Donald Trump held his first outdoor campaign rally since surviving an assassination attempt, where he targeted his rising Democratic rival, Kamala Harris, during an event in North Carolina on Wednesday. Speaking behind bulletproof glass at an aviation museum, Trump, 78, labeled Harris as “the most radical left person” to ever run for the presidency, warning that if she wins in November, “millions of jobs will vanish overnight.”
He further claimed that a victory for Harris could lead to a global conflict, saying, “If comrade Kamala wins this November, World War III is virtually guaranteed to happen.”
The rally, held in front of vintage warplanes, was also an opportunity for Trump to reassert his dominance in staging large-scale events, as Harris has been drawing substantial crowds since she replaced Joe Biden at the top of the Democratic ticket. It marked Trump’s first major outdoor event since being slightly injured in an assassination attempt during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, a month earlier, where one attendee was killed before the gunman was shot by a Secret Service sniper.
Despite recommendations from the Secret Service to hold events in more controlled indoor settings, Trump has continued to hold rallies, including about a dozen indoor gatherings. On Wednesday, both Trump and his vice-presidential candidate, J.D. Vance, spoke from behind a bulletproof screen, addressing the crowd in Asheboro. At one point, Trump stepped off the stage to assist an attendee experiencing a medical issue, emphasizing his connection with the crowd.
Crowds have always been central to Trump’s political image, portraying him as a populist leader. Throughout his presidency, he consistently held large rallies, even in the lead-up to the election, using them to project strength and contrast his approach with Biden’s more subdued campaign style.
However, Trump’s strategy faced a setback on July 21 when Biden unexpectedly withdrew from the race and endorsed Harris, leading to a surge of support for her. Harris’s ability to attract large crowds, often exceeding 10,000 people, has become a visible shift in momentum. Her recent rallies, including one in Milwaukee, have drawn significant attention, matching or surpassing the crowds Trump had counted on as a key element of his campaign.
North Carolina, a critical swing state in the upcoming November 5 election, is among the key battlegrounds where the race is tightly contested. The outcome of the election will be determined by the Electoral College, with candidates focusing their efforts on the handful of states where the race is most competitive.
