Trump speaks from behind bulletproof glass at outdoor rally

Trump speaks from behind bulletproof glass at first outdoor rally since attempted assassination

A man in dark suit and red tie speaks at a lectern with a Trump-Vance sign, on a stage surrounded by clear glass panels

By Michelle L. Price and Jill Colvin

Aug. 21, 2024 Updated 2:01 PM PT

ASHEBORO, N.C. — At his first outdoor rally since last month’s attempted assassination, Donald Trump spoke from behind bulletproof glass Wednesday in North Carolina at an event billed as focusing on national security. On politics, he called former President Obama “nasty” for comments the night before at the Democratic National Convention.

Trump blamed President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris for the deadly troop withdrawal from Afghanistan and for wars in Ukraine and the Middle East while returning repeatedly in his remarks to the Democratic gathering in Chicago, where speaker after speaker has assailed Trump as a threat to the country should he return to the White House.

The former president, now the GOP nominee, asked the crowd gathered at the North Carolina Aviation Museum & Hall of Fame whether they had seen the speeches given Tuesday by former President Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama.

“He was taking shots at your president. And so was Michelle. You know, they always say, ‘Sir, please stick to policy. Don’t get personal.’ And yet they’re getting personal all night long, these people,” he said, asking: “Do I still have to stick to policy?”

Trump, who is facing Harris in the November election after Biden stepped aside, spoke from behind a podium surrounded by panes of bulletproof glass that formed a protective wall across the stage — part of ramped-up security measures aimed at keeping Trump safe after the attack by a Pennsylvania gunman on July 13.

Storage containers were stacked around the perimeter of the space to create additional walls and block sight lines, and snipers were positioned on roofs. .

The event was part of Trump’s weeklong series of counterprogramming to the Democratic convention in Chicago. Allies have been urging him to focus on policy instead of personal attacks as he struggles to adjust to Biden’s departure from the race.

In speeches on the second night of the Democrats’ convention, the Obamas went after Trump in particularly biting terms. Michelle Obama spoke of Trump’s “limited and narrow view of the world,” and the former president said Trump “hasn’t stopped whining about his problems since he rode down his golden escalator nine years ago.”

“It’s been a constant stream of gripes and grievances that’s actually gotten worse now that he’s afraid of losing to Kamala,” the former president said.

After mentioning the Obamas early in his speech, Trump came back around to the former president’s comments. “He was very nasty last night,” Trump said. “I try and be nice to people, you know. But it’s a little tough when they get personal.”

Trump derided Harris as “Comrade Kamala” and said he could end wars with “a phone call.”

Trump has been visiting battleground states in his busiest week of campaigning since the Republican primaries. Wednesday was his second trip to the key battleground state of North Carolina in the last week.

Price and Colvin write for the Associated Press. Colvin reported from New York.