BUTLER, Pa. (AP) — On the streets of Butler, Pennsylvania, following Saturday’s assassination attempt About former President Donald Trump, the same four words were uttered over and over again: “Of all places.”
Butler, population about 13,000, and the county whose grand courthouse graces its square are named for a Revolutionary War general. American flags fly along its main street alongside black-and-white photos of local heroes who died in other wars fought in the name of democracy. The first Jeep was produced here in 1940 at the request of the U.S. Army.
It’s rural, it’s neighborly, it’s Trump country.
“Of all the places you can go get it and try something. This is Butler County?” said Cindy Michael, a 44-year-old health care worker. “Everybody is shocked. So shocked.”
Trump is not the first president to be the target of a shooting in the area. Long before he became the first president of the United States, George Washington “narrowly escaped death” when a Native American shot him less than 15 paces away. A state historical monument marks the spot on a trail about 14 miles southwest of Butler.
This county on the western edge of a swing state is a Trump stronghold. He won Butler County, where turnout hovers around an impressive 80%, with about 66% of the vote in both 2016 and 2020. About 57% of Butler County’s 139,000 registered voters are Republican, compared to about 29% who are Democrats and 14% who are something else.
Between 2016 and 2020, Trump gained nearly 10,000 more votes in Butler County, but that wasn’t enough to win Pennsylvania. President Joe Biden’s gains in the state’s cities and suburbs — and he got 9,000 more votes in Butler County than Hillary Clinton did in 2016 — helped him oust Trump from the White House.
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Butler County, however, is deeply supportive of Trump. That may be part of the problem, according to local attorney Patrick Casey.
“A friend said to me this morning, ‘I think everyone thought Donald Trump would be safe in Butler County,’ and I responded to that friend by reminding him that when Pope John Paul II was assassinated, it was in the Vatican,” Casey said. “Who would have thought there could be a safer place than that?”
The mood was indeed relaxed and friendly at the Butler County Fairgrounds on the day of the rally. Couples held hands, parents rounded up their children, one woman accompanied her 75-year-old mother for a birthday present. Until the 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks fired shots, including one that Trump said hit his ear. A Secret Service sniper returned fire and killed Crooks. A passerby was shot deadand two others were injured.
It remains to be seen whether Butler can even come close to returning to normal.
“We are deeply saddened by what has happened here in our hometown,” Brenckle’s Farm and Greenhouse, located just outside the fairgrounds where the shooting occurred, said in a Facebook post Monday. “Butler is a peaceful community and everyone who lives here shares similar qualities. The community is kind, generous and would give you the shirt off your back if you needed it.”
While what happened that day weighs heavily on residents’ hearts, it doesn’t appear to have influenced their vote. Some Trump supporters said the assassination attempt strengthened their resolve to vote for him, while others said it had no impact on their political feelings.
Victoria Rhodes, 25, a nurse who moved to Butler four months ago from Nashville, Tennessee, said she hasn’t decided who she’ll vote for in November. She added that what just happened in her new hometown isn’t a factor.
“This will be my first time voting in a presidential election,” she said. “I think I’m still trying to decide, because the political scene right now is a little crazy.” While she hopes the assassination attempt doesn’t happen, lower the temperature on America political conversation, She said her experience has shown her that friends her age are able to talk about their political differences without anger.
Jamie Brackley, who runs a motorcycle shop in downtown Butler, called himself a “neither one nor the other” when it comes to declaring a political party. As for whether the attempted assassination of Trump will affect his politics, he said, “No. I’m already a conspiracy theorist, so it doesn’t affect me one way or the other.”
Democrat Laneice Olesnevich, 66, has lived in Butler her entire life. She called it a “good Christian town.”
Olesnevich said she had not yet decided on her choice for president, but that the assassination attempt would not affect her decision. Instead, she was waiting for more information on Trump’s running mate — he has chosen U.S. Senator J.D. Vance of Ohio, later Monday — and on Biden’s health.
“I feel bad for this young man’s parents, because you know their life has now become a living hell, and I don’t think (what he did) will make a difference in my decision,” she said.
She added: “I pray daily for this country because we really need something to calm everyone’s anger.”
In a place where people know each other, it is common to reflect on the impact of such a cataclysmic event on individuals, especially those who have a direct connection to what happened. This is one more reason why the shock will linger for years to come.
“The world is a crazy place,” said Jodie Snider of Clarion, a former police officer, Army officer and sniper who was visiting the Butler County Courthouse Monday. “Butler is the craziest place there is.”
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Raby reported from Charleston, West Virginia. Associated Press data journalist Kavish Harjai contributed from Los Angeles.
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