Donald Trump holds first outdoor rally since failed assassination attempt
21 August 2024, 21:24 | Updated: 22 August 2024, 00:39
Donald Trump has held his first outdoor rally since surviving last month’s assassination attempt.
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Guarded by a row of bulletproof protective glass, the former president rallied against Democratic nominee Kamala Harris and her party’s approach to foreign policy.
Speaking at the North Carolina Aviation Museum & Hall of Fame Trump said: “The world is on fire, and Kamala and Biden have marched us to the brink of World War III.”
Storage containers were stacked around the perimeter of the space to create additional walls and block sight lines.
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Snipers were also positioned on roofs at the venue, where old aircraft are sitting behind the podium and a large American flag is suspended from cranes.
Speaking from behind the protective glass, Mr Trump hit out at the Obamas following their speeches at the Democratic National Convention.
“He was taking shots at your president. And so was Michelle. You know, they always say, ‘Sir, please stick to policy. Don’t get personal’. And yet they’re getting personal all night long, these people,” he said, asking: “Do I still have to stick to policy?”
July 13 saw a shooter take aim at the former president during a rally in Pennsylvania, with Trump shot in the ear by a sniper before being rushed off stage by close security.
Suspected shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, was eliminated on the scene.
Today’s rally in North Carolina comes during the Democratic National Convention, which has seen Barack and Michelle Obama warn voters that a Donald Trump 'sequel' could spell disaster for the United States.
“It’s good to be home!” Barack Obama announced as he took to the stage in Chicago, Illinois, on Tuesday night.
"Make no mistake, it will be a fight," the former President warned.
It followed a rousing speech from wife Michelle, the former First Lady of the United States, who took to the stage before her husband to emphasise that a Trump "sequel" did not bode well for the future of the country.
Cheers erupted as the couple shared a warm embrace on stage, before Mr Obama, 67, insisted "we don't need four more years of bluster and chaos."
Labelling Mr Trump "a 78-year-old billionaire who hasn't stopped whining about his problems since he rode down his golden escalator nine years ago," the former President painted a bleak picture of a second Trump premiership.
