Man shot during 2024 Trump campaign rally in Butler dies

In a post on his social media site Truth Social, Trump called Copenhaver a “true American patriot”.

“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,” Trump said. “Our hearts and prayers are with the Copenhaver family, especially his incredible wife Marianne.”

An attorney for Copenhaver’s family said his dedication to the US was a “defining part of his life”.

“As a veteran, he proudly served our nation in the armed forces, and his love of country never wavered,” the lawyer said in a statement to the BBC’s US partner CBS News.

In an interview with CBS a year after the Butler rally, Copenhaver and David Dutch, the third attendee who was shot, said they had been through infections and surgeries after being wounded.

Copenhaver was shot in the arm and the abdomen. A year later, the bullet was still lodged in his body next to his spine, he told CBS, causing him to walk with a cane.

Both Dutch and Copenhaver sued the federal government for damages in June, arguing the Secret Service failed to ensure their safety and was therefore liable for their injuries.

Republicans in the US House of Representatives also paid tribute to Copenhaver on Friday, saying in a social media post: “Jim endured unimaginable hardship with strength and perseverance.”