UNIONDALE, New York, Sept 18 (Askume) – Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump claimed he was being targeted by “radical left-wing” forces and fended off a reported second assassination attempt since Sunday .
“These encounters with death did not break my will. They only strengthened my resolve,” he told the crowd in Uniondale, New York, 30 miles from Manhattan.
Trump addressed more than 10,000 supporters at a stadium on Long Island, where heavily Democratic New York is not considered a competitive state in the Nov. 5 election. Local Democrats said they had no problem with Trump coming to the area because it would prevent him from campaigning in battleground states that could decide the election.
On Sunday, Trump immediately mentioned the arrest of a gunman who authorities said planned to open fire while Trump was playing at his golf course in West Palm Beach, Florida. In July, another gunman wounded Trump while he was giving a speech in Pennsylvania.
“God has now spared my life. Not once, but twice,” Trump said.
Trump blamed “violent, radical left-wing demons” for the alleged attempt on his life, and later used similar language to describe his opponent, Democrat Kamala Harris.
Trump offered no evidence to support his claim that “radical leftists” were responsible for the attempt on his life.
Ryan Routh, 58, was charged with two firearms offenses following his arrest Sunday. Routh mocked President Joe Biden on social media and suggested in a self-published 2023 book that he voted for Trump in 2016, but later wrote that supporting Trump was a “terrible error.”
Harris condemned political violence following Sunday’s incident.
Trump thanked the Teamsters Union, which on Wednesday broke a longstanding tradition of endorsing his presidential bid, dealing a blow to the Harris campaign. The Teamsters have endorsed every Democratic presidential candidate since 2000. Trump attributed the decision to the broad support for him among union rank-and-file workers. “It was a surprise,” he said.
Before Trump’s speech, former New York mayor and Trump ally Rudy Giuliani took the stage and told the crowd that Trump had been targeted by an assassin. He added: “There will be no more attacks!”
Trump also promoted local candidates for the U.S. House of Representatives on Long Island, particularly Representative Anthony D’Esposito, who spoke before Trump.
The New York suburbs are considered crucial to Republicans’ hopes of retaining control of the House. “We need to elect more Republicans to the polls,” Trump said.
Trump again raised the situation in the Haitian immigrant community of Springfield, Ohio, a city plagued by false rumors of pets being eaten and bomb threats. Trump, who fueled the rumors, said he would visit the city within two weeks.
