Trump addresses Grand Rapids crowd in 1st rally since shooting: 'I took a bullet for democracy'

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (FOX 2) - Former President Donald Trump made his first campaign stop since the Republican National Convention and a week after the near-assassination attempt  and spoke to a capacity crowd in Grand Rapids Saturday for nearly two hours.

Trump's Van Andel Arena visit included vice presidential nominee JD Vance after officially accepting the Republican nomination and giving the keynote speech Thursday,

Trump spoke briefly a few times about the shooting in Butler, Pennsylvania where he was wounded in the ear - and the significance of the time being nearly a week to the hour, was not lost on him.

"Let me begin this evening with a very special thanks to Americans nationwide, including all of you here today for your extraordinary outpouring of love and support in the wake of the horrific last Saturday event," he said. "What a day it was. As I said earlier this week, I stand before you only by the grace of Almighty God.

"What (Democrats) do is misinformation and disinformation, and they keep saying he's a threat to democracy. Last week, I took a bullet for democracy."

Trump also thanked hospital staff and the citizens of Butler while talking about the three victims of gunfire including Corey Comperatore. 

Trump also mentioned Gov. Gretchen Whitmer while speaking about the current discord among the Democrat party and calls for President Joe Biden to bow out of the race.

"You have a terrible governor, she's done a terrible job. I'd like to run against her," he said."But nobody else could do anything (during Covid lockdowns) but her husband. Her husband was sailing in the middle of your lake, your beautiful lake. He's out there sailing, and everybody else had to be locked up, right?"

The former president also took numerous shots at Biden, currently sidelined from campaigning due to COVID-19 and pointed out the questions swirling around the top of the Democratic ticket, while praising the unity at the RNC.

"Number one, they have no idea who their candidate is," he said. "But we'll see how they get it worked out. Sort of interesting. This guy goes, and he gets the votes, and now they want to take it away. That's Democracy. They talk about Democracy (like) 'Let's take it away from him.'"

Michigan is one of the handful of crucial swing states expected to determine the outcome of November’s presidential election. Trump narrowly won the state by just over 10,000 votes in 2016, but Democrat Joe Biden flipped it back in 2020, winning by a margin of 154,000 votes on his way to the presidency.

Related: Secret Service denied Trump campaign requests for more security

After appearing uncharacteristically subdued and emotional during the Republican convention, Trump returned to his usual rally mode, insulting his Democratic rivals, repeating unsubstantiated claims about the 2020 election "being stolen" and peppered his address with jokes that sparked laughter from an enthusiastic audience.

EVs and the auto industry

In other Michigan-specific comments, Trump brought up the United Auto Workers Union and railed against the Biden Administration initiative on electric vehicles. He also insulted UAW President Shawn Fain who has publicly endorsed Biden.

He questioned EV goals by 2030 (incorrectly claiming 100 percent is the goal by Biden's administration - it is actually 50 percent) and said he would impose a 27.5 tariff on all Chinese auto imports "to keep them out of America." He claimed that if Chinese companies want to sell cars in the US, they "will have to build them here" using American workers.

"We're going to bring the auto industry back," he said. "Under the radical Democrat policies, the US auto industry is being decimated. You know, we lost 64% of our industry over the years. in Mexico, they're building among the largest plants for auto manufacturing anywhere in the world. In Mexico, near the border, they think that they're going to make cars and sell them into the United States and lose all our jobs. It's not happening. And you know who owns those plants? China."

At one point Trump brought retired auto worker and conservative activist Brian Pannebecker from Macomb County on stage, quipping to Secret Service, "It's okay, he doesn't carry guns."

Border security and … Oakland County?

Oakland County's string of high-end home burglaries by what has been described as highly-organized gangs was mentioned among Trump's border crisis talking points.

In some cases, Chilean gangs have been suspected locally with Sheriff Michael Bouchard getting briefings by Homeland Security on similar targeted break-ins around the country. Trump, who mentioned numerous recent criminal incidents connected to suspects who crossed the border illegally, was quick to work it in.

"As soon as I take the oath of office, we will begin the largest deportation operation in the history of our country," he said. "In Oakland County, criminal squads of illegal alien gang members are hiding in the trees and breaking into Michigan homes after dark, looting them for jewelry, purses, taking women's purses right out of their bedrooms, electronics, cash they're stealing. They're robbing the houses earlier this year in Kent County."

Trump then localized criminal incidents further with the killing of Ruby Garcia confessed to by Brandon Ortiz-Vite, who illegally entered the US as a child and whose DACA status expired five years ago.

"A sadistic illegal alien was sentenced for executing a 22-year-old Grand Rapids woman while she was in her car with a 1-year-old baby, shooting her at least five times … while the killer was wanted on an outstanding warrant for attempted strangulation of another woman." 

Inflation and MAGA-nomics

Trump said Biden's alleged economic gains have to do with bounce-back jobs as a result of Covid regulations lifting and/or ending. He said that in the past three years groceries are up 57 percent, gas up 69 percent and mortgage rates have quadrupled. 

"Under the radical left Democrats inflation is wiping out the Middle Class," he said. "Since Democrats took over, total household costs have increased by an average of $28,000, per family. Under my leadership, we will throw out Bidenomics, and we will replace it very simply with MAGA-nomics."

Among Trump's goals include the removal of regulations and self-imposed climate-conscious standards from "the green new scam" with a plan of more drilling for oil and seeking energy independence.   

"To bring down the prices of all goods, we will end the Biden-Harris war and American energy. And we will drill, baby drill. We will start that on day one." he said. "We will be more dominant than any country by far. And we were just four years ago."

Rogers in, Pensler out for Senate race

Detroit-area businessman Sandy Pensler has withdrawn from the Republican Senate race in Michigan just ahead of the state’s primary, throwing his support behind former U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers for the party’s nomination.

Pensler made the announcement after being called onto to stage by the former president. Trump endorsed Rogers earlier this year and many in the party have begun to coalesce around Rogers, who served in the U.S. House for 14 years and chaired the House Intelligence Committee.

"We need control of the Senate," Pensler said on stage. "A divisive continued primary effort hurts the chances of that. President Trump endorsed Mike Rogers. Tonight, so am I."

The  Aug. 6 Primary winner would likely face Democrat Rep Elissa Slotkin who is a heavy favorite against actor Hill Harper.

The Associated Press contributed to this report