Former US President Donald Trump has arrived in Wisconsin for the Republican National Convention, a day after surviving an assassination attempt. The party conference in Milwaukee is going ahead as planned despite Saturday evening’s shooting at a rally in Pennsylvania, in which Trump was shot in the ear.
Trump posted on social media that he had considered delaying his trip by two days, “but have just decided that I cannot allow a ‘shooter,’ or potential assassin, to force change to scheduling, or anything else”. The attack on Trump has put a heightened focus on safety and security of the event, which begins on Monday at the arena that is home to the NBA Milwaukee Bucks basketball team.
But Audrey Gibson-Cicchino, RNC coordinator for the US Secret Service, said during a Sunday afternoon news conference in Milwaukee that there would be no changes to the security plan. Some 50,000 people are expected to attend the four-day jamboree of pageantry, politics, and policy as the party makes its case to voters ahead of November’s general election.
Once every four years each of the two main US parties hosts a convention to formally select their respective presidential candidates and prepare for the final stretch of campaigning. The conferences include high-profile speakers, as well as a primetime speech from the presidential candidates themselves. During the convention, the delegates from each state pledge their support to the candidate of their choice and approve a platform. It is merely a formality for Trump as the party’s presumptive nominee because he won 2,265 delegates in the primaries, which is enough for the nomination. The Democrats will hold their convention next month in Chicago.
Trump is not expected to speak until Thursday night. One of the biggest moments of the conference will be when he unveils his vice-presidential candidate. Donald Trump Jr, the former president’s son, is expected to speak on Wednesday. South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, one of Trump’s fiercest rivals during the Republican primary, was originally expected to skip the RNC. But after the assassination attempt, it was reported that she will now not only attend but speak at the conference. Republican firebrands Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Georgia congresswoman, and Arizona Republican Kari Lake are reportedly also going to give speeches. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, Dana White, the chief executive of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, and Teamsters union general president Sean O’Brien are also among the expected speakers. RNC co-chair Lara Trump, the daughter-in-law of the former president, said celebrities are among this year’s speakers. Amber Rose, model, reality star, and former girlfriend of Kanye West, is expected to address the crowd. But former stalwarts of the Republican party establishment, such George W Bush, Mike Pence, and Mitt Romney, are not on the guest list.
Former First Lady Melania Trump, who rarely makes public appearances, will attend the convention, according to US media. Mrs. Trump did not attend the 27 June debate between President Joe Biden and Trump. Nor did she attend her husband’s hush-money trial earlier this year. While the former first lady has held Republican fundraisers in the past year, this would be her first major appearance of this election cycle.
Monday’s theme will be “Make America Wealthy Once Again”, Tuesday will be “Make America Safe Again”, Wednesday is “Make America Strong Again” and Thursday is “Make America Great Once Again”. The party platform this year sits at 16 pages. Some themes of Project 2025, a much longer think-tank proposal, are also likely to come up during the convention. Project 2025 – from which Trump has distanced himself – calls for expanding presidential powers, eliminating thousands of civil servant posts, tax cuts, and dismantling the Department of Education.
A demonstration, the Coalition to March on the RNC, is scheduled for noon local time on Monday. Organisers say they are expecting 5,000 people with backing from 125 liberal activist groups around the country. Omar Flores, co-chair of the coalition, said on Friday: “Join us to fight against the Republicans’ racist and reactionary agenda, to stand with Palestine; to defend women’s, LGBTQ, and reproductive rights; to defend and expand immigrant rights and to advocate for peace, justice, and equity.” Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson said the city would ensure public safety is tantamount this week. “A national special security event is the highest designation that you can get for a security event of its size and magnitude in the United States,” Mayor Johnson said.
You can follow the latest news, including live pages, at bbc.com/news. BBC World News and the BBC News Channel (available globally and in the UK, respectively) will broadcast Trump’s speech live on Thursday and bring you reaction and analysis afterward. And you can also watch on the RNC website.
