The Pittsburgh-Butler Regional Airport Authority made clear at a meeting on Thursday, Sept. 12, it has not received any updates regarding the use of the airport for a possible campaign rally for former President Donald Trump in October.

Members of the authority said they had not been contacted by any campaign officials. The motion to approve a Trump campaign rally was tabled because of a lack of new information.

“There is no formal request and there is no date specified, so really right now we can’t vote on anything,” Mike Walsh, chairman of the Butler County Airport Authority, said during the meeting. “If it happens, we’ll call an executive session.”

Walsh later clarified and said the board of directors would call for a special meeting should a formal request be presented to them.

The airport was contacted in August by Butler County Sheriff Mike Slupe about potentially hosting a Trump campaign rally in October.

“If they are to be used, it would be an agreement with the campaign,” Slupe said.

Airport manager Stephanie Saracco was not certain any request would even be submitted.

“It’s a question that came in after the August board meeting,” Saracco said when asked about Slupe’s phone call. “Until, or unless, a formal request is made we have no idea. We don’t even know if a formal request will be made.”

As is the case for all prospective airport events, Saracco said it would hinge on a decision made by the board.

In a July 17 interview, Walsh said the Trump campaign had contacted the airport about a month-and-a-half before the July 13 rally at the Butler Farm Show grounds. The airport declined the request, as the Penn Township Volunteer Fire Company’s annual Mega Cruise was to be held on July 13.

The event was instead held at the Butler Farm Show grounds. That event ended when the former president was nearly assassinated by 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks.

A Buffalo Township man and fire chief, Corey Comperatore, was killed and injuring James Copenhaver, 74, of Moon Township and David Dutch, 57, of New Kensington, at the rally. After unloading eight shots, Crooks was promptly killed by a Secret Service counter-sniper team at the Connoquenessing Township venue.

If Trump and campaign officials do request use of the airport’s facilities, they would be familiar with the venue after holding a rally there back on Oct. 31, 2020. Walsh, in the July interview, said the 2020 rally was well-organized.

Butler Eagle assignment editor Tracy Leturgey contributed to this report.