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Donald Trump hosted his first campaign rally since narrowly avoiding an assassination attempt, taking jabs at Democrats in disarray at a heavily secured indoor arena in Michigan, a key state in the election.
Fresh from his nominating convention where he solidified his control of the Republican Party, Trump appeared in Grand Rapids alongside his new vice presidential pick, Senator J.D. Vance from Ohio.
They made their first joint campaign appearance with the unified support of the Republican Party.
In contrast, there is now uncertainty surrounding whether President Joe Biden will be the Democratic Party's nominee facing Trump in the upcoming election.
Biden has faced pressure from some senior Democrats to withdraw from his re-election bid following a lackluster debate performance, raising doubts about his ability to defeat Trump or serve another four-year term.
Trump ridiculed the Democrats, claiming they wanted to remove Biden from the ticket after he won the party's presidential nomination.
He criticized the Democratic Party as not being truly democratic and labeled them as enemies of democracy.
Trump also questioned the accusations that he poses a threat to democracy, humorously stating that he "took a bullet for democracy" last week.
Despite national polls showing a close race between the two candidates, Biden is trailing Trump in the crucial battleground states that are likely to determine the election outcome.
Many Democrats are concerned that Biden may not have a viable path to victory and believe the party needs a new candidate to challenge Trump.
The rally in Grand Rapids was heavily policed, with officers stationed on every street corner for several blocks and US Secret Service officers positioned on the top balconies of the Van Andel Arena.
