The near-assassination of a former U.S. president one week ago briefly halted the rancorous rhetoric gripping the nation.
While characterized the shooting in Pennsylvania as proof of his love of country, he spent most of his rehashing misleading claims about Michigan issues while touting his surging campaign. Here's a recap of Trump's Michigan campaign event, his fifth so far this year in a key battleground state. The former president thanked doctors who treated him in Pennsylvania after suffering a wound to his right ear following last Saturday's shooting.
He also offered prayers and condolences to the families of the one person killed and two others injured at the rally. But he spent substantially more time reliving his memory of the event, from his own perusing of images of the shooting to the moment during his speech when the bullets started to fly. He said he was pointing to a chart about immigration, turning his head to look at it on stage.
As he turned, he said the bullet hit his ear. Had he not turned, he suggested the bullet may have caused substantially more damage. "That sign was very good," he said, adding that it probably saved his life.
"I think I'm going to sleep with it tonight." The crowd laughed, but cheered most raucously when Trump said the event proved his patriotism. "I took a bullet for democracy," Trump said, while bashing his critics.
The capacity crowd of roughly 12,000 at Van Andel Arena erupted. Even if Trump was laughing, Grand Rapids Police Chief.