I took bullet for democracy, claims Trump at first rally since shooting

Donald Trump, in his first election rally since surviving an assassination attempt, has rejected concerns that he is a threat to democracy, telling a crowd: “Last week I took a bullet for democracy.”

“I’m not an extremist at all,” the Republican’s presidential candidate said at the rally in swing state Michigan.

Trump rejected his alleged links to Project 2025, a shadow manifesto from figures close to him that has been characterized by opponents as an authoritarian, right-wing wish list.

And he mocked the rival Democratic Party, roiled by pressure for Joe Biden to abandon his reelection bid.

He added: “They have no idea who their candidate is… This guy goes and he gets the votes, and now they want to take it away. That’s democracy.”

Donald Trump riffed on his hardline immigration views, while espousing falsehoods about migrant crime.

The former president also voiced admiration for foreign autocrats including the Xi Jinping, whom he praised for controlling “1.4 billion people with an iron fist.

The crowd in Grand Rapids chanted the word back to him more than once, though some of the participants seemed tire of the long address after 90 minutes and began leaving the arena.

The election rally represented a moment remarkable by any measure, with Trump back on stage exactly one week since the murder attempt.

Trump appeared wearing a smaller, new, flesh-colored bandage over his right ear.

During the rally, security was tight inside the Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Michigan.