DONALD Trump arrived at the Republican National Committee Convention site with an immense security presence just days after surviving an assassination attempt inches away.
In his first appearance since Saturday’s failed assassination attempt, an emotional Trump pushed his way through the crowd as a somber live performance of God Bless the USA performed by Lee Greenwood played in the background as the former president was greeted with an ecstatic welcome. applause from his supporters.
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Trump was seen with his right ear patched after being grazed by a bullet from an AR-15-style rifle when a lone assassin fired eight shots at the presidential candidate as he delivered remarks to supporters in Butler, Pennsylvania.
He was seen waving to his supporters to chants of “Fight, Fight, Fight” as he headed to his seat on the first day of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee on Monday.
The former president, who was formally nominated as the Republican presidential candidate on the same day, was welcomed to his seat by his emotional sons, Don Jr. and Eric, his daughter Tiffany, his vice presidential pick, Ohio Senator J.D. Vance , and House Speaker Mike. Johnson.
Vance’s announcement as Trump’s vice presidential pick was also announced the same day by the former president on Truth Social.
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“They wanted tonight to be his funeral,” Angie Wong, a delegate from Florida, told the crowd as the music began to fade out.
“Instead, they got the Super Bowl of politics with a nomination and a vice presidential pick,” Wong said.
Trump did not speak on Monday, appearing only in the final hour of speeches, but was still taking the podium as planned on Thursday despite the assassination attempt just two days before the first day of the convention.
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MURDER ATTEMPTED
At his campaign rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday, Trump was on stage giving a speech to a large crowd of supporters when he was grazed by a bullet in the ear.
The gunman, identified as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, fired nearly a dozen bullets at Trump from a rooftop 400 feet from where the 78-year-old Republican presidential candidate was speaking.
Minutes into the rally, Trump was seen tilting his head slightly to read a graphic on a projector about immigration.
Moments later, the 78-year-old former president, with a grim expression on his face, ducked as Secret Service agents shouted: “Get down” and threw themselves at him, protecting Trump from the hail of gunfire.
Within seconds, a Secret Service counter-sniper stationed on a rooftop near the stage where Trump was speaking immediately returned fire, killing Crooks.
Trump, with blood visible around his right ear and cheek, was lifted from the ground and carried into a motorcade, but not before defiantly raising his fist and telling the crowd: “Fight. Fight.”
The former commander-in-chief shared with The New York Post Office that a small piece of his right ear was torn off by the bullet, but he is grateful to have survived.
In addition to the shooter, a rally attendee identified as former volunteer firefighter Corey Comperatore was declared dead after using his body to protect his wife and daughter from a stray bullet aimed at the president.
Two others were also shot and both remain in critical condition.
“I shouldn’t be here, I should be dead,” Trump told The Post on Sunday night.
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Donald Trump rally filming schedule
Donald Trump was shot at his rally in Pennsylvania on July 13.
1 p.m.: Doors open on the grounds of the Butler Farm Show, where Trump was scheduled to speak at 5 p.m.
4:11 pm: Sean Parnell gave the opening speech.
4:35pm: David McCormick rallied the crowd.
5:30 p.m.: Crowds were still waiting for Trump.
6:03 pm: Trump takes the stage.
6:11 p.m.: Shots were fired as Trump made remarks.
6:12 p.m.: Trump was led off stage by Secret Service agents.
6:42 pm: The Secret Service confirmed that Trump is safe.
7:24 p.m.: The shooter and a rally attendee are confirmed dead by police.
8:42 pm: Trump confirms he was shot in the ear, sharing a statement on Truth Social.
8:49 p.m.: The Secret Service confirms that the shooter and a rally attendee are dead. Two others remain seriously injured.
NO CHANGE OF PLANS
But plans for the Republican National Convention have not changed following Saturday’s assassination attempt on Trump.
Less than 48 hours after his brush with death, Trump arrived in heavily guarded Milwaukee, accompanied by dozens of Secret Service agents and police officers.
Video obtained by The US Sun from Fiserv Forum, the RNC’s headquarters in Milwaukee, showed the streets around the arena completely closed by authorities.
Vehicles in the area were searched by police while sniffer dogs roamed the entrance to the arena.
The speech will be very different, very different from what it would have been two days ago.
donald trump
Trump courageously refused to let Saturday’s events derail his campaign, but admitted that the shooting at his rally led him to rewrite his speech at the RNC and even hinted at a possible change in strategy for the remaining four months until the election. .
He told the Washington Examiner that his speech would be “heavier”, mainly targeting President Biden’s policies, but he decided to move towards “an entirely different speech”.
“All I prepared was an extremely tough, very good speech about the corrupt, horrible administration,” he told the Post about his speech.
“But I threw it away,” Trump said.
“This is an opportunity to bring the whole country together, even the whole world,” Trump told the outlet, adding that he’s not sure that’s possible given how divided the country is.
“The speech will be very different, very different from what it would have been two days ago.”
“It’s an opportunity to unite the country. I was given this opportunity.”
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