Trump Pays Tribute After the Death of Butler

President Donald Trump weighed in Thursday evening on the death of Jim Copenhaver, the 76-year-old supporter shot twice during the 2024 assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, who died more than two years after the capturing that left him with everlasting accidents.

Trump called him a “true American Patriot” and his death a “tremendous loss.” Copenhaver survived the bullets that tore into him at Butler, but the harm never absolutely left him. Bullet fragments remained inside his physique until the end, and he and his spouse had sued the federal authorities over the security failures that made it all doable.

The president wrote:

🙏🏻 pic.twitter.com/9kgbnY4Po4

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) September 24, 2026

“Jim Copenhaver, a true American Patriot, has passed away — A tremendous loss! More than two years ago in Butler, Pennsylvania, a crazed gunman attempted to stifle our America First Movement. Instead, Jim and so many other wonderful Patriots who love our Country, stood united in defense of our shared values of Freedom, Liberty, and Justice.

After being wounded while protecting his family, Jim showed tremendous bravery, courageously continuing to FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT, and maintaining a positive spirit despite unimaginable hardships.”

Trump said Copenhaver’s “indelible legacy of love and devotion will forever endure” and supplied prayers for the Copenhaver household, singling out his spouse, Marianne.

Copenhaver’s death was first announced earlier Thursday. He died Wednesday at West Penn Hospital in Pittsburgh, according to the Allegheny County medical examiner. His household said through attorney Joseph Feldman that he handed away surrounded by family members. A trigger of death has not been disclosed, and while the household’s assertion didn’t say whether or not his death was straight related to the accidents he suffered in Butler, Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday has said that Copenhaver handed away “from complications stemming from those wounds.”

As RedState reported earlier Thursday, Copenhaver was hit twice on July 13, 2024, when Thomas Crooks fired from a rooftop overlooking Trump’s marketing campaign rally. One bullet struck Copenhaver in the tricep. Another hit him in the stomach. He underwent a number of surgical procedures and was left with bullet fragments still inside his physique.

Copenhaver later described the second he realized what had occurred:

“I turned around to my friend, and I said, ‘I think I was shot,’ and that’s when I got the second one and then I went down.”

Copenhaver survived. Later, when he spoke publicly about Butler, he put the blame squarely on the security failures that left the rooftop open to Crooks.

“I’m sure there was negligence. It wouldn’t have happened, had it been secure.”

Those failures ultimately landed in court. Copenhaver and his spouse sued the federal authorities in June, describing accidents from the capturing as “debilitating, grievous, permanent and life-altering.” 

Copenhaver wasn’t the only one who paid a price that day. Corey Comperatore, a retired volunteer fire chief, was killed shielding his spouse and daughters. David Dutch was critically wounded. Trump was struck in the ear before Secret Service brokers rushed him from the stage.

Trump closed his tribute to Copenhaver with three phrases immediately recognizable from Butler:

“FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT.”

This time, they have been for Jim Copenhaver.

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