Thousands gather for Trump rally in Michigan, undeterred by last week’s shooting

Thousands waited for hours on a hot summer day in Grand Rapids for Donald Trump’s his first rally since a gunman shot him in the ear in an attempted assassination, undeterred by worries about safety.

When he took the stage, after entering the arena surrounded by Secret Service agents, Trump cast the shooting as an act of sacrifice. He noted that Democrats often accuse him of being a threat to democracy.

“Last week, I took a bullet for democracy,” he said. “What did I do against democracy?”

Many of those at Saturday’s event in the battleground state of Michigan told the BBC that the assassination attempt, which also killed an audience member and wounded two others, would not stop them from showing support for the Republican presidential nominee. Some said they came because of the shooting.

Trump was not scheduled to address the crowd until 17:00 EST (22:00 BST), but people began camping out in a queue as early as the night before. By 13:00 EST, a line stretched for about three miles (4.8km) outside the 12,000-person Van Del Arena.

Unlike last week’s rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, the Grand Rapids event was held indoors, allowing security officers to carefully monitor who entered and to cut off threats from outside the rally.

In his speech, Trump thanked the “thousands and thousands” of people who came to see him “almost exactly” a week after the Pennsylvania assassination attempt.

“I stand before you only by the grace of almighty God,” he said, repeating his belief that divine intervention saved him from being killed.

Wendy and Steve Upcott of Clarkston, Michigan, were among the thousands who drove from all over the state to see him, many reassured by the increased security.

The couple said their 26-year-old daughter begged them not to attend the rally two hours from home, fearing for their safety in the wake of the assassination attempt. But they felt obliged to come after the shooting last weekend.

“The chances of it happening again just one week to the day later is unlikely,” said Ms Upcott.

The Upcotts and many others in Grand Rapids were decked out in red Make America Great Again caps, along with cowboy hats, shirts and full outfits resembling the American flag. T-shirts with Trump’s mug shot were for sale.

Laura Schultz said she thought about her safety Saturday morning before she decided to come to the event with a friend.

“You can’t let fear stop you,” she said.

Other rally-goers, including several young adults, said the assassination attempt pushed them to attend the Michigan rally.

It was the first Trump campaign event for Donald, a 24 year old from Grand Rapids who wore a shirt with the viral image of Trump pumping his fist after being shot.

“This is the first event after the attempted assassination. I think it’s probably going to be the most important rally,” said Donald, who declined to share his last name.

Donald said he had no fears for his own safety, because of the hundreds of police officers, including some on horseback.

But others said they remained scared for Trump.

“It should be a concern for most Americans that he is still not safe,” Ms Upcott said.

“He needs to be very careful,” said Ms Schultz.

Other supporters expressed outrage at the US Secret Service over the incident last week. The agency has faced intense scrutiny after shooter William Crooks was able to take aim at Trump in Pennsylvania by climbing onto a roof of a building near the rally stage, even after rallygoers pointed him out to police.

Investigators have still yet to name a motive for the 20-year-old gunman who was later killed by Secret Service agents.

Since then, the country has become more attuned to possible threats to both presidential candidates. Police in Jupiter, Florida, on Friday arrested a man for allegedly posting threats to Trump on social media, while a different man from Florida was arrested a few days earlier for allegedly threatening President Joe Biden.

The Michigan indoor event space was much easier to secure, with metal detectors and military personnel sweeping the whole building, said former Secret Service agent Jason Russell, who has worked on campaign events at the Grand Rapids arena.

“You’ll have a pretty, pretty significant number of agents on site,” Mr Russell said, adding that they would be able to keep Trump out of view until his entrance.

This was one of several campaign stops the former president has made to the key battleground state as polls show him in a close race against Mr Biden.

The rally came on the heels of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where Trump officially accepted his party’s presidential nomination and delivered his first public address since the assassination attempt.

It also marked the first time Trump appeared on the campaign trail with his vice-presidential pick, Ohio Sen. JD Vance.

Mr Biden, meanwhile, has had to pause campaign events after testing positive for COVID-19.

He continues to resist growing calls from members of his own party to drop out of the race due to concerns about his age and cognitive abilities.

Trump has for the most part stayed silent about Democrats’ drama, but on Saturday he told the crowd they have a “couple problems”.

“They don’t know who their candidate is, and neither do we,” he said.

On Saturday, the former White House physician, Dr Ronny Jackson, released a statement about his condition after having examined Trump.

The bullet created a 2 cm-wide wound on Trump’s ear that extended down to the cartilage, Dr Jackson said, which is beginning to “heal properly.” No stitches had been needed, he added.

Trump’s campaign also announced that it plans to hold its next rally in Charlotte, North Carolina on 24 July at the Bojangles Coliseum.