- Donald Trump held his first outdoor rally since surviving an assassination attempt.
- Trump accused Harris and President Biden of escalating the world to the brink of World War III.
- The rally was part of Trump's weeklong effort to counterprogram the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
Trump accused Kamala Harris and President Biden of driving the world to the brink of World War III. He blamed the current White House for the deadly withdrawal from Afghanistan and the ongoing conflicts between Russia and Ukraine and between Israel and Hamas.
At the North Carolina Aviation Museum & Hall of Fame, Trump spoke from behind a podium encased in bulletproof glass, which formed a protective barrier across the stage. This heightened security measure aimed to ensure his safety following his narrow escape from a Pennsylvania gunman on July 13.
Around the venue, storage containers were stacked to create additional barriers and block sight lines. Snipers were stationed on the roofs, and the setting featured old aircraft positioned behind the podium with a large American flag hanging from cranes.
The event, billed as focusing on national security issues, is part of Trump’s weeklong effort to counterprogram the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. Allies have urged him to concentrate on policy rather than personal attacks as he adapts to running against Kamala Harris following President Joe Biden’s exit from the race.
On Tuesday night, the convention featured a strong display of Obama influence, with both former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama attacking Trump, calling him out repeatedly by name.
“His limited and narrow view of the world made him feel threatened by the existence of two hardworking, highly educated, successful people who happen to be Black,” Michelle Obama said of Trump in a rousing speech.
She also referenced a comment he made in a June debate, asking: “Who’s going to tell him that the job he’s currently seeking might just be one of those ‘Black jobs’?”
Barack Obama mocked Trump’s obsession with his crowd sizes and called Trump “a 78-year-old billionaire who hasn’t stopped whining about his problems since he rode down his golden escalator nine years ago.”
“It’s been a constant stream of gripes and grievances that’s actually gotten worse now that he’s afraid of losing to Kamala,” the former president said.
Trump briefly addressed the criticism, asking the crowd if they’d seen the speech by the man he continues to call “Barack Hussein Obama.”
“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?”
On Wednesday, Trump was joined by his running mate, Senator JD Vance of Ohio, who criticized Kamala Harris as a candidate chosen by power brokers rather than voters. Vance also condemned her vice presidential pick, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, before Trump took the stage.
Vance continued to attack Walz for allegedly misrepresenting his service record as an Army National Guard member and for retiring from service before his unit’s deployment to Iraq.
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