At a rally in New York, Trump blames “radical left” for second assassination attempt without providing evidence

By James Oliphant

UNIONDALE, New York (Reuters) – Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump claimed he was the target of “radical left” forces and vowed to campaign with renewed purpose at his first full-fledged campaign rally since a suspected second assassination attempt on Sunday.

“These encounters with death have not broken my will,” he told a raucous crowd in Uniondale, New York, 30 miles from Manhattan. “They have only strengthened my resolve.”

Trump spoke at a Long Island sports arena packed with more than 10,000 supporters, even though New York, which leans heavily Democratic, is not considered a battleground state in the Nov. 5 election. Local Democrats said they did not mind having Trump in the region because it would prevent him from campaigning in swing states that decide the outcome of the election.

Trump immediately pointed to the arrest on Sunday of a gunman who authorities said planned to shoot Trump while he was golfing at his golf course in West Palm Beach, Florida. In July, Trump was wounded by another gunman while giving a speech in Pennsylvania.

“God has now given me life,” Trump said. “Not once, but twice.”

Trump blamed a “violent, left-wing radical monster” for the alleged attempt on his life and later used similar words to describe his election opponent, Democrat Kamala Harris.

Trump provided no evidence to support his claim that the “radical left” was responsible for the attempts on his life.

Ryan Routh, 58, was charged with two weapons offenses after his arrest on Sunday. Routh has 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 mistake.”

Harris condemned political violence following the incident on Sunday.

Trump thanked the Teamsters union, which earlier Wednesday broke its longstanding tradition of supporting the presidential race, a setback for Harris' campaign. The Teamsters have supported every Democratic presidential candidate since 2000. Trump attributed the decision to the broad support for him among union members. “It was a surprise,” he said.

Before Trump spoke, former New York mayor and Trump ally Rudy Giuliani took the stage and told the crowd that Trump had become the target of an assassin because of his agenda. “No more attacks!” he shouted.

Trump was also on Long Island to support local candidates for the U.S. House of Representatives, most notably Representative Anthony D'Esposito, who spoke before Trump.

The New York suburbs are considered crucial to Republicans' hopes of retaining their majority in the House of Representatives. “We need to elect more Republicans on every ballot,” Trump said.

Trump again raised the situation surrounding a Haitian immigrant community in Springfield, Ohio, a small town where false rumors of pet eating and bomb threats have circulated. Trump, who helped spread those rumors, said he would visit the city within two weeks.

(Edited by Michael Perry)