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Trump says he 'took a bullet for democracy' at massive battleground state rally alongside running mate Vance

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Trump says he 'took a bullet for democracy' at massive battleground state rally alongside running mate Vance

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Former President Donald Trump declared Saturday that he “took a bullet for democracy” while firing up a crowd of voters in Grand Rapids, Michigan, at his first rally since surviving an assassination attempt last week. 

More than 12,000 people piled into the Van Andel Arena, home to the Grand Rapids Griffins hockey team, to see him and his running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, who are coming off a packed week at the Republican National Convention (RNC) in Milwaukee, where each accepted their respective nominations to appear on the GOP ticket together.

“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, referencing an often used Democrat talking point. “What did I do against democracy? Crazy.”

WATCH: THOUSANDS DESCEND ON MICHIGAN TOWN FOR FIRST TRUMP RALLY SINCE FAILED ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT

Former President and 2024 presidential nominee Donald Trump with Sen. and vice presidential nominee JD Vance, attend their first campaign rally together at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Mich., on Saturday. (Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images)

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Vance spoke ahead of Trump, and dedicated part of his time on stage to slamming Vice President Kamala Harris, asking rallygoers “what the hell” she has ever done and noting his own service as a U.S. Marine.

“I’ve served in the United States Marine Corps … What the hell have you done?” Vance said.

“What has she done other than collect a check from her political offices?” he asked, before going on to talk about his grandmother, who he calls “Mamaw,” and his upbringing.

Harris ripped Vance after his Wednesday speech at the RNC in which he accepted his role on the 2024 ticket.

“It was compelling. It’s a compelling story. But it’s not the full story,” Harris said after Vance’s RNC speech. “Frankly, what is very telling is what he did not talk about on that stage. He did not talk about Project 2025, the 900-page blueprint for a second term. He did not talk about it because their plans are extreme, and they are divisive.”

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RNC DELEGATES, GUESTS MAKE PREDICTIONS ABOUT BIDEN’S POLITICAL FUTURE AMID REPORTS HE MIGHT EXIT 2024 RACE

Kamala Harris, JD Vance

Vice President Kamala Harris and Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance. (Getty Images)

Vance later spoke to rallygoers about the various challenges facing the nation under President Biden’s administration, including the fentanyl crisis, the border crisis and the economy.

Trump took the stage after Vance, beginning his speech by saying that he “shouldn’t be here right now, but something very, something very special happened.” He took a moment to recognize the supporters who were injured or killed at the rally last week.

“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 frontrunner said. “We remain in contact and send our deepest respect to the families.”

ALINA HABBA TAKES ON MAJOR ROLE IN TRUMP CAMPAIGN, DISHES ON HIS HIGHLY ANTICIPATED RNC SPEECH

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Grand Rapids Trump Vance Rally

More than 12,000 people piled into Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Mich., on Saturday to see former President Donald Trump and vice presidential nominee JD Vance at their first joint rally, and the first since Trump was struck by a would-be assassin’s bullet but survived. (Fox News Digital/Brandon Gillespie)

Trump also acknowledged the death of Corey Comparatore, calling him a “hero” for protecting his family from the bullets.

“Corey Comparatore was a brave firefighter who died, [his] funeral [was] yesterday,” Trump said. “Corey was a hero. And we will carry his memory in our hearts for all time.”

Later in his speech, Trump conducted a “poll” with the audience members about who should become the Democratic nominee if President Biden steps down from the race.

“We’re going to do a poll, and it’s going to be a very nice poll and great. Who is your favorite candidate? Who would you like?” Trump said.

GOV. WHITMER TELLS ‘THE VIEW’ SHE NEVER SAID MICHIGAN’S UNWINNABLE FOR BIDEN: ‘CRAZIEST THING TO THINK’

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Trump at rally

Former President and 2024 presidential nominee Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally with Sen. and vice presidential nominee JD Vance at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Mich. (Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images)

“So who would you like to most run against, if you’re us, if we want to win? Ready? Kamala Harris? Crooked Joe Biden?” Trump asked. The audience booed louder in response to Biden.

Trump also engaged with the crowd on a personal level, and while he was speaking about electric cars, he suddenly recognized an audience member who was a union member.

“Are you the same guy? Yes? No kidding,” Trump said. “Pretty good memory, right? Unlike somebody else that I happen to be running against.”

The Republican then encouraged the worker to get up on stage and joked around with him.

“He’s a serious union guy, a United Auto Workers [worker],” Trump said. “He does not carry guns. Come on up here, look at him. Look at the shape he’s in.”

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Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump, right, shakes hands with an autoworker on stage at a campaign event Saturday at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Mich.

Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump, right, shakes hands with an autoworker on stage at a campaign event Saturday at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Mich. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

“I’m glad to see this guy,” the union worker said energetically at 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.”

The former president also slammed Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, calling her a “terrible” leader.

“Well, you have a terrible governor here who did a terrible job. Whitmer — I’d like to run against her, actually,” Trump laughed.

Michigan is expected to be one of the most closely watched battleground states in November, and could narrowly determine who will serve the American people in the White House for the next four years.

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Polls have largely suggested Trump leads Biden in every battleground state, as well as in some states that have trended more Democratic in recent years. That comes as a growing number of Democrats call for Biden to step aside from the 2024 race, in favor of Harris or another candidate.

Fox News Digital’s Andrea Vachianno contributed to this report.

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

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Detroit, MI

4 Under-the-Radar Lions That Could Make Impact in Training Camp

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4 Under-the-Radar Lions That Could Make Impact in Training Camp


The day has finally arrived. The Lions will take the Allen Park practice field for their first full practice of training camp on Wednesday.

With training camp comes a variety of intriguing position battles for Dan Campbell’s squad. Plus, as is the case with every camp, there are bound to be multiple under-the-radar players that catch the attention of fans and pundits alike. 

With that said, let’s take a look at four of those types of players that have a chance to make an impact at camp this summer. 

TE James Mitchell 

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Prior to the beginning of last season, Mitchell – a 2022 fifth-round pick – looked like he had a chance to move up the Lions’ tight ends depth chart. 

But then, last season came and went, and Mitchell emerged from it with just two catches. Meanwhile, Sam LaPorta took the league by storm, and set all kinds of rookie records, and Brock Wright firmly took control of the No. 2 TE job.

Fast-forward to this summer, and Mitchell will have to fight tooth and nail for a spot on Detroit’s 53-man roster. LaPorta and Wright are firmly entrenched as the team’s top two tight ends, but Mitchell – a third-year pro – does at least have a fighter’s shot to beat out Shane Zylstra for the No. 3 TE job. With a solid enough camp, I believe that Mitchell will do just that.

WR Daurice Fountain 

Fountain, with a strong showing in training camp, could be in contention for a spot on the Lions’ 53-man roster. 

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Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams are locks to be Detroit’s No. 1 and No. 2 receivers. Meanwhile, Donovan Peoples-Jones and Kalif Raymond will battle it out in camp for the No. 3 receiver job. However, the Lions’ depth at receiver is a bit murky after that, which leaves the door open for Fountain.

Fountain, a big-bodied wideout at 6-foot-2, 210 pounds, spent most of last season on Detroit’s practice squad. Yet, the former Colts and Chiefs receiver spent OTAs this spring practicing with the first-team offense, and caught the attention of several media members. 

“He’s in the mix,” Campbell said of Fountain during OTAs. “I mean, we still have a spot open, I mean, we’ve got a couple of spots. We know what Saint (St. Brown) is, we know what Leaf (Raymond) can bring to the table, we like where Jamo (Jameson Williams) is going. But, I mean, there’s still — you go 11 personnel, we’ve got another spot over there.”

OT Connor Galvin

You can never have enough offensive line depth. 

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It’s why Galvin, an undrafted rookie free-agent signing by Detroit in 2023, is a dark-horse candidate to make the Lions’ 53-man roster out of camp. 

The second-year pro was a preseason standout for Detroit last summer, suiting up for all three exhibition games and recording a Pro Football Focus grade of 79.2. Then, at the end of last season, the front office rewarded his efforts on the team’s practice squad by inking him to a futures deal. 

It’s a clear sign of the organization’s confidence in the 24-year-old. And although Colby Sorsdal and Dan Skipper appear to be ahead of him on the depth chart, Galvin should still have a chance to be one of the team’s primary backups at offensive tackle in 2024.

DT Kyle Peko 

Peko has a chance to be a very nice depth piece along the interior of the Lions’ defensive line. A free-agent acquisition by Brad Holmes in early May, Peko brings with him 42 games of NFL playing experience. In his career, he’s produced 56 total tackles, including four tackles for loss, two sacks, two passes defensed and a forced fumble.

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Most recently, he suited up for the Tennessee Titans, with whom he played in 13 games last year (including 10 starts). During Peko’s lone season in Tennessee, new Lions defensive line coach Terrell Williams was his position coach. With Peko being reunited with Williams in Motown, it should give the 31-year-old defensive lineman a legit shot to claim a roster spot out of camp.



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Milwaukee, WI

Milwaukee missing 10-year-old boy; last seen near 38th and Lancaster

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Milwaukee missing 10-year-old boy; last seen near 38th and Lancaster


Milwaukee police are asking for the public’s help to locate a critically missing 10-year-old boy named Michael Miller. 

The boy was last seen near 38th and Lancaster on Milwaukee’s north side around 6 p.m. on Tuesday, July 23. 

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Miller is described as a male, Black, 4′ tall, weighing 75 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing a gray t-shirt, gray jogging pants, and white Nike Airforce tennis shoes with orange and blue accents.

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Anyone having contact with, or information on the boy is urged to call the Milwaukee Police Department, District 7 at 414-935-7272.

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Minneapolis, MN

Motorcyclist’s bag stolen after being injured in downtown Minneapolis hit-and-run

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Motorcyclist’s bag stolen after being injured in downtown Minneapolis hit-and-run


MINNEAPOLIS — Surveillance video shows a man on a motorcycle being tossed through the air earlier this month during a high-speed hit-and-run.

Carl Vargas was riding through downtown Minneapolis when a car blew through a red light, T-boning his motorcycle.

Miraculously, Vargas is alive and is expected to recover.

“By the grace of God, he survived due to the helmet,” said Andy Meissner, Vargas’s brother.

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Vargas’s family has spent hours canvassing the area to obtain video of the crash. It also shows what happened next.

Two people get out of the crashed car and immediately get into a second vehicle that had been trailing directly behind them.

“It’s believed that the car was stolen and that another car was tailing them,” said Victoria Nichols, Vargas’s aunt.

They drove off, abandoning the first car, and now his family says Vargas is in the hospital with skull fractures, broken bones and brain bleeding.

“Every day I go in and visit, I’m just reminding him how the physical recovery is only part of the battle and that the mental side is the rest of it, and that’s where he excels the most,” Meissner said.

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Vargas wasn’t just the victim of a hit-and-run. While he was lying on the sidewalk, severely injured, someone on the street walked up and stole his bag.

Nichols says Vargas had everything in the bag, including his ID, credit cards and phone.

Vargas’s family hopes someone who witnessed the crash can help, particularly one person seen in the surveillance video who looks to be recording everything, including the getaway car’s license plate.

“We’re just motivated to…figure out who did this to him to hold someone accountable,” Nichols said.

Minneapolis police say they’re investigating, but no one’s been arrested.

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“Hopefully we can get some exposure on this in a way that leads to justice for Carl,” Meissner said.



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