From the “Washington Post”
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In the Pennsylvania city, the attempted assassination of the former US president pitted Democrats and Republicans against each other in a way that one historian called “downright chilling”.
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One of the city’s most famous artists has carved a 400-pound statue of Donald Trump raising his fist, immortalizing the moment that divided the Pennsylvania community. Billboards blaming Democrats and the media for the assassination attempt continue to flash across the city. Supporters of Vice President Kamala Harris say they are regularly targeted.
Tensions, already simmering in Butler, exploded after a gunman shot Trump at a rally, wounding him in the ear. Two months later, those tensions have yet to abate. The former president’s infamous words after being shot – «Fight, fight, fight» – have become, in a way, the city’s new credo, as each side strives to ensure its candidate wins enough votes in this decisive constituency.
“The statue and the ‘Fight!’ resonate with everyone,” says Bob Oesterling, a local businessman and strong supporter of