Latest news with #HelenComperatore
Fox News
a day ago
- Politics
- Fox News
Widow, daughter of man killed at Trump Butler rally tell all in new Fox Nation show
The assassination attempt on President Donald Trump at a Butler, Pennsylvania, rally last July claimed the life of one attendee — and altered the lives of his family forever. The second part of "Butler: Under Fire," titled "The Search for Justice," is now streaming on Fox Nation amid the one-year anniversary of the shocking day that nearly claimed Trump's life. Helen Comperatore's husband, Corey, was killed by gunfire from 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, and she spoke out alongside her daughter, Allyson, about the unimaginable tragedy during the special. "It's been extremely difficult," she said. "Sometimes I still feel like it's the day after, and sometimes I feel like it's been a year — it depends on the day." Helen revealed her challenges of navigating life without her late husband, who was a volunteer firefighter and devout Christian. "Sometimes I pretend he went to work, and then he'll be home in the evening just to get by the day, but he doesn't come home." "I have pictures of him everywhere at home, in every room," she continued. "I carry his driver's license in my wallet. I wear his clothes." Allyson shared her traumatic experience of having to tend to her father after he was hit by the gunfire at the Butler rally. She recalls being in shock after he crumpled to the ground as bullets rang out. "I felt him on me," she said during the somber interview on "Butler: Under Fire." "I was confused for a minute, because I was like, 'why does he feel so heavy?' When I looked back, I saw him just laying on top of me, limp." "I saw what had happened to him. I screamed. And I felt like nobody could hear me. I went to go put my hands on him to stop the bleeding. Everything else was just moving in slow motion." New cellphone footage from Corey's phone was also shown in part two of the special, documenting his recapturing of the rally up to when he was fatally struck. Screams can be heard from the footage as the phone laid still and Corey fell to the ground. "Just hearing your kid scream like that — it's torture," Helen added. Also in the episode, the Butler County Emergency Services Unit (ESU) met with Helen to answer her questions about that fateful day. "They deserve to have the truth told," Butler County ESU Commander Ed Lenz said. "They gave us permission to do this. We have their blessing to be here, and they wanted to do this. That really is the deciding factor." Helen wanted to meet with local law enforcement to receive more information about that somber day. Upon meeting the unit, she received hugs from many. "For the team as a whole, getting to meet her and her showing support for the team means the world to all of us," ESU member Michael Murcko said. Lenz remarked on the "ultimate failure" that the Butler rally site wasn't entirely secure, and that Trump was even able to hold the event despite law enforcement's monitoring of Crooks. "What really gets me is that there was a threat and they [Secret Service] let him [Trump] come out on stage," she said. "If they had just held him, none of this would have ever happened." In Fox Nation's "Art of the Surge: The Donald Trump Comeback," new, previously unreleased drone footage captures the scene of the Butler rally, as well as close-up footage of Secret Service agents protecting Trump after shots rang out. Also shown are shocking videos of the crowd's reaction as everything unfolded, highlighting the fear of those who were in attendance that day. In the series, Trump himself reflects on the immense danger he was in at the rally. "130 yards is like sinking a one-foot putt," the president said, referring to the distance from which the shots traveled toward him. "It's considered really close." Fox Nation subscribers can enjoy a wealth of other Trump-related content in addition to "Butler Under Fire" and "The Art of the Surge." Several streaming specials highlight Trump's initiatives before or during his second term, including "President Trump: Middle East Trip," "President Trump's Cabinet: Sworn In" and "Trump Border Crackdown." Fox Nation programs are viewable on-demand and from your mobile device app, but only for Fox Nation subscribers. Go to Fox Nation to start a free trial and watch the extensive library from your favorite Fox Nation personalities.
Fox News
a day ago
- Politics
- Fox News
Corey Comperatore's widow sheds new light on final moments with her husband
The widow of slain former fire chief Corey Comperatore — who died tragically at President Donald Trump's July 2024 campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania — is shedding new light on her last moments with her husband that fateful day. "He was insanely excited. I was sleeping in, and he comes crawling on top of the bed like a little kid. He's like, 'Honey, we got to get up. We got to get there,'" Helen Comperatore said in the book, "Butler: The Untold Story of the Near Assassination of Donald Trump and the Fight for America's Heartland," written by Washington Examiner reporter Salena Zito. An excerpt from the book was published in the Washington Post on Sunday. "When he got that look, well, he was hard to resist," Helen said. Helen said her husband woke up for the rally just after 6 a.m. by jumping on the bed and was anxious about arriving late to the venue. "Oh, not Corey, he wasn't tired at all — he was ready to go, he was already showered and fully dressed and ready to attend our first Trump rally," Helen told Zito. Zito's book is based off of seven phone conversations she had with Trump the day following his near-death at the hands of an assassin in Butler, along with interviews with Helen and others. At the rally, lone gunman Thomas Crooks, 20, opened fire on Trump, killing Corey and wounding two others in the crowd. The 50-year-old father of two died while using his body to shield his wife and daughter from the gunfire raining down on the crowd. Crooks' bullet grazed Trump's ear the moment after the now-President turned his head. Trump attributed his survival, in which a sniper had come within a fraction of an inch of taking his life, to divine providence. "Why did I look away, Salena?... Divine intervention?... The hand of God… It was the hand of God," Trump told Zito. "I've had people that were not religious become religious over that moment because they said it was a miracle," he said. Trump returned to Butler in Oct. 2024 to pay tribute to the fallen fire chief. His boots and jacket were displayed onstage and "Ave Maria" was played. "I just want to do right by Corey… It's hard, it's tough," Trump told Zito. Helen, who last saw Trump at his March address before a joint session of Congress, said she was touched by Trump's tribute to her fallen husband, and said that the president had treated them as if they were his own family. "The president did the most meaningful thing in that moment. I thought it was beautiful," she said. "I just felt really comfortable with him. Just gave us a hug. And just like we were as family, he just really embraced us like we were a family. I mean, for a minute there, you forget you're talking to the President of the United States," she said. Helen said she finds the strength to go on from her husband's memory and from the president's immediate reaction to getting shot, in which he rallied the crowd to "fight, fight, fight." "He wants me to fight, to be strong, like the president said, 'fight, fight, fight,' we all need to be strong."
Fox News
3 days ago
- Politics
- Fox News
Trump calls Butler widow, Secret Service agrees to meeting after call for accountability
The widow of Trump rally shooting victim Corey Comperatore said the president called her after watching her interview on Fox News and vowed that he would always be there for her. Helen Comperatore also told Fox News Correspondent Alexis McAdams that Secret Service Director Sean Curran phoned her as well, mentioning he was heartbroken after watching her speak ahead of the 1-year anniversary of the shooting in Butler, Pennsylvania. Curran said he will meet with her to review the case, according to Comperatore. "We were all sitting ducks that day. Our blood is all over their hands. I am angry. I lost the love of my life. They screwed up," Helen Comperatore said during the interview while demanding accountability from the Secret Service. The Secret Service has admitted to multiple failures after 20-year-old gunman Thomas Crooks climbed onto a rooftop and fired off eight rounds. Those shots killed Comperatore – a volunteer firefighter -- and wounded three others, including then-former President Donald Trump. "Why Butler? Why was that such a failure? Why weren't they paying attention? Why did they think that that roof didn't need covered? I want to sit down and talk to them. I have the right to. They need to listen to me," Comperatore told Fox News. She said during her call with Curran, he apologized that she went so long without receiving updates and said that now that he is in charge of the Secret Service, things will be different. Curran pledged to try and answer all the questions she has about the July 13, 2024, shooting, Comperatore added. The widow also told Fox News that after a year without answers, she finally feels the Secret Service is listening to her. In her call with Trump, the president said the families affected that day will forever be connected because of the tragedy, according to Comperatore. Trump said there will be a comprehensive report made about the assassination attempt, though it is unclear when that will be made public. Six Secret Service agents were suspended without pay or benefits on Wednesday in the wake of the shooting, the agency confirmed.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Widow of man slain in Trump assassination attempt: ‘We were all sitting ducks that day'
The widow of a Pennsylvania firefighter who was killed during the assassination attempt against President Trump at a campaign rally last year said in a new Fox News interview that she wants accountability from the Secret Service for the death of her husband, Corey Comperatore. 'We were all sitting ducks that day. Our blood is all over their hands,' Helen Comperatore told Fox News's Alexis McAdams this week. 'I am angry. I lost the love of my life.' 'They screwed up,' she added. Saturday will be the first anniversary of the deadly Butler, Pa., campaign rally, where gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks, 21, opened fire on then-GOP presidential candidate Trump and the crowd. Corey Comperatore, 50, was fatally shot by the would-be assassin, while Trump and two others were injured. Crooks was shot and killed as he continued to fire at the crowd from the rooftop of a nearby warehouse. 'Why Butler? Why was that such a failure? Why weren't they paying attention?' Helen Comperatore said in the interview. 'Why did they think that that roof didn't need covered?' 'I want to sit down and talk to them. I have the right to. They need to listen to me,' she added. Six Secret Service agents were suspended without pay Wednesday in relation to the shooting. Helen Comperatore said she also has questions for Crooks's family. 'Why would you not go in there and look in his room and say … you know what son, you need help,' she said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Fox News
4 days ago
- Politics
- Fox News
One year after Trump assassination attempt, Butler widow demands accountability from Secret Service
One year after Corey Comperatore was killed at a Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, his widow is demanding accountability from the Secret Service. "We were all sitting ducks that day. Our blood is all over their hands. I am angry. I lost the love of my life. They screwed up," Helen Comperatore told Fox News. The Secret Service has admitted to multiple failures after 20-year-old gunman Thomas Crooks climbed onto a rooftop and fired off eight rounds. Those shots killed Comperatore and wounded three others, including then-former President Donald Trump. "Why Butler? Why was that such a failure? Why weren't they paying attention? Why did they think that that roof didn't need covered? I want to sit down and talk to them. I have the right to. They need to listen to me," Comperatore said. Police say Crooks fired those gunshots. Investigators say the once-shy college student planned the attack for days, stockpiling weapons and making explosives in his bedroom. "If you could talk to Thomas Crooks' parents, what would you tell them?" Fox News Correspondent Alexis McAdams asked Helen Comperatore. "Why would you not go in there and look in his room and say…you know what son, you need help," Comperatore said. Trump said there will be a comprehensive report made about the assassination attempt, though it is unclear when that will be made public. Six Secret Service agents were reportedly suspended without pay or benefits on Wednesday in the wake of the shooting.
