July 16th 2024.
The first day of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee was a highly anticipated event, with all eyes on former U.S. President Donald Trump, who was making his first public appearance since surviving an assassination attempt. Despite the bandage on his ear, Trump confidently took the stage, greeted by chants of "fight, fight, fight" from Republican delegates who were eager to see him lead their ticket for a third time. The crowd also welcomed Ohio Senator JD Vance as his running mate.
As Trump appeared onscreen backstage, the room erupted in cheers. When he finally emerged to the sound of "God Bless The USA," the energy in the room was electric. "They wanted tonight to be his funeral," said delegate Angie Wong from Florida, referencing the failed assassination attempt. "Instead, they got the Super Bowl of politics: a nomination and a VP pick."
Despite not giving his acceptance speech until Thursday, Trump stayed to watch the final speeches of the night with his family and inner circle. His son Eric announced that Trump had hit the necessary threshold with votes from his home state of Florida. Republican Party chairman Michael Whatley, hand-picked by Trump, opened the convention session with a call for unity within the party and the nation. "We must show the same strength and resilience as President Trump and lead this nation to a greater future," he declared.
However, the calls for harmony did not extend to President Joe Biden and Democrats. "Their policies are a clear and present danger to America, to our institutions, our values, and our people," said Wisconsin Senator Ron Johnson, welcoming the party to his battleground state. Wisconsin was won by Trump in 2016 but lost to Biden in 2020.
One delegate, Debbie Epling, even described Trump's survival of the assassination attempt as "divine intervention," while another, Bill Kolo, praised him for bouncing back in the face of adversity. "He's been persecuted more than, in my opinion, any person since Jesus Christ," Kolo said. "And somehow he gets back up every day, when everything's being thrown at him from every level, and still he stays and talks and fights for us."
Despite all the excitement surrounding Trump's appearance, he did not deliver a speech during the event. In fact, on Monday, President Biden told NBC News that it was a "mistake" to say he wanted to put a "bullseye" on Trump. He argued that the rhetoric coming from his opponent was more incendiary and warned that Trump remained a threat to democratic institutions. These remarks were made during a private call with donors, where Biden expressed frustration with the lack of scrutiny on Trump's stances, rhetoric, and lack of campaigning.
Biden clarified that while he acknowledged his "mistake," he is not the one engaging in dangerous rhetoric. "I'm not the guy who said I wanted to be a dictator on day one," he said. "I want the focus to be on what Mr. Trump is saying." He pointed to Trump's past comments about a "bloodbath" if he were to lose to Biden in November. "How do you talk about the threat to democracy, which is real, when a president says things like he says?" Biden questioned. "Do you just not say anything because it may incite somebody?"
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