Watch crowd react to Trump’s tasteless joke about widow of Corey Comperatore who died in rally shooting

HARRISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA: Donald Trump is facing intense backlash for making an insensitive remark about the wife of Corey Comperatore, the ex-fire chief who died from gunshot wounds while protecting his family during an assassination attempt on the former president in Butler, Pennsylvania, last month.

During a rally speech in Harrisburg on Wednesday, July 31, Trump stated that a friend of his had given Helen Comperatore, Corey's widow, a check for $1 million and that crowdfunding efforts had reached millions.

Donald Trump makes joke about compensation given to Corey Comperatore's widow

According to HuffPost, at the campaign rally in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, the same state where the assassination attempt was made on his life, Trump spoke, “But you know what? Corey’s wife said, ‘I’d rather have my husband.’”

“Isn’t that good?” He went on to say. “I know a lot of wives that would not say that, I’m sorry. They would not say that.”

The audience eagerly embraced the comment, as they broke into laughter.

“But no, it’s a great family, he was a great man, he was a brave man,” Trump, who subsequently conducted a moment of silence for Comperatore, said.

Donald Trump recounts encounter with man who was behind him during assassination attempt

At the same rally, Donald Trump also narrated an incident about a man who was seated behind him during the assassination attempt, and later recognized that the same man was present in the audience, MediaITE reported.

"When bullets are fired in a stadium, everyone really gets moving fast, and they call it a stampede."

He went on to say, "Nobody moved. You looked at the people behind me, right? Everyone’s seen those people. Those people have become legendary. That was just a small group. Tens of thousands of people right here, you couldn’t even see the end, nobody ran, nobody moved."

"They knew I was in trouble, they said, 'He’s in trouble.' If you went to a soccer stadium where you’ll have a bullet go off, one bullet, the whole place runs for the exits. Nobody ran. And how about the man behind me with the black outfit and the green floppy hat?" he asked.

Audience members began pointing at the man and yelling, "Right there. He's in the room!" In response, Trump asked, “Where? Get up here! Is that him? Yeah, that’s him! Wow! That’s great, huh? You can be in a foxhole with me any time, man! Wow.”

He added, “That was a hell of a day, huh?”

Internet ridicules Donald Trump over tasteless joke

Critics on X accused Donald Trump of making Corey Comperatore's death the subject of a joke.

A user wrote, "Trump is indeed a sociopath. Imagine saying s**t like this while the deceased man’s family is in mourning. Horrifying."

Another user added, "So heartless and unkind".

The third commentator wrote, "OMG. He is horrible. But you know what? So are all those MAGATS who laugh with him"

"He's a self-centered sadistic monster," one said.

A person said, "An utterly bizarre statement from a 78-year-old man".

Another chimed in, "The dead guy is a prop and now a punchline. Cruel."

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.