Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) reflected on the “bittersweet” rally former President Donald Trump conducted in Butler, Pennsylvania, over the weekend as the late Corey Comperatore could not join the other attendees.
Comperatore was killed in Trump’s July 13 rally in Butler while shielding his family from gunfire that injured two other rally attendees. Vance, Trump’s vice presidential nominee, said there was “tension” among attendees at the rally over the weekend between the feelings of being glad to see Trump back and being mournful over how Comperatore was killed at the previous Butler rally.
“And I think that what Donald Trump and I take from that is you have incredible people who are not just willing to show up, but in Corey’s case, willing to throw himself over his wife and his daughters to protect them,” Vance said on Fox News’s Fox and Friends. “When you’ve got people like that on your team, we’re going to campaign as hard as we can to earn the people’s trust over the next 30 days. I just take inspiration from it.”
Vance added that Trump explained it “very well” at the rally on Saturday, as he discussed how most men have asked themselves if they could make the same sacrifice Comperatore made when he protected his family. The Ohio senator also contended that rally attendees were “thrilled” to celebrate Comperatore’s life and “what’s possible” in the United States under “better leadership.”
Trump’s running mate spoke about the first assassination attempt on the former president during Saturday’s rally, stating Trump supporters knew “everything would be OK” after Trump raised his fist after the shooting. Vance also stated that Trump was “a true miracle” and that the U.S. felt “the truth of Scripture” in that moment.
“Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me,” Vance said in reciting a portion of Psalm 23.
What happened here in Butler, PA on July 13th was nothing short of a miracle. On that day, America felt the truth of scripture:
“Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me.”
Glad to be back in Butler with @realDonaldTrump🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/28VaEmpfCu
— JD Vance (@JDVance) October 5, 2024
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Ahead of the 2024 election, Vance has reiterated that a second Trump presidency would aim to defund Planned Parenthood. The Ohio senator argued that the Trump campaign has been “consistent” in its view of not supporting taxpayer funding for abortions.
Pennsylvania is one of the most sought-after states in the Electoral College, with Trump set to do two rallies in the state on Wednesday, in Scranton and Reading. Vance, meanwhile, is spending this week doing several rallies in other battleground states, such as Arizona, Michigan, and North Carolina, capping off the week with a visit to Johnstown, Pennsylvania.