MILWAUKEE (AP) — As the Republican National Convention kicked off on Monday, less than two days after the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, GOP delegates cheered as they formally nominated Trump as their candidate. Shortly after Trump picked Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio as his running mate.
By their vote, TrumpVance, long seen as a leading candidate, will lead the Republican Party in three consecutive elections after winning in 2016 and losing to current President Joe Biden in 2020. In November, he will face Biden again, who has dismissed Vance as a Trump “clone” on key issues.
Trump's son Eric announced the results of the Florida vote, giving Trump a commanding lead as the nominee. The arena's video screens displayed the words “OVER THE TOP,” the song “Celebration” played, and delegates danced and waved Trump signs. During the vote, delegates held up “Make America Great Again” signs and applauded as state after state voted to approve Trump's second term.
The shooting at a rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday that wounded Trump and killed one man was not absent from the minds of delegates celebrating, in stark contrast to the widespread anger and anxiety of the previous few days. Some delegates chanted “Fight, fight, fight,” the same refrain that Trump, fist pumped and face bloodied, had shouted at the crowd as he was escorted off the stage by Secret Service officers.
“After the events of Saturday, we should all be grateful now that we get to vote for President Donald J. Trump,” Sen. Michael Testa of New Jersey said in announcing that all 12 of his state's delegates had voted for Trump.
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Wyoming Representative Cheryl Forland was among those who chanted “Fight” slogans on Saturday after seeing “monumental photos and videos” of Trump surviving.
“That's when we decided that was going to be our slogan,” added Forland, a child trauma mental health counselor. “Not just because we wanted him to fight, because God was fighting for him, but we thought it was our job to accept that challenge and fight for our country.”
“This is bigger than Trump,” Forland said. “This is a watchword for our country.”
Trump campaign officials had planned a convention with a softer, more optimistic message and focused on themes that would help the divisive leader broaden his support. Moderate voters and People of Color.
Associated Press reporter Jackie Quinn reports from the opening day of the Republican National Convention, just days after the assassination attempt on President Donald Trump.
But the shooting has led to a surge in Democratic Confusion after the debateRepublican Potential Governance Agenda And more Trump's conviction Concerns over political violence and the country's stability have taken a back seat, as President Trump and his allies at the party's four-day convention in Milwaukee will no doubt portray themselves as united and fired up in the wake of the attacks.
Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswami has emerged as an aggressive voice on the right, frequently saying the country is already in a state of civil war. So it was notable that he toned down his rhetoric and called for the country to come together during his remarks on Monday at the Republican National Convention, hosted by the conservative Heritage Institute.
“The enemy is not the Democratic Party, it's ideology,” Ramaswamy told the audience at the Heritage Foundation's “Policy Fest” event.
The mood at the convention on Monday was also fuelled by some well-timed good news: The federal judge presiding over Trump's classified documents case had The charges were dismissed. The major court victory came because of concerns over the appointment of the prosecutor who brought the case.
Trump supporters excited about picking running mate
On Monday afternoon, shortly before clinching the Republican nomination, Mr. Trump picked J.D. Vance as his running mate, a move that the former president's family and closest allies were quick to praise as a good one for the direction of the Republican Party.
Shortly after the decision was made public, President Trump's son, Donald Trump Jr., said in an interview with CNN that Vance is a “great guy with a great resume” who would help “unite this country.”
North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, a potential vice presidential candidate, said in a post on X that Vance's “rural background and commitment to country make him a powerful voice for America First.”
The assassination attempt did not change the convention program
Republican Chairman Michael Whatley said in an interview Sunday. Event Program The agenda will likely remain the same in the wake of the shooting, with more than 100 speakers expected to speak about domestic issues and plans to repeal Trump's policies. Everyday Working Americans.
“We have to be able to lay out a vision for where we want to take this country,” he said.
Whatley said the central message had little to do with Biden's political battles, Trump's grievances about the 2020 election or the former president's promises of retribution against political opponents.
“We are going to hold the convention we've been planning for the last 18 months,” he said. “We are relieved and grateful that the president is here to accept the nomination.”
In addition to formally nominating Trump as the candidate, delegates across the country will begin work on revising the Republican Party's policy platform for the first time since 2016. The trimmed-down version, just 16 pages long and with limited detail on key issues like abortion, reflects the Trump campaign's desire to avoid giving Democrats any more material on the campaign's issues.
of The platform was approved by the committee last week. The bill does not include an explicit call for a nationwide abortion ban, two years after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, ending the federally guaranteed right to an abortion.
“Further division is not healthy,” said Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council.
People connected to January 6th are involved.
Trump's record will likely be recalled during a speaking program that will include several Republican lawmakers who have been indicted on charges related to other political violence. January 6, 2021 Attack At the United States Capitol.
Former White House Trade Advisor Peter NavarroHe is jailed for contempt of Congress and is due to address the convention just hours after his release. Convicted in September After refusing to cooperate with congressional investigations into the Capitol attack.
President Trump has repeatedly called those involved in the effort to overturn the results of the 2020 election, including many of his supporters who stormed the Capitol, political prisoners.
For now, Democrats have scaled back plans to push counter-messaging during the Republican National Convention and have pulled their campaign ads in the wake of the assassination attempt on President Trump.
Protest march
Hundreds of demonstrators gathered in downtown Milwaukee and protested around the Republican National Convention, where they said the assassination attempt would not affect their long-standing plans to demonstrate outside the convention site.
Activists called attention to issues such as abortion rights, economic justice and the war in Gaza. As they marched, music blared from speakers, a man strummed a guitar, there were vendors selling T-shirts and badges supporting both Republicans and Democrats and the atmosphere was festive.
Activists held signs reading “Support Palestine,” “No more paying the rich” and “Protect and expand immigrant rights.”
Protesters' movements were restricted as part of increased security measures put in place by the Secret Service.
Security officials previously said people just outside the Secret Service perimeter would be allowed to carry guns openly or concealed, as long as state law allows it. Wisconsin law only makes machine guns, short-barreled shotguns and silencers illegal.
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Associated Press writer Christine Fernando reported from Chicago. Associated Press writers Ali Swenson in Minneapolis, Farnoush Amiri, Thomas Beaumont, Michelle L. Price and Sophia Tareen in Milwaukee contributed.
