'I took a bullet for democracy': Trump gives his first mass rally after his assassination attempt

Former President Donald Trump rejected characterizations by Democrats that he is a "threat to democracy" at a large campaign event in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in what was his first rally since surviving an assassination attempt last week in Pennsylvania.

Trump, accompanied by his brand-new running mate, JD Vance, spoke to a crowd of more than 12,000 people at the Van Andel Arena, home of the Grand Rapids Griffins field hockey team.

"They keep saying he's a threat to democracy. I'm saying, ‘’What the hell did I do to democracy?' Last week I took a bullet for democracy," Trump said as the crowd cheered him fervently.

The vice presidential candidate, Senator JD Vance, took the stage before Trump and dedicated part of his speech to criticizing his opponent, Kamala Harris.

"I've served in the United States Marine Corps … What the hell have you done?" Vance said, referring to the Democratic vice president, who is on the list of potential replacements for President Joe Biden, whose candidacy today hangs in the balance in the face of internal criticism from his party leaders and backlash from big donors.

"What has she done other than collect a check from her political offices?" continued Vance before talking about his education and his family. He also addressed citizens' concerns, such as the fentanyl crisis, the situation at the border and the economy.

Then, Trump took the stage and kicked off his speech by stressing that it was a miracle he was standing on stage after a bullet grazed past his ear, millimeters from impacting his head.

"I shouldn't be here right now, but something very, something very special happened," the former president blurted out. He then made referred to the other victims of the shooting.

"We continue to pray for the recovery of the two citizens who were wounded in that evil attack – David Dutch and James Copenhaver, two really incredible people," the Republican leader said. "We remain in contact and send our deepest respect to the families."

Trump then dedicated words to firefighter Corey Comparatore, the fatal victim of the Pennsylvania shooting: "Corey was a hero. And we will carry his memory in our hearts for all time."

In another highlight of his address, Trump dedicated words of praise to mogul Elon Musk, who recently assured that he would shell out $45 million a month for his election campaign.

"I love Elon Musk; Three years ago I’m watching TV and I see this rocket come down landing. No wings no nothing; It’s landing on a barge in the middle of the ocean; I’ve never seen that before. If that were government you wouldn’t see that for another 50-100 years."

The former president also took advantage of the event to interact with the audience on several occasions. The most surprising interaction was when he was talking about electric cars and recognized a man in the audience who was a United Auto Workers union member.

"Are you the same guy? Yes? No kidding," said Trump, who immediately bragged about his mental acuity. "Pretty good memory, right? Unlike somebody else that I happen to be running against."

The former president had the worker take the stage as he joked with him.

"I'm glad to see this guy," the worker said briskly as he reached the podium. "I told you, we're gonna get 85 million of us out there to vote for him. So let's go home from this rally and do our part."