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Butler County, Pennsylvania – In the weeks since Kamala Harris replaced Joe Biden as the top Democratic candidate, there has been a decisive downturn among Trump supporters across the country.
But on Saturday, a new confidence was evident among President Trump's followers as he returned to the scene of his near assassination on July 13 and the tragic killing of Corey Comperatore.
Rob was a teacher in Pennsylvania who carried a clipboard and was registering voters as they waited in long lines to get in.
“I'm a wrestling coach,” Rob told me. “When we replaced Harris, it was like a wrestler nailing an opponent and then suddenly being replaced with a new, fresh opponent. Even if that new opponent is weaker, it's still deflating. .”
Trump supporters speak out on safety at historic Pennsylvania rally
But Robb had now registered about a dozen new voters when I spoke to him earlier in the day, and Trump has turned a corner and is poised to defeat Harris. I think there are.
He wasn't alone.
Joe, a former NYPD officer, drove six hours from Staten Island with his nephew Uriel to witness President Trump's return to Butler. (David Marcus, Fox News Digital)
On a bench in the shade of a park, I found Karen and George, both in their 60s, and Johnny and Rocky, both in their late 20s. The two couples, dressed in President Trump costumes, had just met. But as I talked to them, I honestly thought they were a family of people I had known for a long time.
“It has a Grateful Dead vibe,” Johnny told me, “It’s all about love.”
Karen agreed, at least on the love part, but said she didn't know about the deaths, and believes Trump can unite a deeply divided country. “He's already shown he can get people what they need. Right after the hurricane, he was in North Carolina. Where were Harris and Biden?”
Like many people I spoke with, Karen believes Trump won the 2020 election and expects similar pranks to be pulled this time around. But she is confident not only that Trump will win, but that Republican Dave McCormack will defeat incumbent Bob Casey Jr. in the key Senate race in the Keystone State.
Rally attendees are photographed ahead of former President Donald Trump's rally on Saturday, October 5, 2024, in Butler, Pennsylvania. The rally is the same location where an assassination attempt on President Trump's life took place on July 13th. (David Marcus, Fox News Digital)
Rocky agreed. “Casey is just a career politician,'' he mused. “One of the things I wish President Trump would talk more about is term limits, because these are the people who are destroying the country.”
I've been to many Trump rallies in the past, but the sheer size of this one was extraordinary. It took us an hour to park in a nearby field. My little Mitsubishi Lancer had never driven on grass before, but she was fine, and despite the long wait, the atmosphere was incredibly festive.
Joe, a former NYPD officer, was a six-hour drive from Staten Island with his 18-year-old nephew Uriel.
Rob, a wrestling coach, was registering voters at a Trump rally. (David Marcus, Fox News Digital)
There was no sign that anyone had been transported by bus. This crowd was just as natural as a vegan lunch.
When I asked Joe how long he had supported Trump, he replied, “All my life.” It was his way of saying that Donald was the politician he had been waiting for.
I've been to many Trump rallies in the past, but the sheer size of this one was extraordinary.
“People are excited about Trump on Staten Island,” he told me, and his nephew, who was voting for the first time, agreed.
I asked Uriel why an 18-year-old would vote for Trump.
“He's going to make this country a better country,” he said quietly, wearing a Yankees T-shirt. “What more opportunities?'' I said, “Yes,'' and he answered. It reflected what young voters in rusty industrial areas and beyond have been telling me.
I spoke with some of the attendees who were there that fateful July 13th, and one other Joe stood out.
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“Everyone was very calm and orderly, that's what I remember,” he said. “But I felt really bad for the kids. I mean, they were really scared.”
Joe admitted he felt the emotion coming back to the Butler Farm Show venue, but being the man he is, he declined to elaborate too much on it.
What about elections? Like everyone I talked to, my confidence is growing. “Look at this crowd. How could they lose?” he said.
Honestly, that sounded a bit presumptuous, especially given the events of the past eight years, but it's definitely a sign that President Trump's voters, whose nervousness over the past month has strengthened their belief that this is true, reflects an attitude. The election is now swinging squarely in President Trump's direction.
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Saturday at Butler felt like a reset. After all, this tragic shooting occurred just two days before the Republican National Convention. Just a week later, Biden was out of office and Harris was sworn in, creating chaos everywhere.
With just a month to go until Election Day, Donald Trump is clearly reinvigorated, if the large crowd at his second Butler rally is to be believed.
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