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Trump narrowly escaped assassination attempts in July and

September

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Republican officials hope rally will boost support in

Pennsylvania

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Secret Service faced criticism and made security

enhancements

(New throughout, adds Trump rally begins)

By Steve Holland

BUTLER, Pennsylvania, Oct 5 (Reuters) - Republican

presidential candidate Donald Trump on Saturday returned to the

rural Pennsylvania site where he was nearly assassinated,

rallying a large crowd in the critical battleground state one

month before the Nov. 5 election.

"As I was saying," Trump said as he appeared on stage,

pretending he was resuming the speech that was interrupted when

he was grazed in the ear by a bullet on July 13.

Trump saluted firefighter Corey Comperatore, who was

shot and killed by the shooter, and two other people who were

wounded.

At 6:11 p.m., the exact time when gunfire erupted on

July 13, Trump called for a moment of silence. A bell then

tolled four times, once for each of the four victims, including

Trump.

"He did not stop our movement, he did not break our

spirit," Trump said of the attempted assassin, who was shot and

killed by security sharpshooters.

Trump ally Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and owner of social

media platform X, was scheduled to appear on stage at the rally,

his first time at a Trump campaign event since he endorsed the

former president after the July 13 assassination attempt.

The crowd appeared to be in the tens of thousands, many

wearing Trump regalia. Some chanted the "fight, fight, fight"

slogan Trump used to rally his followers moments after he was

shot.

"We're here to say, we can't be intimidated, we can't be

stopped," Ohio Republican Senator JD Vance, Trump's vice

presidential running mate, told the crowd.

Vance rejected the argument from Vice President Kamala

Harris and other Democrats that Trump represents a threat to

democracy.

"Donald Trump took a bullet for democracy. What the hell

have you done?" Vance said.

People cheered when Trump's plane did a flyby over the

rally prior to landing as the loudspeakers played the "Top Gun"

movie theme song.

Trailers were lined up around the site as a protective

measure to block the surrounding view including the building

where the shooter had opened fire.

Adding to the carnival-like atmosphere, three parachutists

with American flags streaming behind them hurtled down and

landed near the building.

July 13 was the first of two attempts on Trump's life.

On Sept. 15, a gunman hid undetected for nearly 12 hours at

Trump's golf course in West Palm Beach, Florida, with plans to

kill him, prosecutors have said, but was thwarted by a U.S.

Secret Service agent patrolling the course ahead of Trump.

Republican officials hope Trump's return to Butler will

drive up turnout for him among hard-core supporters in

Pennsylvania, a state he and his Democratic opponent, Vice

President Kamala Harris, see as crucial to winning on Nov. 5.

"I'm going back to Butler because I feel I have an

obligation to go back to Butler," Trump told the NewsNation

cable news network earlier this week. "We never finished what we

were supposed to do."

Introductory speakers at the rally focused on remembering

Comperatore, whose family members attended.

"We will not let that tragic day overshadow our

community's light," said JD Longo, mayor of the nearby town of

Slippery Rock.

The Butler shooting led to widespread criticism of the

U.S. Secret Service and the resignation of its director.

Critics raised concerns about how the 20-year-old suspect,

Thomas Matthew Crooks was able to access a nearby rooftop with a

direct line of sight to where Trump was speaking. Crooks was

subsequently shot to death by Secret Service agents.

A Secret Service probe found communication gaps and a lack

of diligence ahead of the shooting. In its aftermath, the agency

approved extra security measures for Trump, including using

bulletproof glass to shield him at outdoor rallies.

Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi said in a

statement before Saturday's rally that there had been

"comprehensive changes and enhancements to our communications

capabilities, resourcing and protective operations."

Trump credits turning his head to read a chart on a big

video as having saved his life. With blood dripping down his

face, he raised a fist and shouted "fight" to his supporters, a

vivid image from that day. He wore a white bandage on his wounde

"I love that chart," Trump said when it flashed on

screen on Saturday. "Isn't it beautiful."