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By Mandy Taheri
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Former President Donald Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, abruptly stopped his campaign rally in Asheboro, North Carolina, on Wednesday to ask the crowd for "a doctor, please" after an attendee appeared to need medical attention.
Trump, speaking at his first outdoor rally since a shooter opened fire at his campaign event in Pennsylvania last month in what is being investigated as an assassination attempt, paused his speech and asked a section of the crowd, "What's wrong?" He then addressed the crowd, saying into the microphone, "A doctor, please!"
Looking toward the area where the attendee was located, Trump said, "It is very hot here, I noticed, it's very hot and a lot of the people waited for days to get here, so I understand it. Take your time, doctor, take your time, thank you!"
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After several pauses, Trump clapped along with the crowd. He then moved past the bulletproof glass surrounding his podium and, escorted by Secret Service agents, walked toward the area where the attendee was receiving medical attention.
Trump greeted and hugged the person, who was seen holding a water bottle. He returned to behind the bulletproof glass at the podium amid chants of "We love Trump," and then thanked the crowd. He continued his speech, which was focused on national security.
A spokesperson for the Secret Service told Newsweek in a phone interview on Wednesday that it was a "heat-related incident, and the individual is fine," adding that "EMTs took care of them."
Last week, it was reported that the Secret Service offered Trump bulletproof glass for outdoor events if he wanted to use it, a security protocol typically reserved for sitting presidents.
Newsweek reached out to Trump's campaign for comment via email on Wednesday.
The medical incident at the outdoor rally comes over a month after 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks fired shots at a Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13. Crooks injured the former president's upper right ear and two other attendees and killed one, Corey Comperatore. The shooter was killed onsite by a Secret Service counter-sniper.
Trump was seen with blood on his right ear and was escorted off the stage by Secret Service agents. Several days later, he appeared at the Republican National Convention to accept the party's official nomination, wearing a bandage over his ear.
On Wednesday, The Texas GOP applauded Trump's call for medical help at his rally at the North Carolina Aviation Museum & Hall of Fame. The state Republican branch wrote on social media: "Trump just stopped his whole rally to make sure one of the people in the audience was okay after there were shouts for a doctor in the crowd. What a genuinely good guy."
Trump's rally in the battleground state, which featured a speech from GOP vice presidential pick Ohio Senator JD Vance, comes as recent polls show the state highly contested in the 2024 presidential election. Vice President Kamala Harris held a campaign event in the battleground state last Friday.
On Tuesday night, Harris also stopped a campaign speech in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to call for a medic to help someone in the crowd. "We need a medical assistant here," she said. "Let's make a path if y'all don't mind."
A few minutes later, Harris seemed to ask if the person was OK and gave a thumbs-up sign. "We're going to be OK," Harris added, before continuing her speech.
Update 8/21/24, 10:40 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with a new headline and additional context.
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