Trump's rally remarks spark backlash over journalist comment
During a Sunday campaign rally in Pennsylvania, former President Donald Trump regretted leaving the White House. He also made a controversial remark, suggesting that in the event of an assassination attempt, it wouldn't bother him if the journalists standing in the line of fire were hit instead of him.
12:34 PM EST, November 4, 2024
"My world’s favourite chart, done by the Border Patrol, said we had the safest border in the history of our country on the day that I left. I shouldn’t have left. I mean, honestly, because we did so, we did so well," Trump said in Lititz, Pennsylvania. He discussed the alleged election fraud of 2020, shifting topics before completing his previous point.
During his appearance, Trump focused on issues related to alleged election fraud, asserting that such fraud should be reported immediately after polls close. He suggested that prolonged vote counting encourages misconduct.
"They accuse you of being a conspiracy theorist, ‘he’s a conspiracy-’ and they want to lock you up. They want to put you in jail. The ones that should be locked up by the ones that cheat on these horrible elections that we go through in our country," he remarked, characterizing his opponents as a "demonic" group. He also criticized negative polls and referred to the author of a poll predicting his defeat in Iowa, a Republican stronghold, as an "enemy."
Trump's shocking statement
Later in his speech, Trump referred to the bulletproof glass protecting him and noted the press stand opposite the podium, stating that if an assassin were to shoot at him, they would have to shoot through the journalists first.
"To get me, somebody would have to shoot through the fake news. And I don't mind that so much," he smirked.
The Sunday rally in Lititz was one of three events planned by Trump that day. The others occurred in Kinston, North Carolina, and Macon, Georgia. Recent polls indicate Kamala Harris's strengthening position in these states.
While visiting Michigan, the Democratic candidate held meetings in an African American church in Detroit, calling for national unity. She quoted the book of Jeremiah, emphasizing the need for actions supporting God’s plan to unite Americans as one nation.
Harris also responded to media questions about the conflict in the Gaza Strip, posed by Arab voters in Michigan, among others. She highlighted the tragic losses among Palestinians and assured that, as president, she would work to end the conflict and achieve a two-state solution to ensure regional security.
