Politics

It was hard to miss the massive American flag towering over the Butler Farm Show ground on July 13 as it waved over the rally site where former President Donald Trump was set to speak, just days before a crucial running mate selection and the Republican National Convention.

On July 13, the two of us, who had been tag-teaming coverage of Trump’s third run for president for over a year, went to what we thought would be a typical Trump rally in an open field in a Pittsburgh suburb, a crucial electoral area in a crucial battleground state. It ended with a gunman trying to take Trump’s life, and the death of a fireman, Corey Comparatore. 

We stood front and center in the press area at 6 p.m. and Trump took the stage (an hour late, as can be the case) and knew right away that something wasn’t right when what sounded like firecrackers went off to our left. That’s where shooter Thomas Crooks had climbed up onto an unprotected building just outside of the security perimeter and fired multiple shots.

A hydraulic lift that held up a massive stack of speakers was struck, sending smoke shooting out and the speakers slowly fell towards the ground, and as we took cover (ground twice), all we could think was to pull out our phones and get to work. Olivia recorded the sounds of panicked journalists and attendees alike huddled along the press riser and bicycle racks separating us, the shrieks of scared children, and, realized only upon listening many times since, the sound of those around Corey Comperatore yelling for assistance.

Jake spoke with emergency room Dr. James Sweetland, who ran to help Comperatore, and said that he heard the gunshots and went to assist, finding Comperatore “jammed between the benches” before attempting to save his life.

We both stood in shock as the crowd turned on us in the moments after Trump’s motorcade sped out of Butler, with one man yelling “This is your fault!”

What was to be a typical Trump rally wasn’t so typical anymore.

Eighty-four days later Trump returned, and so did the two of us, taking the same route from downtown Pittsburgh, parking in the same location, and enduring a similar heat with no shade in the press pen alongside fellow reporters who, just like us and the former president, chose to return and confront our trauma.

The stage was set up in the same location, with that same American flag looming over Trump and the crowd behind him on that day. 

But for everything that was the same that day, there were striking differences. The building where the gunman had climbed up, crawled across, and ultimately fired fatal shots, was completely obstructed from the view of the crowd by tractor trailers. Several teams of snipers were stationed throughout the rally site. It was perhaps the largest crowd we have seen thus far at a Trump rally. 

And we are not the same people. Witnessing the events of July 13 took away our feeling of safety while doing our jobs, and the effects of that continue to impact us. There was a moment of shock at one point, when the speaker on stage paused as the crowd shouted “medic” for a woman who fainted. We were frozen in fear hearing the same words that were shouted in the seconds after Trump’s assassination attempt, as people were shouting for a medic to take care of Comperatore. 

But like July 13, we had to go to work. Like those in the crowd of tens of thousands that chose to return, there was a sense of unfinished business on this fairground. We had continued on to Milwaukeee and the Republican National Convention to cover Trump’s first public appearance since Butler, but we knew that we had to come back here, no matter how painful it was to land back in Pittsburgh, head north on Route 79 and pull off at the Butler Farm Show, and finish the job: for the two of us, for CBS News, for the country. 

Unlike other speakers on the stage Saturday who championed Trump’s words of “fight, fight, fight,” Sweetland went out of his way to mention he is a former Democrat and pleaded with the crowd to reach out and find five Democrats with whom they could find commonality. 

“Democrats are like teenagers,” Sweetland said. “You think they aren’t listening, but they are.” 

Eight-four days later, the entire race has changed, and so have we. 

BUTLER, Pa. (KDKA) — Former President Donald Trump is returning to the Butler Farm Show grounds for the first time since an assassination attempt in July. 

Trump was grazed in the ear, firefighter Corey Comperatore was killed and two others were injured when Thomas Crooks opened fire from the top of a nearby building.

It’s estimated that anywhere between 15,000 to 60,000 people will attend his rally in Butler County. 

The gates for Saturday’s event open at 10 a.m. Trump is expected to start speaking at 5 p.m. According to his guest list, attendees include Comperatore’s family, one of the men who was injured at the last rally, Marc Fogel’s mother Malphine, Elon Musk and vice presidential nominee JD Vance.  

Construction could cause traffic issues

With construction on Route 68, traffic could be an issue. Cars were backing up on Friday. Route 68 is one of the ways into the Butler Farm Show grounds, and Meridian Road on the other side is partially closed.

“It’s going to be difficult travel tomorrow getting here to where you gotta park,” Butler County DA Richard Goldinger said.

Goldinger said local police will be assisting with traffic. State police will help. With construction near the farm show complex, Goldinger said to be patient and follow the officers’ and troopers’ instructions.

“Follow their orders. Don’t drive in closed lanes or anything like that. We want everybody to be safe,” Goldinger said.

While there is parking at the farm show, some nearby lots are selling spaces. One right next to the grounds is selling spots for $20. Some people were already paying to park on Friday. The property owner says they can fit about 400 cars and will have four to five people out getting the money and cars into the lot. 

The district attorney is calling on people to have patience and plan on Saturday being a longer day out. The traffic between people, politicians and other celebrities is expected to slow down the flow of everything.

“It doesn’t change the fact that this road is under construction so it’s going to be slow travel,” Goldinger said.

Security for this Trump rally will be different 

Butler County Commissioner Leslie Osche said the Butler County Emergency Services Agency will be the unified communications bridge between the United States Secret Service, state and local police, fire, and EMS. 

Unlike the first rally on July 13, there will be one command post. In that post, there will be one person from all law enforcement and emergency services agencies working the rally. 

During the first rally, three separate radio systems created communication delays. On Saturday, there will be one for state and local police and one for the Secret Service. A Secret Service agent will also be embedded with each state and local team.

Goldinger told KDKA-TV earlier this week that the snipers posted inside the AGR building where Crooks fired from have been asked to help again. Law enforcement will also be on top of the AGR building. 

Man who was behind Trump during shooting says he’ll be back

One person expected to be in the crowd is a man who was sitting behind Trump when the former president was grazed by a bullet on July 13.

Chesher said he witnessed the attempted assassination of Trump.

“It’s been a couple of months but I’m still processing what happened that day. The emotions are all over the place,” Chesher said. 

He said he’ll be back at the Butler Farm Show grounds this weekend.

“We’re forever connected to President Trump now,” Chesher said. 

Not far away from Chesher, others were struck, including Comperatore, who died as a result of being hit by a bullet meant Trump.

Chesher said he believes there will be “a spiritual positivity” at the rally on Saturday. Chesher also said he believes he will be sitting behind Trump again on Saturday.

As for being worried about more violence, given what occurred, Chesher believes Saturday’s event will be a safe one.

“He said it should be the most secure event. In my heart, I believe it will be the most secure event. I think God’s on our side though,” Chesher said. 

 Chesher said he’s hoping to talk to the former president, and regardless, he hopes the event is peaceful.

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Imagine hearing a knock on your door and opening it to find actor Jane Fonda campaigning for a local election candidate. 

That’s how the 86-year-old actor and activist is spending her time this election season. She’s campaigning around the country for local candidates who support action on climate change, building on her years of climate-related protests.

Fonda told CBS News that the campaigning work felt so necessary that she told her agent she wouldn’t be taking any acting jobs this year, to make sure she had time to canvass. 

“This year I said to my agent ‘I’m sorry, I can’t work.’ When the election is happening that’s going to determine the future, I couldn’t do it,” Fonda, a two-time Academy Award winner, explained. “I couldn’t do it. Next year I’ll do it.” 

Fonda has hand-picked over 130 lower-level candidates who will stand up to the fossil fuel industry using her political action committee, JanePAC. 

“This is the last election that can have a major effect on climate,” Fonda said. 

Supporting “climate champions” 

Many of the candidates Fonda is supporting are running for under-the-radar offices like Portland City Council or a school board seat in Virginia. She’s already raised $4 million to help those candidates get elected. 

“That low-level candidate could, first of all, could rise up and become governor of the state. You want to groom them to rise into leadership positions as climate champions,” Fonda said. “If we have the right people elected to office, we can do it.” 

It’s far from the first time Fonda has stepped into the world of activism. In 1972, she made a controversial visit to Vietnam opposing the war, and in the 1990s, she marched to support women’s reproductive rights. 

In 2019, she launched her Fire Drill Fridays, a protest series inspired by Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg, to draw attention to global warming. She was arrested five times during those protests, even spending her 82nd birthday behind bars.  

“It was aimed not at the government. It was aimed at the great unasked,” Fonda said of that protest series. “There’s like 70% of Americans that are really concerned about the climate crisis, and when they’re asked why they don’t take action, they say, ‘Well, nobody asked.'” 

“You need people in the halls of power” 

Now, Fonda has made the move from protest to politics. 62% of Americans think that politicians should do more to fight climate change, according to the Pew Research Center, many politicians on both sides of the aisle vote against legislative solutions. Her hope is that helping elect people who think differently will make a difference. 

“Nonviolent civil disobedience and protests historically have changed history, but you need people in the halls of power with ears and a heart to hear the protests, to hear the demands,” Fonda said. 

Going door-to-door and working to raise money for the local candidates she supports has been “so fun,” she said. 

“It’s a lot of work. Oh, it’s so much fun. Ever since I’m doing 100% of what I’m capable (of) in confronting the climate crisis, I don’t get depressed anymore,” Fonda said. “I get angry, but I’m not depressed. Hope is a muscle. It’s like the heart. It’s a muscle, and you have to activate it to feel it.” 

Fonda said that the work of campaigning has helped her feel hopeful and fulfilled. 

“I wouldn’t be doing it if I wasn’t hopeful,” Fonda said. “Everybody needs meaning in their life. I’m old, so I think a lot about being on my deathbed and I know that when you’re on your deathbed, you want to feel that it’s been worthwhile.”