President Trump will return to Butler, Pennsylvania for the first time since his near-fatal assassination attempt to honor the victims of the shooting and offer a unifying message on American perseverance. 

“President Trump’s return to Butler will stand as a tribute to the American spirit,” his campaign announced. “In America, we do not let monsters like that evil assassin have the last word. Every time our nation is struck by attack or hardship, we rally, we persevere, and we prevail.” 

The rally, which is set for October 5th, will take place “on the very same ground” where the 45th president was grazed by a bullet shot by his would-be assassin in an attack that killed one attendee, a father of two and volunteer firefighter, Corey Comperatore, and injured two others.

The incident was immortalized in a widely-shared image of a blood-streaked Trump raising his first in the air while being whisked away by security agents. 

Trump’s base is pitching the event as an opportunity for the former commander in chief, along with “tens of thousands of proud citizens,” to “celebrate a unifying vision for America’s future.” 

The tribute also comes just weeks after the 45th president dodged an apparent second attempt on his life while golfing in Florida. The Secret Service spotted the second would-be assassin, Ryan Routh, hiding in the bushes and armed with a rifle, just a few hundred yards away from the GOP nominee. The assailant fled the scene after an agent opened fire but was later apprehended and arrested. 

On Monday, Mr. Routh pleaded not guilty to all five counts against him, including attempted assassinaton of a presidential candidate. The magistrate judge presiding over his case, Bruce Reinhart, is the same judge that signed off on an FBI warrant to search Trump’s Florida residence, Mar-a-Lago, as part of the classified documents case against the former president. 

“After not one, but two attempts on his life in the past nine weeks, President Trump is more determined than ever to see his mission through to the end,” his campaign wrote. “In that Butler field on July 13th, he took a bullet for democracy — and on November 5th, he is going to save our democracy.” 

Pennsylvania, meanwhile, has become one of the most closely watched swing state races, with recent polls placing the two candidates neck-in-neck. The upcoming event offers Trump an important opportunity to appeal to Pennsylvanians before they head to the polls just a month later. 

While at Butler, Trump will pay tribute to Comperatore “who heroically sacrificed his life to shield his wife and daughters from the bullets on that terrible day” and will recognize the two Americans who were wounded in the July 13 shooting, David Dutch and James Copenhaver. The former president honored Comperatore during the Republican National Convention at Milwaukee when he kissed the late firefighters helmet and protective gear. 

Trump will also take the stage to “express his deep gratitude to law enforcement and first responders, and thank the entire community for their outpouring of love and support in the wake of the attack.” 

The Secret Service faces a multi-pronged investigation over the failures which allowed the gunman to position himself on a nearby rooftop and fire eight shots at the direction of the former president. 

Following a disastrous testimony before Congress, the former Secret Service director, Kimberly Cheatle, resigned from her post. According to a statement released by the Senate in its bipartisan probe of the Secret Service, the security lapses in the lead-up to the rally were  “foreseeable, preventable, and directly related to the events resulting in the assassination attempt that day.” At least five agents have been placed on leave in relation to the shooting. 

Trump’s beefed up security detail will be on display during his October rally at Butler. Since the shooting, Trump has appeared at his outdoor rallies behind the protection of a bullet proof glass shield.