Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump attended his first campaign rally on Saturday following an assassination attempt a week ago. He seized the opportunity to mock Democrats and compared former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to a dog, Reuters reports.
After briefly calling for national unity earlier this week, Trump reverted to his usual campaign tactics. He used offensive language to attack his opponents and repeated a series of false claims about immigration, the economy, and election fraud, which were central to his speech on Saturday, according to Reuters.
Trump repeatedly mocked Democratic President Joe Biden, calling him weak, and ridiculed top Democrats, including Pelosi, for trying to persuade Biden to exit the race and abandon his bid for a second term.
Heavy Police Presence at First Rally After Assassination Attempt
Saturday’s rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan, saw a heavy police presence, with officers stationed at every street corner. Secret Service agents were positioned on the upper balconies of the Van Andel Arena, providing them a clear view of the crowd inside.
Fresh from the Republican Party convention in Milwaukee, where he solidified his grip on the GOP, Trump appeared in Grand Rapids with his new running mate, Ohio Senator J.D. Vance. They took the stage together for their first joint campaign appearance, backed by the entire Republican Party.
“Democrats Have Some Problems”
“The Democrats have some problems. Number one, they have no idea who their candidate is,” Trump said, as the rally attendees laughed and joked. “This guy [Biden] goes out and gets votes, and now they want to take them away,” he added, referring to calls from leading Democrats for Biden to withdraw from the race.
Referring to Pelosi, Trump said, “She pounced on him like a dog. She’s crazy as a bedbug.”
Pelosi’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Trump’s remarks.
When asked to comment on Trump’s statement about Pelosi attacking Biden, Steven Cheung, a spokesperson for Trump’s campaign, responded with, “Hahahahahahaha.”
Public opinion polls show a close race between Trump and Biden on a national level, but Biden is trailing Trump in key states that are likely to determine the winner of the November election, Reuters notes.
