A group of Americans who attended Trump’s first rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, gathered Saturday as Trump prepared to return to the site of his assassination attempt in July.
On Saturday morning, Greg Smith fired up his grills and began cooking outside the Brenckle’s Farms & Greenhouses property, just as he did that July day with family and friends.
Eighty-four days ago he was near the building where he saw the shooter moving through the buildings and yelled at local police and the Secret Service and heard the gunshots minutes later when 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 speaking to the press and instead looks forward to eating, drinking and spending time with family and friends.
Defiant Trump fans show up to Butler’s second rally just months after assassination attempt.
Trump fans show up to support presidential candidate 84 days after he was nearly assassinated
On Saturday morning, Greg Smith (left) fired up his grills and began cooking outside the Brenckle’s Farms & Greenhouses property, just as he did that July day with family and friends. Pam Olthof (right), a Trump-themed vendor who was near the rally in July, returned and sold a completely updated range of merchandise.
His father-in-law Gary Brenckle told DailyMail.com he was feeling positive about returning to the site for the rally.
“I feel good, I feel like they have enough police around,” he said, adding with a smile, “Hopefully they checked all the buildings and everything, looking up and going in too.”
The business was decorated with pumpkins, skeletons and Halloween-themed items.
“This is so much better, I love this time of year,” he said.
Pam Olthof, a Trump-themed vendor who was near the rally in July, also returned and sold a completely updated range of merchandise.
He said he had to return despite the shock of the experience of the last rally.
Trump faced an assassination attempt in July at his first rally in Butler (pictured)
He received a wound to the ear and was seen with blood on his face after the bullet grazed him in July (pictured).
At the rally site, snipers were seen on the roof of the buildings where Thomas Matthew Crooks shot Trump.
“You’re nervous, but I understand that Trump wanted to come back, he wants to have that rally that he promised the people,” he said. “I mean this is going to be epic.”
Their best-selling item this time is a T-shirt bearing the date of both Butler rallies with an image of Trump shaking his fist.
Olthof said he knew Trump was still a target, and that more dignitaries than ever were expected to show up at the rally this time.
“I hope there isn’t some idiot out there saying, ‘We missed him the first time, let’s go get him now,'” she said nervously, adding that she was pleased to see that security was ‘MUCH tighter’ for this time.” around.
Bill Bailey said he felt the same way and chose to hope that security 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 on Trump’s face when he stood up from the stage and raised his fist and yelled: fight, fight, fight!”
At Saturday’s rally, a special memorial was built for Comperatore and members of his family are expected to sit with the Trump family as the president plans to remember Cory and honor the family.
Fans celebrated the beautiful fall morning, but there was also a lot of determination on the field. “Everyone here is pretty determined,” said one supporter.
Thousands of Trump supporters streamed through the gates early Saturday morning and approached the fence where they hoped to see the president in the evening.
At the rally site, snipers were seen on the roof of the buildings where Thomas Matthew Crooks shot at Trump, hitting him in the ear, killing rally-goer Corey Comperatore and wounding two others before counter-snipers killed him. shooting.
At Saturday’s rally, a special memorial was built for Comperatore 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 streamed through the gates early Saturday morning and approached the fence where they hoped to see the president in the evening.
Fans celebrated the beautiful fall morning, but there was also a lot of determination on the field.
“I feel a lot of anger right now,” Baily said. “Everyone here is pretty determined, they’re determined to make sure this president gets elected and we save our country.”