THE VILLAGES, Fla. — President Donald Trump addressed thousands of supporters at The Villages Charter School on Friday, marking his first public event since an assassination attempt at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner six days ago.
Trump spoke for more than 90 minutes. The rally was the latest in a series of events ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
Not everyone who got a ticket was able to get inside. Seating was first come, first served, and several supporters watched the speech from overflow areas.
Supporters who secured seats inside the Villages Charter School gymnasium had to pass through TSA-like screenings overseen by the Secret Service.
In his opening remarks, Trump addressed the assassination attempt and said he was undeterred.
“They want me to be in a secure place. I said, what’s more secure than the villages ?” Trump said.
During his remarks, Trump highlighted tax policies aimed at seniors, including changes tied to what he called working family tax cuts.
“So we’re here to celebrate a policy that benefits every American senior all across this land. And it’s called no tax on Social Security,” said the president.
While the legislation does not eliminate taxes on Social Security, it increases the amount seniors can deduct from their tax bill. According to the White House, more than 51 million American seniors now pay a federal tax rate of zero because of the deduction.
“We were so shocked when we picked up our tax return...it was double what we thought we would get,” said Mary Alice, a grandmother who lives in The Villages.
She said the extra money went toward a new roof for her home.
However, experts say the broader economic picture remains complex.
“Their taxes have gone down. But again, that’s not happening in a vacuum,” said Sean Snaith, director of the University of Central Florida’s Institute for Economic Forecasting.
Snaith said IRS data he analyzed shows the average American is seeing tax returns increase by about a thousand dollars so far this year. However, he warned that rising gas prices and economic uncertainty tied to the war in Iran continue to weigh on consumer confidence.
“Affordability is an ongoing problem in our region,” Snaith said.
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