Attempted assassination top of mind for some delegates
The attempted assassination of Trump during a Saturday rally was front of mind as delegates cast their votes for his nomination during Monday’s RNC.
Michael Testa, a state senator from New Jersey, referenced the shooting as he announced all of the state’s 12 delegates for Trump during a roll call.
“We should all be thankful right now that we are able to cast our votes for President Donald J. Trump after what took place on Saturday,” Testa said.
Several delegates are breaking into chants of “fight, fight, fight,” the same words Trump was seen saying to the crowd as the Secret Service moved with him off the stage in Pennsylvania after he was injured.
Vance blamed Biden for Trump assassination attempt, White House declines comment
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre declined direct comment when asked about Vance being quick to blame Biden for the attempt on Trump’s life.
“I’m not going to politicize this moment. We’re not going to politicize this moment. It is wrong to politicize this moment,” Jean-Pierre said Monday at her daily White Houe press briefing.
She repeated what Biden said about lowering the temperature and uniting the country when he addressed the nation on Sunday night.
Abortion rights advocates slammed Trump’s decision to choose Vance as his running mate
By CHRISTINE FERNANDO
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Advocates are highlighting his history of opposing abortion access in Ohio, where voters last year overwhelmingly approved a constitutional amendment that ensures access to abortion and other forms of reproductive health care.
Lauren Blauvelt, executive director of Planned Parenthood Advocates of Ohio, said the announcement is a “disappointing decision,” calling Vance “an absentee senator more interested in his own political ambitions than in supporting the people he was elected to represent.”
“He has dismissed the overwhelming majority of Ohioans who voted to enshrine the right to abortion access in the state constitution and is out of step with the majority of Americans who believe that abortion is health care,” Blauvelt said.
Mini Timmaraju, president of the national abortion rights organization Reproductive Freedom for All, said Trump’s vice presidential pick “provides even more evidence that a Trump administration will stop at nothing to ban all abortion.”
“Make no mistake, Trump picked him because of — not in spite of — his anti-abortion bonafides,” she said.
Who is JD Vance? Things to know about Donald Trump’s pick for vice president
Ohio Sen. JD Vance is a 39-year-old Republican now in his first term in the Senate. He made a name for himself with his memoir, the bestseller “Hillbilly Elegy,” which was published in 2016 as Trump was first running for president.
Vance was a never-Trumper in 2016, calling Trump “dangerous” and “unfit” for office. But by the time Vance met Trump in 2021, he had reversed his opinion, citing Trump’s accomplishments as president. Trump endorsed Vance in his 2022 bid for U.S. Senate, and Vance is now one of the former president’s fiercest allies on Capitol Hill.
▶ Read more about Vance and his relationship with Trump
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell booed at RNC
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell faced a flurry of boos Monday at the Republican National Convention when he stood on behalf of Kentucky to send the state’s delegates to Donald Trump.
McConnell, a onetime critic who blamed the then-president for “disgraceful” acts in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack, made a remarkable turnaround in March when he endorsed Trump as the GOP nominee. The two men came face-to-face last month when Trump visited Senate Republicans on Capitol Hill where they shook hands and exchanged pleasantries.
Biden’s campaign chair says Vance ‘will do what Mike Pence wouldn’t on January 6′
President Joe Biden’s campaign chair responded to Vance’s selection as Trump’s running mate by saying Vance “will do what Mike Pence wouldn’t on January 6: bend over backwards to enable Trump and his extreme MAGA agenda, even if it means breaking the law and no matter the harm to the American people.”
Jen O’Malley Dillon said the campaign would spend “every single day making the case between the two starkly contrasting visions Americans will choose between at the ballot box this November:”
Vance has challenged the legitimacy of criminal prosecutions and civil verdicts against Trump and questions the results of the 2020 election.
He told ABC News in February that, if he had been vice president on Jan. 6, 2021, he would have told states where Trump disputed Biden wins “that we needed to have multiple slates of electors, and I think the U.S. Congress should have fought over it from there.”
“That is the legitimate way to deal with an election that a lot of folks, including me, think had a lot of problems in 2020,” he said.
FBI says it has gained access to cellphone of suspect in assassination attempt against Donald Trump
The FBI says it has now successfully gained access to the cellphone of Thomas Matthew Crooks and are analyzing all his electronic devices for clues as to a motive in the weekend assassination attempt against Donald Trump.
The bureau also said in a statement Monday that it has finished searching the suspect’s home and car.
FBI officials said Sunday that they were trying to access Crooks’ phone. They said the limited insight they had into recent communications didn’t reveal anything with regard to a motive in the attempted assassination.
The FBI has conducted nearly 100 interviews of law enforcement officials, attendees at the rally and other witnesses, and has received hundreds of digital media tips.
Donald Trump officially becomes the Republican nominee for president
By ASSOCIATED PRESS
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Donald Trump has become the official Republican presidential nominee after receiving the votes of enough delegates at the Republican National Convention.
Trump has been the presumptive nominee for months. But it was the vote of RNC delegates in Milwaukee that made it official Monday afternoon.
Trump hit the necessary threshold with votes from his home state of Florida.
JUST IN: Donald Trump has received enough convention delegate votes to become the official Republican presidential nominee
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Biden orders Secret Service to protect independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
President Joe Biden has ordered the U.S. Secret Service to protect independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., after the attempted assassination of Donald Trump.
Kennedy is a longshot to win Electoral College votes, much less the presidency. But his campaign events have drawn large crowds of supporters and people interested in his message.
Trump was not seriously injured in the shooting over the weekend in Pennsylvania. There is an independent review of the attack.
Trump announces Ohio Sen. JD Vance as his VP pick
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Donald Trump announced that Sen. JD Vance, (R) Ohio, will be his running mate and vice-presidential candidate in the 2024 presidential election.
Former President Donald Trump says Ohio Sen. JD Vance will be his vice presidential pick.
He says on his Truth Social Network that, “After lengthy deliberation and thought, and considering the tremendous talents of many others, I have decided that the person best suited to assume the position of Vice President of the United States is Senator J.D. Vance of the Great State of Ohio.”
JUST IN: Trump picks Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, a once-fierce critic turned loyal ally, as his Republican running mate
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JUST IN: US Secret Service will protect presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. after attempted assassination of Trump
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Roll call underway to officially nominate Trump to be Republicans’ nominee for president
States are announcing their support for Trump inside the arena in Milwaukee on Monday.
Nevada GOP Chair Michael McDonald was among those who put Trump’s name up for nomination. McDonald was indicted of criminal charges related to his involvement in a scheme to present fake electors who would overturn Biden’s victory over Trump.
A judge dismissed the case against McDonald last month over a venue dispute.
North Dakota state representative disappointed Gov. Doug Burgum won’t be Trump’s pick for VP
Republican state Rep. Mike Nathe said he and others in the North Dakota political world are disappointed Trump did not choose Gov. Doug Burgum for his running mate, but he reflected on the “amazing” nature of a politician from the sparsely populated state being seriously in the running for vice president up until the last hours.
Nathe said he thinks Burgum has an excellent opportunity to be in a Trump Cabinet if the former president is elected, given his private sector skills and governing experience. Burgum could do a wonderful job leading the Interior Department, which would affect North Dakota, a major energy-producing state, Nathe said.
Burgum has been a vocal opponent of federal regulations, touting “innovation over regulation.”
Trump’s son, Eric Trump, says he’ll cast the vote declaring his father the Republican nominee
Eric Trump, center, raises his arm during roll call of the states during the first day of the Republican National Convention, Monday, July 15, 2024, in Milwaukee. Also with him are from l-r., his wife Lara Trump, Tiffany Trump, and her husband Michael Boulos. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
Donald Trump’s son, Eric Trump, announced on X that he’ll be casting the vote at 3:30 p.m. Eastern Time declaring his father the Republican nominee for president. He lives in Florida and is expected to cast the vote with Florida’s delegation, putting Trump over the top with enough delegates to formally become the nominee.
Congressional committees moving to investigate assassination attempt against Trump
Congressional committees are moving quickly to investigate the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump.
The House Committee on Oversight and Investigation has already scheduled a hearing for July 22 with the director of the U.S. Secret Service, Kimberly Cheatle, set to testify.
Rep. James Comer, the committee’s Republican chairman, said the Secret Service has a no-fail mission, “yet it failed on Saturday.” He said lawmakers are grateful to the agents who acted quickly to protect Trump, “but questions remain about how a rooftop within proximity to President Trump was left unsecure.”
Meanwhile, the leaders of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee also announced Monday the committee would conduct an investigation and plan to hold a hearing on security failures that led to the attempted assassination.
They’re requesting an urgent briefing for committee members followed by a public hearing.
JUST IN: North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum has been told he will not be chosen as Trump’s running mate, AP sources say
By JILL COLVIN, ZEKE MILLER
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JUST IN: Trump has chosen his nominee for vice president, an AP source says
By JILL COLVIN, ZEKE MILLER
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And Florida Sen. Marco Rubio has been told he will not be chosen as former President Donald Trump’s running mate, an AP source says.
At the RNC, Heritage Foundation hosts center-right celebrities at ‘Policy Fest’
By NICHOLAS RICCARDI
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FILE – People walk past the Fiserv Forum ahead of the 2024 Republican National Convention, July 11, 2024, in Milwaukee. The Republican National Convention kicks off Monday, July 15, with delegates and officials descending on Wisconsin, a key battleground state, to formally nominate former President Donald Trump as the GOP nominee. The RNC will livestream proceedings across a number of online platforms, including YouTube and X. A number of networks have announced special programming for the convention’s primetime evening portions, and other media outlets, both local and national, will stream whatever is happening on the floor. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Just at the edge of the RNC security perimeter, the conservative Heritage Foundation held a gathering of center-right celebrities called “Policy Fest” that amounted to a daylong flex for its Project 2025.
The project is one of the thinktank’s regular attempts to draw up a governing agenda for a new Republican president, but it’s become a flashpoint in the presidential race. Democrats have tried to use it and some of its more aggressive proposals – such as a wholesale reorganization of the federal workforce to ensure it is loyal to the president – against Trump. For his part, Trump has distanced himself from the effort, which is run by some of his closest allies and members of his last administration.
Two of those former members – Trump’s prior acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement Tom Homans and Trump’s ex-head of Customs and Border Protection Mark Morgan – contended the project’s role has been overblown. The two spoke onstage with former Republican Rep. Jason Chaffetz of Utah about the border, urging reimplementation of Trump policies like the border wall and remain in Mexico that ended under the Biden administration.
Afterwards they scoffed at the worries over Project 2025, even though both men contributed to its immigration policy.
Mayorkas: Direct line of sight to former president ‘should not occur’
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas says a direct line of sight like the one the shooter had to Trump “should not occur.”
Mayorkas was asked during an interview with ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos how the gunman could have gotten into such a position.
The secretary says that’s why an independent review is being done.
He also denied reports that the agency rebuffed requests for more resources for Trump’s detail, saying it was “unequivocally false.”
The Republican National Convention has been called to order
Ohio governor says he’s waiting like everyone else to find out who Trump’s running mate will be
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine says he’s waiting like everyone else at the Republican National Convention to find out who will be Donald Trump’s running mate.
But he put in a strong word for Ohio Sen. JD Vance, the contender who’s from his home state. Vance, 39, is significantly younger than most of the other Republicans who’ve been mentioned as possibilities for the ticket.
“He’s very articulate. He’s got a great life story,” DeWine said. “And he can articulate President Trump’s positions very effectively and articulately. He’s the appropriate age, and represents the next generation. He’s the next generation of the party.”
Trump said to have narrowed his choices for running mate to 3 candidates
Donald Trump is said to have narrowed his list of potential running mates to three top candidates: Ohio Sen. JD Vance, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio.
All come with different benefits and vulnerabilities. Vance is perhaps most ideologically aligned with the former president and would energize his base. At 39, he would add a millennial contrast to the older men at the top of their parties’ tickets. But he’s served in the Senate for less than two years.
Burgum would bring business acumen and a steady hand, though Trump has noted his signing of a highly restrictive abortion law could be a drawback.
Rubio is seen in the party as a respected voice on policy and his background — as the son of Cuban immigrants and a Spanish speaker — could help Trump appeal to Latino voters. He could also help draw more moderate and establishment-minded voters and donors turned off by Trump’s coarse rhetoric. But Rubio’s candidacy is complicated by the fact that he lives in Florida, like Trump.
Protesters gather at GOP convention in downtown Milwaukee
By SOPHIA TAREEN, COREY WILLIAMS
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Hundreds of activists gathered in a downtown Milwaukee park Monday as they prepared to spend the day protesting outside the Republican National Convention, saying the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump won’t affect their long-standing plans to demonstrate outside the site.
A wide range of organizations and demonstrators gathered in the park blocks from the Fiserv Forum to listen to speakers and then began marching Monday afternoon. The Coalition to March on the RNC, comprised largely of local groups, was protesting for access to abortion rights, for immigrant rights, and against the war in Gaza among other issues.
Organizers said the rally was on despite the attempt on Trump’s life Saturday during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Trump calls for RFK Jr. to get Secret Service protection
FILE – Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. talks during a campaign event, in West Hollywood, Calif., Thursday, June 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
After being hurt in a weekend assassination attempt, former President Donald Trump is calling for another presidential candidate to get Secret Service protection.
“In light of what is going on in the world today, I believe it is imperative that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. receive Secret Service protection — immediately,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social. “Given the history of the Kennedy Family, this is the obvious right thing to do!”
Kennedy’s father, Robert F. Kennedy, was shot and killed while campaigning for president and his uncle, President John F. Kennedy, was assassinated while in office.
Trump expected to announce vice presidential pick on the RNC’s first day
By JILL COLVIN, STEVE PEOPLES
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Donald Trump is expected to announce his vice presidential pick on the first day of the Republican National Convention, he said in an interview Monday.
It remains unclear whether the shooting Saturday at his Pennsylvania rally has changed the former president’s thinking about his potential second-in-command. But he told Fox News Channel host Bret Baier in a call that he planned to make his pick Monday.
The roll call vote to nominate Trump’s pick is expected Monday, according to a person with direct knowledge of the schedule who spoke on condition of anonymity. The person cautioned that Trump could always change his mind.
Trump Media shares surge on 1st day of trading after assassination attempt on the former president
By MICHELLE CHAPMAN
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FILE – Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump reacts following an assassination attempt at a campaign event in Butler, Pa., on Saturday, July 13, 2024. Trump Media surged in the first day of trading, Monday, July 15, following the assassination attempt. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)
On Monday, a federal judge presiding over Trump’s classified documents trial in Florida dismissed the case because of her concerns over the appointment of the special prosecutor who brought the case.
Shares in the owner of social networking site Truth Social soared more than 35% in early trading.
Read more about Trump Media’s stock surge
T-shirts with images of Trump after assassination attempt went up for sale in China
Images of the moment have been splashed across the world’s front pages and papered many corners of the internet — former President Donald Trump, ear bleeding, with his right hand clenched in a fist above the Secret Service agents surrounding him after a weekend assassination attempt at a Pennsylvania rally.
And then those images became available on T-shirts for as little as $4 on China’s e-commerce platforms.
Over the weekend, Chinese retailers leapt into action on Taobao and JD.com, the country’s two biggest e-commerce platforms, to profit from the images after the Saturday shooting.
The shirts used a variety of photos that captured the moment, including one of the most indelible made by Associated Press photographer Evan Vucci.
But by Monday, many of the T-shirts were no longer easily found, with a search for “Trump T-shirt” on JD showing no results and on Taobao showing other Trump T-shirts. When asked, however, some shops were able to provide hidden links to the merchandise — and other shirts could be found by searching for a Chinese nickname for Trump for a time.
It’s not clear why the shirts were hidden, but China’s domestic internet, which is largely isolated from the global internet, is controlled by an extensive censorship system that also monitors its online commerce sites. The use of the images could raise copyright concerns.
Vivek Ramaswamy urges the country to come together after assassination attempt against Trump
By NICHOLAS RICCARDI
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FILE – Republican presidential candidate businessman Vivek Ramaswamy speaks during the Family Leadership Summit, July 14, 2023, in Des Moines, Iowa. With six weeks until the first 2024 Republican presidential debate, some hopefuls are finding creative ways to boost their donor numbers and ensure they make it on stage. Biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy rolled out a plan to let people who raise money for his campaign keep 10% of what they take in from other donors. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall, File)
Vivek Ramaswamy, a pharmaceutical entrepreneur and political novice who ran in the GOP presidential primary, has distinguished himself as an aggressive voice on the right, saying often that the country is already at war with itself.
So it was notable that in remarks at an event run by the conservative Heritage Institute at the RNC on Monday he was toning down his rhetoric and urging the country to come together.
“The enemy is not the Democrats, it is an ideology,” Ramaswamy told the crowd at the Heritage Institute’s “Policy Fest” event.
Ramaswamy compared the assassination attempt on Donald Trump to Abraham Lincoln’s assassination, telling reporters after his speech that “Donald Trump, in some ways, has been given the chance now, the second chance that Abraham Lincoln didn’t have to unite a country that, this time, didn’t have to fight a civil war but avoids one.”
Biden and Harris getting updated briefing on assassination attempt against Trump
President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris are getting an updated briefing from homeland security and law enforcement officials on the investigation into the attempted assassination of Donald Trump.
The briefing is taking place in the Situation Room, the White House says.
The attorney general, homeland security secretary, FBI director and the director and deputy director of the U.S. Secret Service are among those briefing Biden and Harris.
Federal judge cites Justice Thomas in tossing Trump classified documents case
When U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon dismissed the classified documents case against former President Donald Trump, she pointed several times to a concurrence written by Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.
The concurrence was part of the high court’s ruling that former presidents have broad immunity from criminal prosecution, a finding that all but ended the prospects Trump could be tried on election-interference charges in Washington before the election.
No other justice signed onto Thomas’s concurrence. He questioned whether special counsel Jack Smith had been legally appointed and called on lower court judges to weigh the question.
Judge dismisses Trump classified documents case over concerns about legality of special counsel’s appointment
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The federal judge presiding over the classified documents case of former President Donald Trump in Florida has dismissed the prosecution because of concerns over the appointment of the prosecutor who brought the case.
U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon granted the defense motion to dismiss the case Monday.
Lawyers for Trump had argued that special counsel Jack Smith was illicitly appointed and that his office was improperly funded by the Justice Department.
What to watch as the Republican National Convention kicks off days after Trump assassination attempt
MILWAUKEE (AP) — The Republican National Convention starts Monday in Milwaukee, two days after Donald Trump was injured in an assassination attempt, with the violent scene at his campaign rally horrifying the country and amplifying already intense political divisions.
People walk past the Fiserv Forum ahead of the 2024 Republican National Convention, July 11, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Trump and his advisers are pledging resilience in the face of the attack, with plans going forward for the event to showcase the former president and his platform as his party formally chooses him to be its nominee.
It was not immediately clear if and how Saturday’s attack would alter the four-day event, which normally has a celebratory atmosphere. Republican officials have said they want to defy the threat Trump has faced and stick to their plans and their schedule. But at the very least, the event is expected to include a heightened focus on security and a grim recognition of how stunningly close the presumptive Republican nominee came to losing his life.
▶ Here’s what to watch for on the first day of the Republican National Convention
Jill Biden has spoken with Melania Trump after Saturday assassination attempt
First lady Jill Biden has spoken to Melania Trump following an attempted assassination of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump.
The first lady’s office confirmed they spoke Sunday afternoon but have not released any details on the conversation. President Joe Biden spoke with Donald Trump following the attack at a rally in Pennsylvania.
Donald Trump is attending the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee this week.
Anger and anxiety loom over the Republican convention after the assassination attempt against Trump
By STEVE PEOPLES, JILL COLVIN
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MILWAUKEE (AP) — Donald Trump’s campaign chiefs designed the convention opening this week to feature a softer and more optimistic message, focusing on themes that would help a divisive leader expand his appeal among moderate voters and people of color.
Law enforcement officers stand in an aisle at the 2024 Republican National Convention inside the Fiserv Forum, Sunday, July 14, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
Then came a shooting that rattled the foundation of American politics.
Suddenly, the Democrats’ turmoil after the debate, the GOP’s potential governing agenda and even Trump’s criminal convictions became secondary to fears about political violence and the country’s stability. The presumptive Republican nominee and his allies will face the nation during their four-day convention in Milwaukee unquestionably united and ready to “fight,” as the bloodied Trump cried out Saturday while Secret Service agents at his Pennsylvania rally rushed him to safety.
▶ Read more about Day 1 of the RNC in Milwaukee
Milwaukee mayor: RNC has the highest security level possible and ‘I feel pretty confident’
Milwaukee’s mayor says he knows Americans will have questions about security at the Republican National Convention after Saturday’s assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump, but the event has the highest security level possible “so I feel pretty confident.”
“The folks on the ground here have confidence in the work that they’ve put in over the last 18 months,” Mayor Cavalier Johnson said at a Monday morning briefing. “And I have faith and confidence as well in the Secret Service and the police and fire departments and other agencies providing security today.”
An exterior general view at the 2024 Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum, Sunday, July 14, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
Secret Service director says she’s confident in RNC security plan
The director of the U.S. Secret Service says she’s confident in the plan to secure the Republican National Convention that begins Monday in the wake of an attempt on the life of presidential candidate Donald Trump.
In a statement, Kim Cheatle said Monday the security plans for the event are “designed to be flexible.”
“The Secret Service will continuously adapt our operations as necessary to ensure the highest level of safety,” she said.
Cheatle says the plan will change as necessary to ensure the continued safety of attendees at the Milwaukee event.
A man shot at Trump from a rooftop near a Pennsylvania rally on Saturday. Trump is recovering and will attend the convention. President Joe Biden ordered a national security review of the incident over the weekend.
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
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IN PHOTOS: Amber Rose, Gov. Kristi Noem and more at yesterday’s walkthrough for the RNC
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
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Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., July 14, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
Amber Rose, July 14, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, July 14, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., July 14, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
The Republican National Convention is coming. Here’s how to watch it
MILWAUKEE (AP) — The Republican National Convention kicks off this week, with delegates and officials descending on Wisconsin amid the tumult that follows a Saturday attempt on the life of former President Donald Trump as he prepares to become the GOP’s official nominee.
Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala. is seen during the Republican National Convention Sunday, July 14, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)
The quadrennial event in one of this cycle’s key battleground states takes place not only as Trump leads a party in lockstep behind him, but as Democrats roil over President Joe Biden’s viability and if they should replace him as their nominee.
It’s also happening as federal officials probe how a gunman was able to open fire from a rooftop near a Trump campaign rally in Pennsylvania, killing a bystander and critically wounding two others.
▶ Read more about the RNC
America’s toxic political climate faces calls to ‘tone it down’
By LISA MASCARO, GARY FIELDS
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Activists pray for the safety of President Joe Biden, former President Donald Trump and other politicians at Lafayette Square near the White House, July 14, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
The shocking attempt on Trump’s life has brought into stark relief the toxic climate in America’s political life. While the details of the shooter’s motive remain unclear, the violence is a further gauge of how what was once unacceptable, if not unthinkable, in American society has become painfully commonplace.
As the 2024 election enters a crucial phase ahead of the national conventions, how the nation responds will test the first presidential contest since 2020, an election that became defined by efforts to overturn Trump’s defeat and the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.
▶Read more about how the attack underscored the toxic climate in America’s political life
Biden returns to the campaign trail after using prime-time address to warn of election-year rhetoric
By WILL WEISSERT, ZEKE MILLER
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President Joe Biden addresses the nation from the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, July 14, 2024. (Erin Schaff/The New York Times via AP, Pool)
In last night’s prime-time address, Biden noted that the Republican convention was opening in Milwaukee, while he himself would be returning to the reelection campaign trail after pausing his schedule to manage the immediate response to the attempted assassination of Trump.
Biden said he had “no doubt” that Republicans will “criticize my record and offer their own vision for this country” and promised to campaign laying out his own ideas, but said those disagreements must remain peaceful.
▶ Read more about Biden’s Oval Office address
Motive of man who tried to assassinate Trump remains elusive
A classmate of Thomas Matthew Crooks, suspected of attempting to assassinate former President Donald Trump, said the 20-year-old suspect was frequently bullied and sat alone at lunch time at their high school in Bethel Park, Penn. (AP Video/Terry Chea)
In the wake of the shooting that killed one spectator, investigators were hunting for any clues about what may have drove Thomas Matthew Crooks, of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, to carry out the shocking attack.
The FBI said they were investigating it as a potential act of domestic terrorism, but the absence of a clear ideological motive by the man shot dead by Secret Service led conspiracy theories to flourish.
▶Read more about what we know so far about the shooter.
When does a presumptive nominee become a nominee?
WASHINGTON (AP) — Nearly 2,500 delegates are gathering in Milwaukee this week for a roll call vote to select the Republican presidential nominee, formally ending the presidential primary.
It will be a moment lacking in suspense: Former President Donald Trump has already been the presumptive nominee for months, having clinched a majority of convention delegates on March 12, but he doesn’t officially become the party’s standard-bearer until after the roll call, when delegates vote on the nominee.
▶ Read more about how Donald Trump will make it official
WATCH: Secret Service says they’ve made no changes to RNC security plan after Trump rally attack
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
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The Secret Service says it is “confident in the security plans” for the Republican National Convention after the attack at the Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. (AP video by Nathan Ellgren)
No changes yet to the convention program, but Trump says he’ll shift the focus of his speech
By STEVE PEOPLES, JILL COLVIN
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Yesterday, Republican Party chairman Michael Whatley said the convention’s programming would not be changed in the wake of the shooting.
The four-day agenda, he said, will feature more than 100 speakers overwhelmingly focused on kitchen-table issues and Trump’s plans to lift everyday working Americans.
Late yesterday, Trump told The Washington Examiner that he has rewritten the speech he was set to deliver in light of the attempted assassination.
“The speech I was going to give on Thursday was going to be a humdinger,” he told the news outlet in an article posted Sunday evening.
In the interview, Trump says he will now call for a new effort at national unity, noting that people from different political views have called him.
Trump vice president reveal could come as early as today
By STEVE PEOPLES, JILL COLVIN
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Corey Lewandowski is seen on the screen of a cellphone during a walkthrough at the 2024 Republican National Convention, July 14, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Trump will use the convention to accept his party’s nomination and also unveil his highly anticipated choice for vice president.
Some Republicans believe the pick will take on more importance than it would have otherwise given the new threats to Trump’s life.
His top three contenders are North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio. All three are expected to speak this week.
Assassination attempt against Trump casts cloud over RNC
By STEVE PEOPLES, JILL COLVIN
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People gather outside the Fiserv Forum watching news ahead of the 2024 Republican National Convention, July 13, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
Anger and anxiety loom as thousands of Donald Trump’s loyalists are gathering for the Republican National Convention, less than 48 hours after the former president narrowly escaped an assassination attempt that rattled the very foundation of U.S. politics.
For this week, at least, the Democrats’ political crisis, the GOP’s governing agenda and even Trump’s criminal convictions become secondary to acute concerns about political violence.
The presumptive Republican nominee and his allies will face the nation during their four-day convention in Milwaukee this week unquestionably united.
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Publish date : 2024-07-15 16:27:00
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