Bandaged Donald Trump looks emotional as he greets RNC crowd flanked by family in 1st public appearance since shooting
DONALD Trump has arrived at the site of the Republican National Committee Convention with an immense security presence just days after surviving an assassination attempt by inches.
In his first appearance since Saturday’s failed assassination attempt, an emotional Trump made his way through the crowd as Lee Greenwood played a live, somber performance of God Bless the USA.
Trump was seen with his right ear patched up 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.
The former president entered Fiserv Forum for day one of the Republican National Convention and was met with a rapture of applause from his supporters as Greenwood’s song played in the background.
He was seen waving to them as the crowd chanted “Fight, Fight, Fight” as he made his way to his seat on day one of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee on Monday.
The former president, who was formally named the Republican presidential nominee the same day, was greeted at his seat by his emotional sons, Don Jr. and Eric, daughter Tiffany, his vice presidential pick Ohio Senator JD Vance, and Speaker of the House Mike Johnson.
The announcement of Vance as Trump’s VP pick was also announced the same day by the former president on Truth Social.
“They wanted tonight to be his funeral,'” Angie Wong, a delegate from Florida said to the crowd as the song began to fade away.
“Instead, they got the Super Bowl of politics with a nomination and a VP pick,” Wong said.
Trump did not speak on Monday, only appearing for the final hour of speeches, but is still taking the podium as planned on Thursday despite the assassination attempt just two days prior to day one of the convention.
ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT
At his campaign rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday, Trump was on stage delivering a speech to a large crowd of supporters when he was grazed by a bullet in the ear.
The shooter, identified as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, unleashed nearly a dozen bullets at Trump from a rooftop 430 feet away from where the Republican presidential candidate, 78, was speaking.
Minutes into the rally’s start, Trump was seen slightly tilting his head to read a chart on a projector regarding immigration.
Moments later, the former president, 78, had a grimacing expression on his face, ducks down as Secret Service agents yelled out, “Get down,” and pounced on him, shielding Trump from the barrage of gunfire.
Within seconds, a Secret Service counter-sniper stationed on a roof 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 whisked into a motorcade, but not before he defiantly raised his fist and mouthed to the crowd, “Fight. Fight.”
The former commander-in-chief shared with The New York Post that a small piece of his right ear was torn off by the bullet, but is grateful to have survived.
Besides the shooter, one rally-goer identified as former volunteer firefighter Corey Comperatore was pronounced dead after using his body to shield his wife and daughter from a stray bullet aimed at the president.
Two others were also shot and both remain in critical condition.
“I’m not supposed to be here, I’m supposed to be dead,” Trump told The Post Sunday night.
Donald Trump Rally Shooting Timeline
Donald Trump was shot at his Pennsylvania rally on July 13.
1pm: Doors open at the Butler Farm Show grounds where Trump was expected to speak at 5pm.
4:11pm: Sean Parnell gave the opening speech.
4:35pm: David McCormick rallied the crowd.
5:30pm: Crowds were still waiting for Trump.
6:03pm: Trump takes the stage.
6:11pm: Gunshots were fired as Trump delivered remarks.
6:12pm: Trump was ushered off stage by Secret Service agents.
6:42pm: Secret Service confirmed Trump is safe.
7:24pm: The shooter and one rally attendee are confirmed dead by law enforcement officials.
8:42pm: Trump confirms he was shot in the ear, sharing a statement on Truth Social.
8:49pm: The Secret Service confirms the shooter and a rally attendee are dead. Two others remain critically injured.
NO CHANGE OF PLANS
But plans for the Republican National Convention have not changed in the wake of Saturday’s assassination attempt against Trump.
Less than 48 hours after the brush with death, Trump arrived in Milwaukee heavily guarded, accompanied by dozens of Secret Service agents and police personnel.
Video obtained by The U.S. Sun from the Fiserv Forum, the site of the RNC in Milwaukee, showed the streets surrounding the arena completely locked down by law enforcement officials.
Vehicles in the area were searched by police officials as sniffer dogs prowled the entry to the arena.
The speech will be a lot different, a lot different than it would’ve been two days ago.
Donald Trump
Trump boldly refused to let the events from Saturday derail his campaign but admitted the shooting at his rally prompted him to rewrite his RNC speech and even hinted at a possible shift in strategy for the remaining four months until the election.
He told the Washington Examiner that his speech was going to be “humdinger,” mostly targeting President Biden’s policies, but he decided to move toward “a whole different speech.”
“I had all prepared an extremely tough speech, really good, all about the corrupt, horrible administration,” he told The Post about his speech.
“But I threw it away,” Trump said.
“This is a chance to bring the whole country, even the whole world, together,” Trump told the outlet, adding he isn’t sure if that is possible due to how divided the country is.
“The speech will be a lot different, a lot different than it would’ve been two days ago.”
“It is a chance to bring the country together. I was given that chance.”
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