BUTLER, Pa. (AP) — On the streets of Butler, Pennsylvania, Saturday’s assassination attempt When it comes to former President Donald Trump, the same word was repeated over and over: “What a thing to say.”
Butler, population 13,000 and home to a grand courthouse that adorns the square, was named for a Revolutionary War general. American flags fly on Main Street and black-and-white photos of local heroes who died in other wars fought in the name of democracy. The first Jeeps were built here in 1940 at the request of the U.S. Army.
This is the country, the neighborhood, and Trump country.
“If I wanted to go after him and do anything, I’d have to go to Butler County,” said Cindy Michael, a health care worker, 44. “Everybody’s in shock. Really in shock.”
Trump is not the first president to be the target of gunfire in this area. Long before he became the first president of the United States, George Washington “narrowly escaped death” after being shot by a Native American less than 15 steps away. A state historical marker marks the spot along the road about 14 miles (22 kilometers) southwest of Butler.
This county, located on the western edge of the presidential battleground state, is a Trump stronghold. In Butler County, where voter turnout is high at around 80%, Trump won with about 66% of the vote in both 2016 and 2020. About 57% of Butler County’s 139,000 voters are Republican supporters, about 29% are Democrat supporters, and 14% are other supporters.
Trump won nearly 10,000 more votes in Butler County between 2016 and 2020, but that wasn’t enough to win Pennsylvania. President Joe Biden gained votes in the state’s urban and suburban areas, winning 9,000 more votes in Butler County than Hillary Clinton in 2016, helping push Trump out of the White House.
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Still, Butler County has strong support for Trump, and local attorney Patrick Casey said that may have been part of the problem.
“A friend said to me this morning, ‘I think we all thought Donald Trump was safe in Butler County,’ and I responded by reminding him that it was in the Vatican that Pope John Paul II was shot in an assassination attempt,” Casey said. “Who would have thought there was anywhere safer than that?”
Indeed, the atmosphere at the Butler County Fairgrounds on the day of the rally was relaxed and friendly: Couples held hands, parents surrounded their children, and a woman wished her 75th-year-old mother a happy birthday. Thomas Matthew Crookes Shots were fired, including one that Trump said hit him in the ear. A Secret Service sniper returned fire, shooting and killing Crooks. A bystander was shot and killedTwo more people were injured.
It remains to be seen whether Butler can ever get close to normal.
“We are deeply saddened by this incident in our hometown,” Brenkle’s Farm and Greenhouse, located just outside the fairgrounds where the shooting occurred, said in a Facebook post Monday. “Butler is a peaceful community and all who live here share similar qualities. The community is kind, generous and willing to give anything they can if needed.”
The events of that day weigh heavy on people’s minds, but they don’t appear to have influenced their voting habits: Some Trump supporters say the assassination attempt strengthened their resolve to vote for Trump, while others say it had no effect on their political sentiments at all.
Victoria Rose, 25, a nurse who moved to Butler from Nashville, Tennessee, four months ago, said she hasn’t decided how she’ll vote in November and that what happens in her new hometown doesn’t matter to her.
“This will be my first time voting in a presidential election,” she said. “The political climate is a little weird right now, so I’m still undecided.” She is hopeful that the assassination attempt will be put to rest, but Lower the temperature America’s Political conversation, She said that in her experience, friends her age are able to talk about political differences without getting angry.
Jamie Blackley, who owns a bike shop in downtown Butler, calls himself “neutral” in terms of declaring a political party, and when asked if the assassination attempt on Trump would affect his political activities, he said, “No. I’m a conspiracy theorist through and through, so it has no effect on me.”
Democrat Renece Olesnevich, 66, has lived in Butler all her life and calls it a “good Christian town.”
Olesnevich said he has not yet decided on a presidential candidate, but the assassination attempt will not affect his decision — instead, he is waiting for more information about Trump’s running mate. U.S. Senator J.D. Vance of Ohio said, He is also expected to speak about Biden’s health later on Monday.
“My heart goes out to the parents of that young man because you all know their lives have become a living hell. I don’t think (what he did) will influence my decision in any way,” she said.
She added: “I pray for this country every day because we desperately need something to change the anger that’s been going around.”
In places where people know each other, it is normal to think about the impact of such a catastrophe on individuals, especially those directly involved in the event, which is another reason why the shock can linger for years.
“The world is a crazy place,” said Jody Snyder, a former police officer, Army officer and sniper who lives in nearby Clarion and was visiting the Butler County Courthouse on Monday, “and in Butler of all places.”
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Rabie reported from Charleston, West Virginia. Associated Press data writer Kavish Harjai contributed from Los Angeles.
