Nearly three months after an assassin's bullet nearly took his life, former President Donald Trump arrived in Butler, Pennsylvania, returning to a place of “tragedy” to cheer his supporters on victory in the Nov. 5 presidential election to promise.

One person – a volunteer fire chief – was killed in the July 13 shooting, which also left two bystanders seriously injured and Trump was shot in the ear.

“For 15 seconds, time stood still,” Trump told the crowd. “This malevolent monster has unleashed evil…the villain has failed to achieve his goal.”

However, there was tight security at Saturday's rally – a result of increased Secret Service scrutiny following two assassination attempts on Trump the month before last.

Also in attendance were Trump's Vice President JD Vance, as well as son Eric Trump, daughter-in-law Lara Trump and tech billionaire Elon Musk, who supported Trump after the earlier shooting.

Trump largely stuck to familiar arguments in his speech, railing against the “corrupt system,” promising to bring “respect” back to U.S. foreign policy and pledging to close the “open border,” which he said was a source of crime .

“You deserve a government that protects and respects its own citizens and defends your sovereignty, your security, your dignity and your freedom,” he told the crowd to loud applause.

He also lashed out at his political opponents, accusing them of “slandering” him, trying to interfere in the election, and “who knows – maybe they even tried to kill me.”

“But I never stopped fighting for you,” he added. “I will never do that.”

Trump repeatedly referenced the previous shooting, and the event included a moment of silence for Corey Competore, the firefighter killed in the July shooting.

“He has become something of a folk hero,” Trump added. “Our beautiful Corey.”

The former president praised Elon Musk effusively and went out of his way to invite him to the stage.

The tech billionaire told the crowd that this is “the most important election of our lifetime” and urged voters to register and vote for Trump.

Between 25,000 and 30,000 people were expected at the rally, which brought traffic to a standstill throughout Saturday in the rural town of Butler. Many waited for up to 10 hours in the bright sun to be let past a long line of vendors selling Trump/Vance campaign flags, hats, signs and orange wigs designed to imitate the former president.

“I certainly admire his willingness to come back here and give the speech that he was denied last time,” said Teresa Wilson, a former U.S. Marine who also attended the last rally on July 13.

“I would understand if he didn't come back – I know some viewers who didn't want to come back and some who were very worried,” she added. “If he can take the place of the previous attempt, we as his constituency can certainly come forward to offer our support.”

With just 31 days until Americans vote, polls show Trump and Kamala Harris running a tight race in Pennsylvania – a hotly contested battleground state.

Data from the New York Times and Siena, for example, show the two were nearly tied, 49% to 48% in favor of Harris.

In dozens of interviews with Trump supporters at the rally, most cited the economy — particularly inflation — as their top concern heading into the election.

“We are not being taken care of. People can't afford food. They can barely afford gas,” said Jessenia Anderson, a voter from Pennsylvania who wore a red “Latinas for Trump” T-shirt at the rally. “I have a family, but I find myself cheapening (meals) and buying cheaper things.”

Others — like rapper Sean Moon, a voter from Tennessee — pointed to the U.S.-Mexico border and immigration as key reasons for their support for the former president.

“This is an existential threat to this country,” said Mr. Moon, the son of a North Korean refugee, who said the event in Butler was his 15th consecutive Trump rally.

“People come in without being checked. They tell untruths and are rewarded for it. “This doesn’t do anything for North Carolina or Maui,” he added, referring to Hurricane Helene and the Hawaii wildfires last year.