Tragedy doesn’t deter visitors, most residents from coming for second 2024 Trump rally in Butler County
Butler County residents and out-of-towners alike will line up Saturday, Oct. 5 to watch former President Donald Trump’s return to the Butler Farm Show grounds this weekend.
Despite the attempt on Trump’s life that occurred during his last visit on July 13 — or perhaps because of it — many who were present at the earlier rally say they are willing to make the trip to the Connoquenessing Township venue for his second visit of the 2024 election campaign.
One Butler County resident, Gary Fleeger, says he was at the last rally and will be at this one, too. In the past, he’s been an out-of-towner at the current presidential candidate’s rallies, as he has attended a total of seven Trump rallies, including one in Ocala, Fla.
“After what happened, I’m not backing down,” said Fleeger. “I'm gonna be sitting in the same spot.”
Others who weren’t present for that first rally have come from far away to show support for the Republican candidate. Among this crowd is Cole Lawrence, a native New Zealander who lives in western Canada but traveled the length of the continent to come to Butler County.
“We wanted to see the community and see everyone get together, and we wanted to be part of the good energy,” Lawrence said. “We've been trying to find a good (rally), and then we saw this one, so we took the leap and we flew over here.”
As with Trump’s visit in July, the area around the Butler Farm Show grounds on Evans City Road has been populated by vendors of “Trump stuff” — everything from flags to lawn signs to buttons to bumper stickers.
This time around, the tenor of much of the merchandise has taken on an air of defiance after not one, but two attempts on the presidential candidate’s life — a second assassination attempt in Florida was thwarted by the Secret Service last month.
During the July 13 attempt, a gunman fired shots that killed Buffalo Township man Corey Comperatore, severely injured two others and grazed Trump’s ear.
In addition, the “attack” merchandise has found a new target, with President Joe Biden dropping out of the election and Vice President Kamala Harris taking the Democratic nomination.
Most vendors, such as A.J. Jackson, have popped in from out of town, following Trump from rally to rally. Jackson, who hails from Richmond, Va., has been selling “Trump stuff” out of a decorated ambulance since 2018.
“It’s just horns blowing. Everybody’s all over it. We have no negativity at all right now,” Jackson said. “Last time, there was just a little bit of negativity. This time, everything’s calm, cool and collected.”
Making his return to Butler County was Bill Bailey, who set up a large Trump merchandise footprint in the parking lot of Brenckle’s Greenhouses on Evans City Road. Bailey is the owner of “Get Your Trump Gear Here,” based in Grand Haven, Mich.
“There’s a lot of energy from people in town here right now,” Bailey said. “We’re starting to see a lot of people coming in from as far away as California right now that want to come here and see the President.”
However, not everyone is as enthusiastic about Trump’s third visit to Butler County. At least one resident of Connoquenessing Township, Roy Gilliland, wishes Trump never came to the area in the first place.
“He brought nothing but trouble the last time, and he’s been nothing but trouble ever since he threw his hat into the ring back in 2015. So I don’t approve of him coming back,” Gilliland said. “I wouldn’t attend (the rally) no matter who came, because I don't like those kind of crowds and the people that it brings.”
Bailey noted that security seemed to be much tighter around the Butler Farm Show grounds for Trump’s return visit, at least by the day before the rally.
“Back in July when we were here, we could come and go out of the (farm show grounds) as much as we wanted, right up until the day of the rally,” Bailey said. “We’ve been here for a week now, and the (farm show grounds) have been locked down to the public the whole time.”
Fleeger says he’s not concerned about the possibility of a repeat assassination attempt, even though he was standing only 40 feet away from Trump when his ear was grazed by a bullet at the July rally.
“I’m not afraid. My dad signed up in the military. He served the country,” Fleeger said. “This is my way of serving the country. I’m backing the man that I believe in.”
