Former President Donald J. Trump announced on Truth Social that he will be returning to Butler, Pennsylvania, to honor the heroic firefighter Corey Comperatore, who was killed by gunfire while shielding his family at the former President’s July 13 campaign rally. Would-be presidential assassin Thomas Matthew Crooks fired eight rounds at Trump, striking him in the ear, wounding two other rallygoers, and killing Comperatore after he dove on his loved ones to protect them.
“I will be going back to Bulter, Pennsylvania, for a big and beautiful rally, honoring the soul of our beloved firefighting hero, Corey, and those brave patriots injured two weeks ago,” Trump announced on Friday, July 26. He added: What a day it will be. Fight, fight, fight! Stay tuned for details.”
The former President’s planned return to the site of the attempt on his life comes amid several ongoing federal investigations into security lapses that resulted in Crooks being able to open fire on the rally from a rooftop just 400 feet away. Subsequently, on Wednesday, July 24, the U.S. House of Representatives—by a unanimous vote—approved a bipartisan task force of lawmakers to investigate the attempted assassination of Trump.
Meanwhile, on Thursday, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) director Christopher Wray testified before the House Judiciary Committee regarding the attempt on Trump‘s life. Wray confirmed to lawmakers that Trump was the intended target of the would-be assassin. He added that photos of political figures found on Crooks’s phone were cached images from news websites and unconnected to the assassination plot.
Concerningly, Wray told the committee that the FBI believes Crooks was live streaming aerial surveillance of the rally area through a drone before the assassination attempt. He did not indicate whether the feed was only available to Crooks or if others had access.