GRAND RAPIDS, Michigan — Former President Donald Trump declared on Saturday that he had “taken a bullet for democracy” as he egged on a crowd of voters in Grand Rapids, Michigan, at his first rally since surviving an assassination attempt last week.
More than 12,000 people gathered at Van Andel Arena, home of the Grand Rapids Griffins hockey team, to see Trump and his running mate, Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance, fresh off a busy week in which the two each accepted the GOP nomination at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee and appeared together on the GOP ticket.
“They keep saying he’s a threat to democracy. I say, ‘What have I done to democracy?’ I took a bullet for democracy last week,” Trump said as the crowd cheered, referring to a popular Democratic talking point. “What have I done to democracy? It’s insanity.”
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Former President and 2024 presidential candidate Donald Trump and Senator and vice presidential candidate J.D. Vance appeared together at their first campaign rally on Saturday at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Michigan. (Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images)
Vance spoke before Trump and spent his time on stage criticizing Vice President Kamala Harris, asking rally-goers “what the hell has she done” and recalling his own service in the US Marine Corps.
“I served in the United States Marine Corps … what the hell did I do?” Vance said.
“What has she done besides collect checks from political offices?” he asked, before launching into a conversation about his upbringing and that of his grandmother, whom he calls “Mamaw.”
Harris sharply criticized Vance after he spoke at the Republican National Convention on Wednesday, where he accepted a position as a 2024 presidential candidate.
“That was a compelling story. It’s a compelling story. But that’s not the whole story,” Harris said after Vance’s Republican National Convention speech. “Frankly, what’s really important is what he didn’t talk about on that stage. He didn’t talk about Project 2025, which is the 900-page blueprint for a second term. The reason he didn’t talk about it is because their plan is extreme and it’s divisive.”
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Vice President Kamala Harris and Republican vice presidential nominee J.D. Vance. (Getty Images)
Vance then addressed rally attendees about the various challenges facing the country under President Biden’s administration, including the fentanyl crisis, the border crisis and the economy.
“I shouldn’t be here right now, but something very special has happened,” Trump said, taking the stage after Vance. Trump also took the time to pay tribute to his supporters who were injured or killed at last week’s rally.
“We continue to pray for the recovery of the two citizens injured in that heinous attack, David Duch and James Copenhaver. They are truly wonderful people,” the Republican front-runner said. “We have been in touch and offer our deepest respects to their families.”
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More than 12,000 people gathered at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on Saturday to watch the first joint rally of former President Donald Trump and his running mate, J.D. Vance, since Trump survived being shot by an assassination attempt. (Fox News Digital/Brandon Gillespie)
Trump also acknowledged the death of Corey Comparatore, calling him a “hero” for shielding his family from the bullets.
“Corey Comparatore was a brave firefighter. [his] Funeral [was] “Corey was a hero yesterday and we will forever hold his memory in our hearts,” Trump said.
Later in the speech, Trump conducted a “poll” of the audience on who should be the Democratic nominee if President Biden drops out of the election.
“We’re going to do a poll. It’s going to be a very good, great poll. Who’s your favorite candidate? Who’s good?” Trump said.
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Former President and 2024 presidential candidate Donald Trump spoke at a campaign rally at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Michigan, alongside Senator and vice presidential candidate J.D. Vance. (Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images)
“So if you were us, if we wanted to win, who would you most like to run against? Are you ready? Kamala Harris? Or bad Joe Biden?” Trump asked, as the audience booed Biden even louder.
Trump also interacted personally with the audience, suddenly noticing some audience members who were union members while talking about electric cars.
“Are you the same person? Yes? I’m not kidding,” Trump said. “You have a pretty good memory, don’t you? Not like any of the other people that I happen to be running against.”
The Republican lawmaker then urged the workers to come on stage and shared jokes.
“He was a serious union man, the United Auto Workers. [worker]”He doesn’t have a gun. Come here and look at him. Look at the way he looks,” Trump said.
Republican presidential candidate and former president Donald Trump (right) shakes hands with autoworkers onstage during a campaign event at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Michigan on Saturday. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
“I’m happy to see the man,” the union member said emphatically from the podium. “I told you, we’re going to get 85 million votes to vote for him, so let’s go home from this rally and do our part.”
The former president also slammed Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, calling her a “terrible” leader.
“Well, we have a terrible governor here who’s done a terrible job. Ms. Whitmer, I’d actually like to run against her,” Trump laughed.
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Michigan is expected to be one of the most closely watched battleground states in the November election and could narrowly determine who will serve the American people in the White House for the next four years.
Polls have largely shown Trump leading Biden in every battleground state, and even some that have held Democratic advantages in recent years, as a growing number of Democrats call for Biden to drop out of the 2024 race and endorse Harris or another candidate.
Fox News Digital’s Andrea Vachianno contributed to this report.
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