BUTLER, Pennsylvania — On the streets of Butler, Pennsylvania, in the aftermath of Saturday’s assassination attempt The same four words have been said over and over again about former President Donald Trump: “Of all places.”
Butler, home to some 13,000 people, and the county whose grand courthouse graces the square, are named after a Revolutionary War general. American flags fly along the main road, along with black-and-white photographs 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. And it’s Trump country.
“Of all the places we could go to chase him down and try something. We’re in Butler County?” said Cindy Michael, a 44-year-old health care worker. “Everyone is just shocked. So shocked.”
Trump is not the first person to hold the office of president to be the target of a shooting in the area. Long before he became the nation’s first president, George Washington “narrowly escaped death” when a Native American shot at him from less than 15 paces away. A state historical marker marks the spot on a trail about 14 miles (22 kilometers) southwest of Butler.
This county on the western edge of a presidential 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 Republicans, compared with about 29% who are Democrats and 14% who are something else.
Between 2016 and 2020, Trump won nearly 10,000 more votes in Butler County, but it wasn’t enough to win Pennsylvania. President Joe Biden’s gains in the state’s cities and suburbs — and he won 9,000 more votes in Butler County than Hillary Clinton did in 2016 — helped him oust Trump from the White House.
Still, Butler County’s support for Trump is strong. According to local attorney Patrick Casey, that may have been part of the problem.
“A friend said to me this morning, ‘I think everyone assumed Donald Trump would be safe in Butler County,’ and I responded to that friend by reminding him that when Pope John Paul II was shot in an assassination attempt, it was in Vatican City,” Casey said. “Who would have thought there would be a safer place than that?”
The atmosphere was indeed relaxed and community-oriented at the Butler County Fairgrounds on the day of the rally. Couples held hands, parents held their children together, a woman joined her 75-year-old mother for a birthday treat. That was until the 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks shots fired, including one that Trump says hit his ear. A Secret Service sniper returned fire, killing Crooks. A bystander was shot deadand two more were injured.
Whether Butler can even come close to a return to normal remains to be seen.
“We are heartbroken by what happened here in our hometown,” Brenckle’s Farm and Greenhouse, which is 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 those same qualities. The community is kind, generous, and would give you the shirt off their back if you needed it.”
While what happened that day weighed heavily on residents’ hearts, it didn’t seem to sway their votes. Some Trump supporters said the assassination attempt strengthened their resolve to vote for him, while others said it didn’t affect their political sentiments at all.
Victoria Rhodes, 25, a nurse who moved to Butler from Nashville, Tennessee, four months ago, said she is still deciding how she will vote in November. She said what just happened in her new hometown is not a factor.
“This is the first time I’m going to vote in a presidential election,” she said. “I guess I’m still trying to decide because the political scene is kind of crazy right now.” Although she hopes the assassination attempt lower the temperature on America’s political conversation, She said her experience is that friends her age can talk about their political differences without getting angry.
Jamie Brackley, who runs a motorcycle shop in downtown Butler, called himself a “neither” in terms of declaring a political party. As for whether the attempt on Trump’s life will affect his politics, he said: “No. I’m already a conspiracy theorist, so it doesn’t affect me in any way.”
Democrat Laneice Olesnevich, 66, has lived in Butler her entire life. She called it “a good Christian town.”
Olesnevich said she is still undecided about her choice for president, but that the assassination attempt will not affect her decision. Instead, she is waiting for more information about Trump’s running mate — he selected U.S. Senator J.D. Vance of Ohio, later on Monday — and about Biden’s health.
“I feel sorry for the parents of that young man because you know their lives have become hell now, and I don’t think (what he did) will make any difference in my decision,” she said.
She added: “I pray for this country every day because we absolutely need something to change everyone’s anger.”
In a place where people know each other, it is common to think about the impact of such a catastrophic event on individuals, especially those who have a direct connection with what happened. It is another reason why the shock will last for years.
“The world is a crazy place,” said Jodie Snider, of nearby Clarion, a retired police officer, Army officer and sniper who visited the Butler County courthouse Monday. “Of all places, Butler.”
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Raby reported from Charleston, West Virginia. Associated Press data journalist Kavish Harjai contributed from Los Angeles.