The Shocking Truth About Trump holds his first outdoor rally since last month's assassination attempt

Former President Trump speaks from a stage set encased by bulletproof glass during a campaign rally in Asheboro, N.C., on Wednesday. ((Julia Nikhinson / Associated Press))

Holding his first outdoor rally since surviving last month’s attempted assassination, Donald Trump on Wednesday railed against Vice President Kamala Harris' approach to

national security in North Carolina as part of his weeklong trip across the country to draw attention away from Democrats and their national convention.

“The world is on fire, and Kamala and Biden have marched us to the brink of World War III,” Trump said, blaming the current White House for the deadly Afghanistan withdrawal,

Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and the Israel-Hamas war. He spoke at the North Carolina Aviation Museum & Hall of Fame from behind a podium surrounded by panes of

bulletproof glass that formed a protective wall across the stage — part of ramped-up security measures aimed at keeping Trump safe after his narrow escape from a Pennsylvania

gunman on July 13.

Storage containers were stacked around the perimeter of the space to create additional walls and block sight lines. Snipers have been positioned on roofs at the venue, where

old aircraft are sitting behind the podium and a large American flag is suspended from cranes.

The event, which was billed as focusing on national security issues, was part of Trump's weeklong series of counterprogramming to the Democratic National Convention, which is

underway in Chicago. Allies have been urging him to focus on policy instead of personal attacks as he struggles to adjust to running against Harris after President Biden dropped out of the race.

On Tuesday night, the convention showcased a double dose of Obama firepower, as the former president and former first lady assailed Trump, calling him out repeatedly by name, with Michelle Obama speaking of Trump's “limited and narrow view of the world."

Barack Obama mocked Trump's obsession with his crowd sizes and called Trump “a 78-year-old billionaire who hasn’t stopped whining about his problems since he rode down his golden escalator nine years ago.”

“It’s been a constant stream of gripes and grievances that’s actually gotten worse now that he’s afraid of losing to Kamala,” the former president said.

Trump asked the rally crowd if they'd seen the speech by the man he continues to call “Barack Hussein Obama.”

“He was taking shots at your president. And so was Michelle. You know, they always say, 'Sir, please stick to policy. Don’t get personal.' And yet they’re getting personal all night long, these people,” he said, asking: “Do I still have to stick to policy?”

Trump has spent the week visiting battleground states in his busiest week of campaigning since the Republican primaries. Wednesday was Trump's second trip to North Carolina in the last week.

Trump won the state by a comfortable margin in 2016 and a close finish four years ago and is once again considered a key battleground in 2024.