Evansville resident Mike Boatman has become a fixture at former President Donald Trump's public events. He said he's seen Trump speak 109 times in person, 94 of those at what he considers to be rallies.
So it's no surprise that Boatman, a 56-year-old independent contractor, was in the front row on Saturday in Butler, Pennsylvania, when a would-be assassin fired off several rounds. By now, most people know the basics: A bullet grazed Trump's ear. A rally-goer, 50-year-old Corey Comperatore, was killed. Two others − David Dutch, 57, of New Kensington, Pennsylvania, and James Copenhaver, 74, of Moon Township, Pennsylvania − also were injured by gunfire.
Secret Service snipers killed the gunman, a 20-year-old named Thomas Matthew Crooks who lived near Pittsburgh.
Boatman appears in video clips from the assassination attempt a few feet from Trump, separated only by the front of the stage and a red, white and blue apron. Boatman is wearing a white hat and a white No. 45 jersey with "TRUMP" in red capital letters across the back.
And he's holding up his phone, getting photos of a historic moment unfolding in front of him.
"I am still shook up," Boatman told the Courier & Press on Monday afternoon. "I was right in front of the podium, 10 feet from Trump. It was an experience."
Boatman is part of an informal collection of Trump supporters called the "Front Row Joes." They go to a lot of the rallies, camping out for hours (sometimes days) beforehand to get a good spot.
This time, Boatman said, he'd arrived in Butler around 9 p.m. Friday.
"Every rally is different. Sometimes they let you line up at night," he said. "Sometimes there's a snake line with bicycle racks. Sometimes we have to sleep in our cars. Sometimes I use my tent cot to sleep in line."
The dedication to the campaign landed Boatman an invitation to Mar-A-Lago for Trump's announcement that he would seek the presidency again in the 2024 election. "Second row" for that one, Boatman said.
Saturday, he was front and center when the gunfire started.
"He was talking about illegal immigration, and was wanting people to look up at the graph they put on the two (video boards) about how many people had crossed the border illegally," Boatman said. "(Trump) turned his head to look at the graph. Thank God he turned his head ... (we heard) 'pop-pop-pop-pop' and I knew right away it was gunfire."
Boatman said everyone around him was ducking and "I thought, maybe I should get down, too."
"After about 10 to 15 seconds, I had to get up, I had to look and see if President Trump was alright. My worry was on him," Boatman said.
Boatman witnessed the Secret Service "piling on top" of Trump.
"Then I saw him raise his fist up and said, 'Fight, fight, fight,'" Boatman said. "I was relieved he was OK, but was worried he might still collapse."
Trump was whisked away by Secret Service agents, and rallygoers were told later that they needed to leave the complex.
"I'm glad everyone handled themselves properly," Boatman said. With so many people in one space, there could've "been a stampede."
"I've always felt like being inside of a Trump rally was one of the safest places to be," Boatman said. "You go through a metal detector. Then they wand you if the metal detector light goes on. They ask you about having anything in your pockets.
"I'm not sure how the Secret Service dropped the ball on this one."
The trip home was a time to decompress, Boatman said. Four or five hours from Butler to a rest stop, then another four hours home. He made it to Evansville around 9 a.m. Sunday.
"I don't wish what happened on anyone," he said. "As much as I dislike Joe Biden, I don't wish it on any president. It doesn't matter what party, I don't wish this on anyone."
Boatman plans to be at whatever rally Trump holds next. He thinks there will be a "huge turnout" for it.
"This isn't going to stop me from going to a rally," he said.
This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: Evansville man was in front row at rally when assassin fired at Trump
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