The assassination attempt against former President Trump has jolted the Republican National Convention, sparking discussions about security, the former president’s presence and a rallying effect heading into the week-long event in Milwaukee.
This week’s convention had been expected to be a relatively tightly-scripted affair where Republicans were hoping to make few major waves as Democrats grappled with infighting over whether President Biden should remain the party’s nominee. The biggest question mark was how and when Trump would reveal his running mate.
But after Trump was grazed by a bullet at a Pennsylvania campaign rally, the calculus has shifted.
“Right now, many of us are angry. We’re reeling from the shocking events last night,” Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.), who is scheduled to speak Wednesday night, said on NewsNation. “We should have a unifying tone. I think that’ll happen naturally, that we’ll have a unifying message, not just for the Republican Party, but for a nation who’s going to be hurting and need time to heal in the weeks and months to come.”
The former president said Saturday he was hit in the ear by a bullet while speaking at a rally in Butler, Pa. One other rally attendee was killed, as was the suspected shooter.
Trump announced he would be at the RNC at the start of the week and that it would continue as planned after he said he had considered delaying the convention by two days.
“I cannot allow a ‘shooter,’ or potential assassin, to force change to scheduling, or anything else,” Trump said in a statement.
Security is expected to be heightened, though lawmakers and Republican officials have downplayed any imminent risk in light of Saturday's shooting.
Republicans have unified around Trump in the wake of the shooting on Saturday, underscoring how the party is coming together in ways it rarely has since he was first nominated in 2016.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), one of Trump’s most bitter primary rivals, is slated to speak at the convention. Nikki Haley, who won the second most delegates in the primary, will also speak at the convention after initially saying she would not attend.
"I think, you know, the unwavering attitude that he is bringing now to Milwaukee is going to even further energize this crowd," Reince Priebus, chairman of the convention host committee, said Sunday on ABC.
Previously, much of the focus of the week was expected to be on Trump’s announcement of a running mate, a decision he has teased and turned into a political version of “The Apprentice” over the past several weeks.
Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio), Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum (R) are the finalists for the position, which some Trump allies have said will take on increased importance in the wake of the attempt on Trump’s life.
“He needs to pick a vice president, you know. Today underscores why that's an important pick,” Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said Sunday on NBC. “He wants somebody that is ready on day one, that can help him win, that can grow the map.”
Each day of the convention will feature a different theme in the mold of Trump’s “Make America Great Again” slogan. Monday’s theme will focus on the economy, Tuesday’s will focus on safety and crime, Wednesday’s will be about military strength and border security, and Thursday will broadly focus on Trump’s plans for a second term.
An RNC panel last week approved a draft party platform that echoes Trump on key issues including trade, immigration and foreign policy, while also doing away with specific language about traditional marriage and enacting limits on abortion.
Trump has denied the shifted platform is meant to appeal to moderate voters.
“It's not targeting moderates, it's common sense,” Trump said last week on Fox News Radio. “They basically had in some cases gay bans. I don't want that. That's not what we're about. They had other things that are ridiculous.”
Prior to the shooting, Republicans had been riding high after more than two weeks that were consumed by the aftershocks of Biden’s disastrous debate performance and questions about his viability atop the Democratic ticket.
Now, even that discussion has shifted aside after the assassination attempt that has shocked the country.
It also altered the mood of the GOP heading into Milwaukee from one centered on limiting unforced errors and keeping the focus on Biden to unbridled vitriol.
Despite the deep-seeded anger, some lawmakers believe it’s time to turn down the temperature as the campaign hits the final months.
“There is a frustration on our side about the way President Trump has been treated. But I’m just grateful today that he’s alive,” Graham said in the interview about Republicans blaming Democrats for what happened in Butler.
“Let’s just, today, be grateful that our former president, political nominee, survived an assassination attempt,” he continued. “And let’s try to do better here. I don’t want to go down that road right now.”
