Donald Trump promises to use his return to Butler to celebrate the life of slain firefighter Corey Comperatore … and reveals his rally opening line
- Doinald Trump campaigned in Wisconsin on Tuesday evening
- He will hold a rally Saturday in Butler, the scene of an attempted murder
- READ MORE: Follow all the latest political developments on our live blog
Donald Trump vowed Tuesday to turn his return to the site of his assassination attempt into a celebration of the life of firefighter Corey Comperatore, who died after being struck by the gunman’s bullet.
Trump will appear before supporters in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday.
“It’s going to be a really big event, and it’s going to be something,” Trump told reporters in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. “We will celebrate Corey’s life.”
Trump spoke for an hour and a half Tuesday evening, showing no sign of ceding the spotlight to his running mate JD Vance as he prepared for his first vice presidential debate.
The former president dealt with the cost of living crisis, school choice and bloodshed in the Middle East.
Donald Trump vowed Tuesday to turn his return to the site of his assassination attempt into a celebration of the life of firefighter Corey Comperatore, who died after being struck by the gunman’s bullet.
He will watch the debate from his private jet as he returns from Wisconsin, one of this year’s key battlegrounds.
And he revealed the advice he gave the Ohio senator as he went to war on his behalf: “Have fun,” he told him before the televised showdown.
But he gave no indication that he was nervous about returning to the spot where a bullet grazed his ear.
“Butler has become quite a well-known place,” he said. It’s like a monument.
“Now people drive through the streets of Butler like it’s a monument.”
He said a GoFundMe appeal for Comperatore and other victims had raised $5 million. Most went to his widow, but two other injured supporters also received $1 million.
He said the event would be a chance to celebrate the emergency services, doctors and others who helped the injured.
“There are a lot of talented people in our country, so that will be exciting,” he said.
“And the question is: how am I going to start the speech?
Firefighter Corey Comperatore was killed by one of the gunman’s bullets at Trump’s rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13. Trump returns there on Saturday
“And I think I’m going to say, ‘Like I said,’ because that’s kind of where I was. I was very early.’
Trump has changed his campaign schedule since he was injured on July 13.
Most of his rallies have since been held indoors. Outside he now appears behind a thick bulletproof screen.
Trump is setting his sights on the swing state of Wisconsin in the hours leading up to Tuesday’s vice presidential debate between Sen. JD Vance and Gov. Tim Walz.
In the evening he will address journalists at a museum in Milwaukee, the state’s largest city.
His comments are expected to focus on the economy.
It marks a quick return to Wisconsin. On Saturday he was in the western part of the state, where he held Vice President Kamala Harris accountable for crimes committed by people who entered the country illegally.
After a daytime rally in Dane County, he was in Milwaukee in the evening, addressing reporters and a handful of well-connected supporters.
He revealed that he had spoken to media mogul Rupert Murdoch during the day and that the Fox News owner had offered advice on his campaign.