Leaked Audio Reveals Trump Joking About the Widow of Late Firefighter Killed at His Pennsylvania Rally

Trigger Warning: This article contains themes of gun violence that some readers may find distressing.

Presidential candidate Donald Trump’s controversial remarks have frequently landed him in the media spotlight. Recently, Trump revisited Butler, Pennsylvania, the site where an assassination attempt on his life took place a few months ago. Thanks to the swift response of the Secret Service, Trump escaped unharmed. However, firefighter Corey Comperatore tragically lost his life, struck by a bullet intended for Trump at the rally. Now, a leaked audio recording has surfaced, allegedly capturing Trump making fun of Helen Comperatore, the widow of the fallen firefighter.

The recording seems to be from a private dinner Trump had on August 10 in Aspen, Colorado. In it, the Republican nominee reportedly talked about meeting Corey’s wife, mentioning how he gave Helen $1 million and helped raise funds for the family through GoFundMe. As reported by the Daily Mail, he then made a joke and said, “So they’re going to get millions of dollars but the woman, the wife, this beautiful woman, I handed her the check—we handed her the check—and she said, ‘This is so nice, and I appreciate it, but I’d much rather have my husband.’ Now I know some of the women in this room wouldn’t say the same.”

He added, “I know at least four couples. There are four couples, Governor [Abbott], that I know and you're not one of them. At least four couples here would have been thrilled, actually." Trump had previously shared the joke at a rally in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, just weeks after the shooting. The event raised $12 million for his campaign, but that didn’t stop Kamala Harris from out-fundraising him by more than four times in August. During the exclusive gathering, Trump also warned of serious consequences if Vice President Harris were to become president.

As reported by The Guardian, he said, “Look, we gotta win and if we don’t win this country’s going to hell. You know, there’s an expression, this could be the last election we ever have and it’s an expression that I really believe, and I believe that this could be the last election we ever have." He added, “I’m telling you we have a radical left person that’s going be president – if she wins it’s going to be a disaster – she wants to be president very badly. Thank God she’s supposed to be horrible at debating, although she’s nasty, and she’s supposed to be really bad at interviews. She can’t do an interview."

Trump, meanwhile, is scheduled to hold a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on Saturday and doesn't appear to be concerned about going back to the location where a bullet once narrowly missed his ear. He said, "It's going to be a really big event, and it's going to be something. We'll celebrate the life of Corey." He added, "Butler has become quite a famous place,' he said. It's like a monument. Now people ride through the streets of Butler, looking at as though it were a monument." He said the event would be a chance to honor the emergency services, doctors, and others who helped the injured.

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