Former US President Donald Trump made a public appearance at a campaign rally held in Grand Rapids, Michigan alongside newly announced running mate J.D. Vance. The event marked Trump’s first public appearance since narrowly avoiding a gunshot wound to his head during an attempted assassination the previous week. The shots fired by the assailant grazed Trump’s ear and hit the audience behind him, resulting in one death and two injuries.
Michigan is recognized as a significant battleground state that could determine the outcome of the November presidential election. In 2020, President Joe Biden secured the vote in this crucial state, despite it being won by Trump in the 2016 election. Addressing his supporters, Trump stated, “They keep saying ‘He’s a threat to Democracy’… What the Hell did I do to Democracy?” He added, “Last week, I took a bullet for Democracy.
During the rally, Trump accused the Democratic Party of trying to overthrow the results of their own primaries in an effort to replace incumbent candidate Joe Biden. He criticized the party for being undemocratic, stating that they are “really the enemies of democracy.
In his speech, Trump also took a jab at the Democrats’ lack of clarity on their presidential nominee. This remark comes amid growing concerns about Joe Biden’s mental and physical decline and increased calls from Congressional Democrats for him to step aside in favor of another party member.
Despite facing public scrutiny and contracting Covid-19, Biden has maintained his commitment to the race, insisting that he will return to the campaign trail by next week.