Quiet Western Pennsylvania Town Blinded by Media Spotlight after Shocking Presidential Assassination Attempt

Butler, Pa. — A peaceful town in western Pennsylvania became the locus of national media attention after an attempt on the life of a former president. For residents of Butler, Pennsylvania, life goes on, albeit with the disquieting presence of reporters and a steady drumbeat of barstool discussion about how, exactly, this could have happened.

At a roadside bar on Monday afternoon, the only topic of conversation to be found was the rally two days before. Even so, a bartender named Anna told National Review that things had been “the same” since then.

About the Author

Zach Kessel

Zach Kessel was a William F. Buckley Jr. Fellow in Political Journalism and a recent graduate of Northwestern University.

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Butler, Pa. — A peaceful town in western Pennsylvania became the locus of national media attention after an attempt on the life of a former president. For residents of Butler, Pennsylvania, life goes on, albeit with the disquieting presence of reporters and a steady drumbeat of barstool discussion about how, exactly, this could have happened.

At a roadside bar on Monday afternoon, the only topic of conversation to be found was the rally two days before. Even so, a bartender named Anna told National Review that things had been “the same” since then.