Former President Donald Trump and Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) made their first public appearance since the assassination attempt on Trump last month. However, there was a noticeable change at the event: bulletproof glass surrounded Trump’s podium at the North Carolina Aviation Museum & Hall of Fame. The glass formed a protective wall across the stage, as seen in live streams and photos from the event.
To further enhance security, storage containers were stacked around the perimeter to create additional walls and block sight lines. Snipers were positioned on roofs, while old aircraft sat behind the podium and a large American flag hung from cranes.
Trump and Vance have been actively campaigning this week in battleground states. At the start of the rally, Trump addressed Wednesday’s report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which revealed that between April 2023 and March 2024, 818,000 jobs had been revised down in the U.S. economy.
The rally marked Trump’s second visit to North Carolina within a week. The state played a crucial role in his victory in 2016 and is once again considered a key battleground for this year’s election.
Before arriving at the rally site, Trump’s plane did a flyover that elicited cheers from the crowd. Meanwhile, Chicago hosted this week’s Democratic National Convention (DNC), where Vice President Kamala Harris and running mate Tim Walz are set to accept their party’s nomination.
Since July’s shooting incident during another rally in Pennsylvania, federal law enforcement officials have not disclosed any motive or political animus behind Thomas Crooks’ actions as he opened fire on attendees before being shot by Secret Service snipers.
FBI Director Christopher Wray testified before House lawmakers last month that Crooks had flown a drone near the rally stage prior to carrying out his attack. Investigators also gained access to Crooks’ phone but faced challenges due to encrypted communication apps he used.
As we await further updates on these events unfolding across multiple states during this busy campaign period leading up to November’s election day.