‘Our God still saves’: A bandaged Trump makes triumphant entrance to Republican convention

Milwaukee: Donald Trump has made a triumphant entrance during the first night of the Republican National Convention, receiving a raucous ovation from the party faithful two days after a would-be assassin’s bullet grazed his right ear.

Trump walked into the Fiserv Forum in downtown Milwaukee on Monday night (Tuesday AEST) with a thick bandage over the ear as the crowd chanted “Fight! Fight! Fight!” and pumped their fists, a reference to his reaction in the moments after he was wounded.

The former president mouthed the words “Thank you” and settled into a box with some of his children and US senator J.D. Vance, Trump’s choice for running mate announced earlier in the day.

Trump will formally accept the party’s nomination in a prime-time speech on Thursday (Friday AEST) and will face Democratic President Joe Biden in the November 5 election.

As the convention began, Biden was giving an interview with US broadcaster NBC, in which he said it was a mistake to tell donors last week it was “time to put Trump in the bullseye”, but noted that Trump has often used incendiary words.

The four-day convention began less than 48 hours after a gunman opened fire at a Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, killing one supporter. The motive of the gunman, who was shot dead, remains unclear.

During the first session, the party gave speaking slots to six everyday Americans who highlighted the impact inflation had had on lower- and middle-income families, while Republican leaders assailed the Biden administration as being out of touch.

Senator J.D. Vance at a campaign rally in March.Credit: AP

Senator Tim Scott, who briefly ran against Trump for the nomination, said divine intervention had spared Trump’s life.

“Our God still saves,” Scott said. “He still delivers and he still sets free. Because on Saturday the devil came to Pennsylvania holding a rifle, but an American lion got back up on his feet and he roared!”

Vance, 39, was a fierce Trump critic in 2016, but he has since become one of the former president’s staunchest defenders, embracing his false claims that the 2020 election was marred by widespread fraud.

Vance is deeply popular with Trump’s core supporters, but whether he can broaden the ticket’s appeal remains to be seen. He shares Trump’s aggressive approach to politics, and his conservative statements on issues such as abortion could turn off moderate voters.

Soon after Trump’s announcement, Vance emerged on the convention floor with his wife, Usha, shaking hands with and hugging delegates who swarmed the couple. He is scheduled to address the convention on Wednesday (Thursday AEST).

Biden told reporters at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland that Vance was “a clone of Trump on the issues”, while other Democrats criticised Vance’s record on reproductive rights.

In an interview on Fox News on Monday night, Vance said he backed Trump’s position that each state should decide for itself whether to permit abortion.

Trump’s announcement of J.D. Vance as his pick for vice presidential running mate on Truth Social.Credit: Truth Social

Opinion polls show a close race between Trump, 78, and Biden, 81, though Trump leads in several swing states that are likely to decide the election. Trump has not committed to accepting the election results if he loses.

The head of the main fundraising super PAC supporting Trump’s campaign, Taylor Budowich, said on X that MAGA Inc had raised more than $US50 million ($74 million) on Monday.

Billionaire Elon Musk plans to donate about $US45 million a month to a new pro-Trump super PAC, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with his intentions. Musk endorsed Trump after the assassination attempt.

Following the shooting, Trump said he was revising his acceptance speech to emphasise national unity, rather than highlight his differences with Biden.

“The speech will be a lot different, a lot different than it would have been two days ago,” Trump told the Washington Examiner.

The day began with another string of recent legal victories for Trump when US district judge Aileen Cannon threw out federal charges accusing him of retaining classified documents after leaving the White House.

Trump is due to be sentenced in New York in September for trying to cover up a hush-money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels in the weeks before his 2016 election victory.

But his other two indictments on federal charges in Washington and state charges in Georgia – both related to his efforts to overturn his 2020 election defeat – are mired in delays and could be significantly limited after the US Supreme Court ruled in July that he had immunity for many of his official acts as president.

“This dismissal of the Lawless Indictment in Florida should be just the first step, followed quickly by the dismissal of ALL the Witch Hunts,” Trump said on Truth Social on Monday, also referencing the prosecutions of hundreds of his supporters who stormed the US Capitol on January 6, 2021.

No place for violence

The shooting attempt on Trump’s life immediately altered the dynamics of the presidential campaign, which had been focused on whether Biden should drop out due to concerns about his age and acuity following a halting June 27 debate performance.

Nearly two dozen of Biden’s fellow Democrats in Congress have called on him to end his re-election bid and allow the party to pick another standard-bearer.

The focus this week will be squarely on Trump.

Having consolidated party control, Trump could seize on the opportunity to deliver a unifying message or paint a dark portrait of a nation under siege by a corrupt leftist elite, as he has done at times on the campaign trail.

Trump has frequently turned to violent rhetoric in campaign speeches, labelling his perceived enemies as “vermin” and “fascists”.

Biden has cast Trump as a threat to US democracy, comments that some Republicans say helped foster an atmosphere that prompted the shooting even though authorities have yet to determine the motive for the assassination attempt.

Biden ordered an independent review of how the gunman could have come so close to killing Trump.

Reuters

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