Trump’s message moments before assassination attempt spurred me to action: Butler-area mayor

SHERMAN’S DALE, Pa. – SHERMAN’S DALE, Pennsylvania— Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania Mayor Jondavid Longo was pinch erstwhile President Donald Trump successful his location region of Butler successful July conscionable minutes earlier nan GOP nominee was changeable by an attempted assassin.

Longo, astir to statesman his eighth twelvemonth arsenic politician of nan borough conscionable a fistful of miles northwest of nan rally site, said to Fox News Digital arsenic he traveled nan commonwealth pinch nan Team Trump autobus circuit — a week-long travel he embarked connected because of what Trump has travel to mean for galore Pennsylvanians since that tragic day, he said.

"You know, I've ever been a protagonist of nan president," Longo said, adding during his nationalist reside that he had backed nan mogul since "day 1 erstwhile he came down nan aureate escalator" successful Trump Tower successful 2015.

Longo said he, for illustration galore Republicans successful Pennsylvania, was hesitant astir transitioning to early voting from nan centuries-old civilization of waiting until Election Day to spell to nan polls to formed a ballot.

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Slippery Rock, Pa., Mayor Jondavid Longo speaks astatine Team Trump autobus circuit extremity successful Franklin County, Pa. (Fox News Digital/Charlie Creitz)

"But… I thought to myself agelong and difficult aft that day, aft watching that man get changeable successful nan face. And I thought, 'My goodness, everything that this man has been done — and he's asking america to spell and ballot early — nan slightest that we each could do is do what it is that he's asking america to do successful bid to make judge that he tin get crossed nan decorativeness statement truthful that we tin return this state back,'" he said.

"Because let's look it, group are suffering, and we cannot spend different 4 years of nan grounded activity of Kamala Harris."

Longo was pinch Trump astir 20 minutes earlier he took nan shape successful Butler successful July.

Reportedly his normal gregarious self, Trump interacted pinch respective section officials, including nan mayor, backstage astatine nan Butler Farm Show grounds.

"He asked me, ‘Mayor, really are we doing connected nan crushed — what’s it look for illustration successful Butler County?'"

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The "Hay Man" connected PA State Rep. Barb Gleim's "Hayman Farms" extracurricular Mechanicsburg, Pa., urges visitors to ballot for Donald Trump. (Fox News/Charlie Creitz)

"And I had nan pleasance of looking that man successful nan oculus and talking astir each of nan awesome things that each of you are doing successful places for illustration Butler County and each crossed nan Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to make judge those 19 important electoral votes beryllium to him truthful that we tin get them backmost to nan White House."

"We’re going to present Pennsylvania for you, Mr. President. We're going to do it for you," Longo recalled telling Trump.

Moments later, shots rang out, and Trump was dogpiled by Secret Service agents, bleeding from his head. Shooter Thomas Crooks had deed Trump’s correct receptor successful what nan president said was a changeable of luck owed to his gesturing astatine that aforesaid infinitesimal toward a chart of forbidden migration statistics.

"I watched that man get changeable successful nan face. How galore of you saw that?" Longo later asked nan crowd. "Let maine inquire you something: Do you emotion President Trump? Are you consenting to do immoderate it takes to make judge he gets backmost successful Washington to cleanable up this messiness that Kamala Harris and nan Democrats person put america in?"

"Then I implore you, subordinate maine successful early voting for President Trump. And that's my confession here. Ladies and gentlemen, I've sewage to show you, I wasn't a elephantine instrumentality of early voting until this moment. When I looked astatine President Trump successful nan eyes, and he said, 'Don't fto maine down.' And I heard him clip and again."

The "don’t fto maine down" refrain stuck pinch Longo ever since, arsenic he stepped disconnected nan autobus for nan penultimate clip Friday astatine Republican authorities Rep. Barb Gleim’s workplace adjacent nan Perry County line.

As he took nan stage, nan sun was mounting complete nan adjacent Appalachian Mountains to nan west, and erstwhile California Lt. Gov. Abel Maldonado, a chap Trump surrogate connected nan bus, remarked really overmuch nan segment reminded him of home.

Standing beside Maldonado and respective others, and earlier rows of supporters seated connected haybales and a elephantine American emblem suspended by a crane, Longo said nan risks Trump has endured for nan U.S. should energize everyone adjacent month.

"I thought to myself, this man, nan sacrifices he's made for each of us, him and his family person been raked complete nan coals for years and person fixed up everything truthful that they tin conflict for us."

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Donald Trump is seen pinch humor connected his look surrounded by Secret Service agents arsenic he is taken disconnected nan shape astatine a run arena successful Butler, Pennsylvania. (Rebecca Droke/AFP via Getty Images)

Longo said he and his woman are expecting a girl adjacent year, and that Pennsylvanians should ballot early, not conscionable for Trump, but to not "let down" nan adjacent procreation yet to beryllium born.

Back location successful Slippery Rock, not acold from business Youngstown, Ohio, and Erie, Pennsylvania, Longo said his constituents are "feeling… nan pressure" of nan Biden-Harris system and diminution successful nationalist safety.

"My family should not consciousness unsafe going to a municipality adjacent doorway for illustration Pittsburgh to spell and bask a nighttime out. And we conscionable don't consciousness safe successful our ain cities anymore. Businesses are fleeing cities for illustration that arsenic well. I mean, my gosh. Pennsylvania itself is hemorrhaging people," he said.

"We're losing organization because opportunities aren't here. We're nether dense Democrat power present successful Pennsylvania, I mightiness add, too," he said.

"So these are nan things that are very overmuch connected nan hearts and minds of Pennsylvania's voters. And for those reasons, we're going to get retired and ballot for Donald J. Trump."