Returning to the election circuit in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on Saturday following a close encounter with death at an attempted assassination in Butler, Pennsylvania, Donald Trump did not hold back in criticising his political opponents Joe Biden and Kamala Harris from the Democratic Party. This was his first public appearance after the serious incident and he emerged, not with his previous obvious white ear bandage from the Republican national convention, but rather with a more discreet patch.
Speaking at his inaugural rally alongside his newly announced running partner, the Senator of Ohio, JD Vance, Mr Trump described the foiled attempted killing as “an atrocious event”. He acknowledged that it was “through divine intervention” that he was able to address his supporters. Trump remarked that he was fortunate and that the event had an undeniably peculiar element.
The President used the incident to make a surprising turn of phrase, stating that immigration had saved him. He elaborated by explaining that he had turned his head towards a graph displaying border crossing statistics just in time as a bullet moved past him, narrowly missing his head and grazing his ear instead. Mr Trump expressed his fervent wish to never experience a similar event. He responded to his opponents labelling him as a “democratic threat” by asserting that he “took a bullet in the name of democracy”.
Mr Trump added fuel to the fire of the existing leadership turmoil within the Democratic Party. His comments possibly referring to the ongoing discussions amongst Democrats regarding Mr. Biden’s potential withdrawal from his bid for re-election due to growing anxieties about his age and mental clarity. Trump joked that the identity of their candidate was a mystery even to them, mocking Mr Biden, whom he referred to as a “frail elderly man”.
Despite having recently faced a life-threatening incident, the head dignitary of the Republicans presented himself as upbeat and jovial through his lengthy address. Mr Trump stated his preference to be in Michigan rather than engaging in a tiresome beach vacation and observing the waves – a subtle jab at Mr Biden, who is in the midst of recuperating from Covid at his beach property in Delaware.
As Trump rallied his supporters on Saturday, his team communicated an official statement related to his injuries. Ronny Jackson, a representative from Texas who served as a Trump’s physician during his tenure at the White House, disclosed that the bullet had skilfully missed the President’s head by less than a quarter of an inch, skimming the top of his right ear and leaving a wound 2cm in width.
In the Michigan stadium, the once US leader made a bold prediction of an election triumph, while querying the gathered masses if they’d rather he pit himself against Vice President Kamala Harris, a suggestion that resulted in loud disapproval, or Mr Biden, which the crowd met with cheers. He stated his comfort in contending with the governor of Michigan, Gretchen Whitmer, whilst expressing his views that her work has been dreadful.
A common theme of his critique was electric vehicles, his relationship with China and trade matters, as well as his ambitious deportation plans. His speech was peppered with a relentless, dramatic exaggeration, particularly concerning immigration. Strikingly, he echoed extreme right-wing conspiracies about crimes alleged to be committed by immigrants.
However, the former president refuted allegations suggesting his potential second term would be swayed by the extremist ethos of Project 2025 advanced by the right-leaning Heritage Foundation and including many individuals associated with him and his campaign. He rejected any knowledge or interest in the aforementioned document, describing its authors as part of the ‘extreme right – highly conservative and the antithesis of the progressive radical left’.
Before he took the floor, Mr Vance, oblivious of the sports rivalry between his Ohioan origin and Michigan, was warmly welcomed to the stage. He censured both Republicans and Democrats during his address for their historical failure to protect manufacturing employment in both Michigan and the entire US. He concluded that the two major parties had significant internal issues, prior to Trump’s introduction.
Throngs of people, counting in thousands, eagerly awaited outside the 12,000 capacity Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in a show of support for the former president. This was amid heightened security measures resulting from a previous lapse where an attempted assassin, Thomas Matthews Crooks (20), managed to climb onto a rooftop with a clear view of the stage during an event held in Butler, Pennsylvania, and fired several shots towards the ex-president.
In stark contrast to an open county fair from the previous week, Saturday’s rally for Trump was held in a closed arena. The plan was to ensure foolproof security without delegating perimeters to local law enforcement like in Butler’s incident.
With both Trump and Biden needing to secure the state of Michigan for a win, recent polling figures show Trump enjoying a 4 per-cent lead over Biden at 46 per cent to 42 per cent.
This corresponds to the trend observed in other important swing states, particularly following Mr Biden’s unsuccessful debate performance three weeks prior, which incited a surge of concern regarding his election viability within his party. Nationally, Mr Trump has edged past Mr Biden in direct comparison polls.
Local news coverage reveals that enthusiasts began to congregate for the assembly as early as Friday afternoon, and by Saturday noon, the queues to see Mr Trump extended over six blocks.
Julie Bryant, a supporter from Marshall, Michigan, expressed her admiration to Michigan Live by stating, “I find it incredible. It truly indicates his strength and we’re incredibly proud of him, not that we’d ever foresee anyone being here in this capacity if they weren’t capable. We’re simply here to express support, particularly in the light of recent events.”
Supporter Adam Salton, who had been queuing since 6am said, “Forget about the right or the left, this is about Trump, this is about us. He could be lounging on a golf course now or be with his family, but he’s out here doing this for us. Thus, I’ll endure standing here for eight hours for him, because this is for us.”