About an hour before Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump took the stage in his highly anticipated return to Butler, Pennsylvania, Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, praised the Americans who witnessed the attempted assassination for their bravery to come back Saturday.
"Now my friends, I know you'll join me in saying we're going to remember July 13, 2024 forever: Many of you were here and it is a testament to your courage and your patriotism that you're here again today," Vance told the crowd in a pre-Trump speech that aired in part on Newsmax and in its entirety on the free Newsmax2 streaming platform.
"Now, you heard the shots. You saw the blood. We all feared the worst, but you knew everything would be OK when President Trump raised his fist high in the air and shouted: 'Fight, fight!'"
Vance shared Trump's long-repeated sentiment that dodging the fatality of a would-be assassin's bullet could only be described as divine influence.
"Now I believe, as sure as I'm standing here today, that what happened was a true miracle — and 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,'" Vance continued.
"I truly believe that God saved President Trump's life that day, and I believe that God is with us right now and watches over this incredible nation every single day."
Vance welcomed the crowd, praising its courage for supporting Trump and having stood in the line of fire, only to come back to celebrate a triumphant return.
"What an amazing, amazing crowd: What an amazing day," Trump said. "And my friends in 31 days, this state, starting with Butler, is going to turn red and we're going to send Donald Trump back to the White House."
Trump had flown over the Butler crowd before Vance took the stage, but Vance was prepping them for the nominee's arrival.
"I am so proud on this historic day to welcome President Trump; I know he's en route right now; he should be here in about, I don't know, a half an hour or so," he said.
"But it is this community. This community has been so good to me and President Trump. This community is so strong and so resilient. And my friends, we are so proud to stand here in Butler, Pennsylvania, ready to take back the White House, ready to take back this country."
"Now, 84 days ago, of course, on this very field, an assassin tried to fill our hearts with terror. But we are here to say we can't be intimidated. We cannot be stopped. We won't be denied.
"We will make America great again, and we're going to do it together."
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