Trump holds 1st outdoor rally since attempted assassination

ASHEBORO, United States — Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump held his first outdoor campaign event on Wednesday since an assassination attempt, lobbing insults at his Democratic opponent Kamala Harris from behind bulletproof glass at a rally in the battleground state of North Carolina.

Trump, 78, speaking against a backdrop of vintage warplanes at an aviation museum, called Harris the "most radical left person" ever to run for the White House and claimed that millions of jobs will "vanish overnight" if she wins in November.

"Your life savings will be totally wiped out," Trump told the crowd, one of a number of apocalyptic scenarios he painted during his speech.

"All over the world, our adversaries knew that America was not to be trifled with when I was your commander in chief," he said. "If comrade Kamala wins this November, World War III is virtually guaranteed to happen."

With Harris drawing enthusiastic crowds since replacing President Joe Biden at the top of the Democratic ticket, the event in Asheboro was a chance for Trump to reclaim his longtime dominance in staging spectacular rallies.

It was his first big outdoor event since being lightly wounded in an attempted assassination at a similarly open site in Butler, Pennsylvania, a month ago. That attack left one rally participant dead before the 20-year-old gunman was killed by a Secret Service sniper.

The Secret Service recommended that Trump stick to more easily controllable indoor venues such as sports arenas. He has since held about a dozen indoor events.

A bulletproof screen could be seen around the podium where Trump and his vice-presidential pick, J.D. Vance, addressed the crowd in Asheboro.

At one point during his speech, Trump left the stage and entered the crowd to check on an attendee who was suffering a medical issue.

Crowds are an integral part of Trump's political brand, with the right-wing billionaire seeking to portray himself as an outsider and man of the people.

North Carolina is one of a handful of swing states that are expected to determine the outcome of the Nov 5 election.

Potential Kennedy deal

Meanwhile, a super PAC, or political action committee, supporting independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr told Reuters on Wednesday that Kennedy wants a deal with Trump in which he endorses the Republican rival in exchange for a job in a potential Trump administration.

Kennedy is planning to drop out of the election and endorse Trump, but that hinges on whether the Republican offers Kennedy "and others" a position in the White House if elected, Larry Sharpe, outreach director with American Values 2024, told Reuters.

Super PACs can raise unlimited amounts of money for candidates but are prohibited from coordinating directly with the campaign. American Values has raised more than $50 million in support of Kennedy, according to Federal Election Commission filings through June 30.

Agencies Via Xinhua