he did that day in July with family and friends. Pam Olthof (right), a Trump-themed vendor who was at the rally in July, was back, selling a completely revamped line of merchandise
His father-in-law Gary Brenckle told DailyMail.com he was positive about returning to the venue for the meeting.
“I feel good, I feel like they have enough police around,” he said, adding with a chuckle, “Hopefully they went through all the buildings and stuff and looked at the top and went in too .’
The business was decorated with pumpkins, skeletons and Halloween-themed items.
“This is so much better, I just love this time of year,” he said.
Pam Olthof, a Trump-themed vendor who was at the rally in July, was also back, selling a completely revamped line of merchandise.
She said she had to come back, despite the shock of the experience of the last meeting.
Trump faced an assassination attempt at his first rally in Butler in July (photo)
He suffered an ear injury and was seen with blood on his face after the bullet grazed him in July (pictured)
At the rally site, snipers were spotted on the roof of the buildings where Thomas Matthew Crooks shot at Trump
“You’re nervous, but I understand that Trump wanted to come back, he wants to have that meeting that he promised the people,” she said. “I mean, this is going to be epic.”
Her best-selling item this time is a shirt with the date of both rallies in Butler with the image of Trump shaking his fist.
Olthof said she knew Trump was still a target, and that this time more dignitaries than ever were expected to show up for the rally.
“I hope you don’t have an idiot saying, ‘We missed him the first time, let’s get him now,'” she said nervously, adding that she was happy to see that security was “MUCH more intense” for this time all around.
Bill Bailey said he felt the same way and chose to trust that safety would be improved this time.
“I came here with the same determination that I saw in Trump’s face, given what happened in July,” he said. “I saw nothing but anger and determination in Trump’s face as he stepped off the floor of that stage, raised his fist and shouted ‘fight, fight, fight.’
A special monument was built for Comperatore at Saturday’s meeting and members of his family are expected to sit with the Trump family as the president plans to remember Cory and honor the family.
Supporters celebrated the beautiful autumn morning, but there was also a lot of determination in the court. “Everyone here is pretty determined,” said one supporter
Thousands of Trump supporters poured through the gates early Saturday morning, crowding close to the fence where they expected to see the president by evening.
At the rally site, snipers were spotted on the roof of the buildings where Thomas Matthew Crooks shot at Trump, hitting him in the ear, killing rally participant Corey Comperatore and wounding two others before being shot and killed by counter-snipers.
A special monument was built for Comperatore at Saturday’s rally and members of his family are expected to sit with the Trump family as the president plans to remember Cory and honor the family.
Thousands of Trump supporters poured through the gates early Saturday morning, crowding close to the fence where they expected to see the president by evening.
Supporters celebrated the beautiful autumn morning, but there was also a lot of determination in the court.
“I feel a lot of courage right now,” Baily said. “Everyone here is pretty determined, they’re determined to make sure we get this president elected and that we save our country.”