Donald Trump’s campaign reached out to local officials about holding a rally at Pittsburgh-Butler Regional Airport but had to find another venue after learning an event was already scheduled there for July 13, according to the Butler County Airport Authority’s chairman.
Instead, Trump held his rally at the Butler Farm Show grounds last Saturday. A gunman positioned himself on top of a building about 150 yards away from the stage there and opened fire, striking Trump in the ear, fatally wounding one man and critically wounding two others.
Mike Walsh, chairman of the Butler County Airport Authority in Penn Township, said Trump’s campaign contacted the authority “about a month and a half ago” with a range of dates organizers were looking at to plan a rally for Trump in the county.
Walsh said that although Trump’s last Butler County rally — which took place at the airport on Oct. 31, 2020 — was well-organized, the airport already had an event scheduled for July 13, the Penn Township Volunteer Fire Company’s annual Mega Cruise.
“We discussed it at a meeting, and basically we knew Penn Township VFC was doing the car cruise,” Walsh said. “The VFC, they protect us; it’s one of their biggest fundraisers. We just couldn’t do it for (Trump’s campaign).”
Ken Laughlin, president of the Butler Farm Show board of directors, said the farm show granted the campaign’s request. According to Laughlin, the farm show board of directors had no involvement with the event, aside from acting as the venue.
Walsh said the airport didn’t experience any major snags during Trump’s rally in 2020. An estimated 10,000 people attended the event.
“It was very well run, but he was a sitting president at the time. That might have made a difference,” Walsh said.
Melanie Brewer, the campaign manager for U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly, R-Butler, said an estimated 20,000 people attended the rally at the farm show grounds Saturday.
Laughlin, prior to the event, said the previous record attendance for the annual Butler Farm Show was 15,000 people.
This story is published as part of a collaboration with the Butler Eagle.