Butler County sources: Trump campaign has not reached out about Oct. 5 visit to county
Sources in Butler County told the Butler Eagle on Monday, Sept. 23, that they have had no recent contact with the Trump campaign and were surprised by unconfirmed national news reports about an Oct. 5 visit.
NBC and CBS News, relying on anonymous sources, said the former President Donald Trump will return to Butler County less than three months after the rally at the Butler Farm Show grounds traumatized the community when an attempt was made on his life, a Buffalo Township man was fatally shot and two others were seriously injured.
In addition to a number of local sources denying any knowledge of the visit or contact with the Trump campaign organization, a high-ranking Republican official who resides in Butler County told the Eagle that nothing has been decided about a potential visit from Trump.
CBS News cited “two sources familiar with the Trump campaign’s planning” in its reporting and said the visit would be at the Butler Farm Show grounds in Connoquenessing Township.
When reached by the Eagle, Ken Laughlin, president of the Butler Farm Show, said he had no comment.
Cody Stephenson, who is also on the farm show board, said that the farm show doesn’t have a contract with the Trump campaign and that he was caught off-guard by the news of a Trump return.
Butler County Sheriff Mike Slupe said he was unaware of any concrete plans for a second Trump rally in the area.
“I know he wants to do it,” Slupe said. “There’s no contract that I’m aware of.”
Officials at the Pittsburgh-Butler Regional Airport, which was used by the Trump campaign for a rally in 2020, also have no knowledge of an Oct. 5 event.
Mike Walsh, airport board chairman, said the Trump campaign has not been in contact with the airport regarding scheduling a rally there.
The Trump campaign attempted to hold the July rally at the airport, but was denied due to a scheduling conflict, as the airport was hosting a car cruise. This led the Trump campaign to choose the farm show grounds as its site.
“It’s just rumors around town, but they haven’t requested anything at this time,” Walsh said.
Greg Geibel, general manager of Lernerville Speedway in Sarver, said he also has not heard from the Trump campaign regarding an October event. Geibel said the speedway reached out this summer promoting the venue for the July rally.
“We want to have it,” he said.
In addition, Matt Knoedler, communications director for U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly, R-16th, said Monday he had no information about a rally planned for Butler County on Oct. 5.
“No info from our office,” Knoedler said.
Kelly and several members of his family were present for the July rally at the farm show grounds.
Trump’s July 13 campaign stop in the county ended abruptly, when shots were fired from the AGR International Building. In addition to the shooter, Corey Comperatore died from gunshot wounds, and two other people were injured. The gunman was also killed.
Following the rally, Trump said in social media posts and in an Aug. 12 interview with X’s owner, Elon Musk, that he planned to return to Butler in October to finish what he started.
Kelly is chairman of the House’s bipartisan Task Force on the Attempted Assassination of Donald J. Trump which is investigating the shooting. Task force members have visited the farm show grounds twice, and the group has requested documents relating to the July 13 event. The task force will hold a hearing Thursday in Washington, D.C.
The task force has a deadline of Dec. 13 to submit a final report on its findings.
This article was updated at 5 p.m. Sept. 24, 2024.
