Former President Donald Trump said he would return in October to Butler, Pennsylvania, where he was injured in an assassination attempt earlier this summer.
The shooting at a Trump rally in the township on July 13 left one bystander, Corey Comperatore, dead and two others injured. Trump was wounded in the right ear when the gunman, who was killed shortly afterward by a Secret Service sniper, opened fire with an AR-15 rifle from a nearby rooftop.
Trump described the experience on Monday evening in a live conversation with Tesla founder Elon Musk on X (formerly Twitter) and called his survival a “miracle.”
He told Musk that he wanted to pick up where he left off in Butler this fall.
“We’re ready,” Trump said. “It’s a great area.”
The Republican presidential candidate has not yet announced a date or location for his October visit.
“President Trump looks forward to returning to Butler and making an important visit to the people of Pennsylvania he loves,” Brian Hughes, senior adviser to the Trump campaign, said in a statement to USA TODAY. “We will have more details soon, so stay tuned.”
Trump had previously mentioned a return to Butler
Trump told Musk he had met with Comperatore’s relatives and the families of those injured. He had previously indicated in a July 26 Truth Social post that he would return to Butler to hold a rally honoring Comperatore, the firefighter and father who died in the shooting.
Butler County Sheriff Mike Slupe told CBS News on July 30 that his office had not been contacted about a second Trump rally, but that it was “ready to assist U.S. intelligence if needed.”
Secret Service director resigns after shooting
Ten days after the assassination, Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle resigned. Republican and Democratic lawmakers had called on her to resign because they no longer had confidence in her ability to lead the secret service.
Last week, Butler Township released hours of video footage from body and dashboard cameras showing officers rushing to the scene and responding to the shooting.
Rachel Barber is USA TODAY’s 2024 election reporter, focusing on policy and education. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter, at @rachelbarber_
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump plans return to Butler, Pennsylvania, in October
