Trump Jokes About Supporter's Widow Preferring Her Dead Husband Over $1 Million Check

Donald Trump has found himself in hot waters again after a leaked audio recording revealed him making controversial jokes about the widow of Corey Comperatore— the firefighter who was killed during the assassination attempt at Trump’s Butler, Pennsylvania rally on July 13. The audio in question was from a fundraiser held on August 10 at a $38 million Aspen, Colorado mansion. It was attended by high-profile figures such as Texas Governor Greg Abbott, Steve Wynn, and Lauren Boebert, with couples paying as much as $500,000 to attend.

According to The Guardian, at the event, the former president reportedly recounted the moment he handed a widow a $1 million check— an amount raised by members of his Mar-a-Lago club. Trump can be heard saying, "So they’re going to get millions of dollars but the woman, the wife, this beautiful woman, I handed her the cheque – we handed her the cheque – 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." The room in response, reportedly erupted in laughter.

Trump’s didn’t stop there. He added, “I know at least four couples...At least four couples here would have been thrilled, actually.” He, however, specifically noted that Texas Governor Greg Abbott was not among them. This isn’t the first time Trump made such comments about the Comperatore family. In a rally held in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, just weeks after the tragic Butler event, Trump made a similar joke about Helen Comperatore’s loss, The New Republic reported. 

The Butler assassination attempt left a huge impact on Trump’s campaign. Trump, himself, narrowly escaped serious harm, with a bullet grazing his right ear. During a Republican National Committee event held shortly after the attack, Trump famously kissed the helmet of the former Buffalo Township fire chief in a symbolic gesture of gratitude for his bravery, HuffPost reported. Meanwhile, in an interview with a local newspaper, Helen shared that the media frenzy after the shooting had given her friends and family “no time to really grieve.” “We’re grieving, and, you know, his loss is still very, very prominent,” she said.

The August 10 fundraiser, which reportedly raised over $12 million for Trump’s third presidential campaign, also included disparaging comments about immigrants. In the leaked audio, Trump launched into a profanity-laden rant, claiming that 'murderers' were being intentionally sent to the U.S. by foreign governments. He alleged that political leaders from around the world were releasing convicted criminals from prison and directing them to the U.S. as part of a plan to destabilize the country. "We said, 'Where do you come from?' They said, 'Prison.' 'What did you do?' 'None of your fucking business what we did,'" Trump narrated to his audience.