Donald Trump to appear at 1st rally since assassination attempt, 1st rally with JD Vance

Attendees are gathering in Grand Rapids, Michigan , Saturday for the first rally for former president Donald Trump since an assassination attempt at a Pennsylvania rally last week. It will also be the first rally since Trump and JD Vance became the GOP nominees for president and vice president.

Trump survived the assassination attempt on July 13 at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. In the week since, Trump has attended the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, ending the week with a long, rambling acceptance speech .

Trump and Vance will appear at the Van Andel Arena, which can accommodate more than 12,000 attendees, who may face extra security after the U.S. Secret Service 's handling of the Pennsylvania rally came under scrutiny.

Here is what to know about Trump's appearance Saturday.

Trump's attempted assassination: Former Secret Service officials say agents should've kept Trump low, not fist pumping

What time does Trump's Michigan rally start?

Doors to the arena open at 1 p.m. Saturday, local time. The rally starts at 5 p.m.

Where is the Trump rally Saturday?

The rally is at the Van Andel Arena in downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Trump has won and lost Michigan

Michigan is a critical battleground state for the 2024 election.

In 2016, Trump beat Hillary Clinton by a narrow margin, just over 10,000 votes, taking 47.6% of the vote compared to Clinton's 47.4%.

In 2020, President Joe Biden beat Trump by a few percentage points, taking 50.6% of the vote compared to Trump's 47.8%.

Michigan's Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is a top Democratic player whose name is often mentioned as a potential alternative to Biden as he resists mounting calls to step out of the race .

In a video posted on X Saturday, Whitmer "welcomed" Trump and Vance to the state, touting Michigan policies such as protecting reproductive rights and being friendly towards unions.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Donald Trump to appear at 1st rally since assassination attempt, 1st rally with JD Vance