Former President Donald Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, made an unexpected pause during his campaign rally in Asheboro, North Carolina, on Wednesday, calling for medical assistance for an attendee in distress. As the rally unfolded, Trump suddenly stopped his speech to address the crowd, saying, “A doctor, please,” after noticing someone in need of help.
This rally was Trump’s first outdoor event since a shooter opened fire at one of his campaign events in Pennsylvania last month, an incident currently under investigation as an assassination attempt. As Trump noticed the issue in the crowd, he asked, “What’s wrong?” before repeating his call for a doctor into the microphone, told Express US.
“It is very hot here, I noticed, it’s very hot and a lot of the people waited for days to get here, so I understand it. Take your time, doctor, take your time, thank you!” Trump added, acknowledging the extreme heat and the long wait endured by his supporters.
The former president then moved beyond the bulletproof glass surrounding his podium and, accompanied by Secret Service agents, approached the area where the attendee was being attended to. Trump greeted and hugged the individual, who was seen holding a water bottle, before returning to the podium amid chants of “We love Trump” from the crowd. He then resumed his speech, focusing on national security issues.
A spokesperson for the Secret Service later confirmed to Newsweek that the incident was heat-related and that the individual was fine, adding that EMTs had taken care of them.
This event follows heightened security measures at Trump’s rallies, particularly after the July 13 shooting at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, where 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks fired shots, injuring Trump and two other attendees, and killing one, Corey Comperatore. Trump was seen with blood on his right ear and was swiftly escorted off the stage by Secret Service agents. Despite the incident, Trump appeared at the Republican National Convention days later, wearing a bandage over his ear to accept the party’s official nomination.
Trump’s quick response to the medical emergency in North Carolina earned praise from the Texas GOP, which wrote on social media: “Trump just stopped his whole rally to make sure one of the people in the audience was okay after there were shouts for a doctor in the crowd. What a genuinely good guy.”
The rally at the North Carolina Aviation Museum & Hall of Fame featured a speech from GOP vice presidential nominee, Ohio Senator JD Vance, and comes as the battleground state remains highly contested in the 2024 presidential election. Vice President Kamala Harris also made headlines earlier in the week when she paused a campaign speech in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to call for medical assistance for someone in the crowd, showing similar concern for her supporters.