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Trump returns to campaign site where he was assassinated, Harris visits hurricane affected areas

2024-10-06 19:15:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Trump returns to campaign site where he was assassinated, Harris visits

Trump returned on Saturday to Butler, Pennsylvania, where he escaped an assassination attempt in July, holding a rally before a massive crowd in one of the states expected to determine the outcome of November's election.

The former president and Republican candidate's first words were "as I was saying," to give the impression that he was picking up where he left off on July 13, when a gunman tried to kill him and hit him in the ear.

Mr. Trump's campaign team had gone to great lengths to emphasize the symbolism of the former president's return to Butler, at a critical moment when only 30 days remain before Election Day and early voting has opened in several states in the race between him and his Democratic rival, Vice President Kamala Harris.

The rally was also attended by billionaire Elon Musk, who spoke for the first time at a campaign event for Mr. Trump. "We've fought together. We've stood together. We've moved forward together," Mr Trump said. "And right here in Pennsylvania, we bled together. We bled," he said.

Former President Trump needs to boost voter turnout in conservative strongholds like Butler County, a predominantly white, rural and suburban community, to increase his chances of winning the Pennsylvania state in November.

Harris, a Democrat, has also campaigned intensively in Pennsylvania, as part of efforts to win key states for the outcome of the election.

Standing behind the protective glass now used when he holds outdoor campaign rallies, Mr Trump called him "a horrible monster" and said he did not make it through "the hand of fate and the grace of God".

Additional security measures were evident, with armed law enforcement in camouflage uniforms on the roof.

One of the most anticipated guests at the rally was Mr Musk, who introduced Mr Trump by saying he had "saved free speech".

"President Trump must win to protect the Constitution. He must win to preserve democracy in America," said Mr. Musk, who expressed his support for the former president's candidacy after the assassination.

Earlier on Saturday, Republican vice presidential nominee Ohio Senator JD Vance took the stage and reflected on the day's events as he criticized Democrats for calling Mr. Trump "a threat to democracy," saying that kind of language is "provocative".

"You heard the shots. You saw the blood. We all feared the worst. But you knew everything was going to be okay when President Trump raised his fist in the air and shouted, 'Fight, fight!' , said Mr. Vance. "What happened was a real miracle."

Kamala Harris visits North Carolina

Meanwhile, Democratic candidate Kamala Harris visited North Carolina, another critical state, on Saturday and pledged continued federal support for the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, which has wreaked havoc in the disaster zone.

The vice president was in Charlotte a day after a visit to North Carolina by Mr. Trump, who has accused the federal government of failing to respond to the disaster.

Ms. Harris promised that federal aid would continue without interruption.

Earlier in the week, she visited Georgia, where she helped distribute food, visited damaged areas and comforted families hit hard by the storm. Over 200 people have lost their lives from Hurricane Helene.

Vice presidential candidate Tim Walz is campaigning in his home state of Minnesota.

The Democratic candidate plans several interviews with the media this week, something she has not done often, and will focus on mobilizing to participate in the election./ Voa