MILWAUKEE—The attempted assassination Former President Donald Trump has fostered a sense of unity among top Republicans heading to Milwaukee this week for the Republican National Convention, a weeklong event that will undoubtedly feel the ripple effect of the party’s attempt to kill the presumptive presidential nominee.
“The delegates were already excited about the RNC in Milwaukee,” said Republican Ohio Senator and Congressman Niraj Antani. “Now, delegates will go to the RNC feeling a duty to protect President Trump and the values he fought for.”
The attempted assassination A man identified by the FBI as a 20-year-old man was held at a Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday night. Thomas Matthew Crooks. The alleged shooter fired multiple shots from a nearby rooftop, narrowly missing Trump, killing one rally attendee and wounding two others.
“What will already be an important moment of unification behind President Trump will now be the most unified and vocal support for a presidential candidate this nation has ever seen,” said Miami-Dade County Commissioner Kevin Cabrera, who supports Trump. platform committee of the convention.
Although the assassination attempt will increase the already tight security around the convention, it is not yet clear how much it will change the official program. Still, it’s almost impossible to expect the tone and focus to remain completely unchanged.
A prayer service for Trump was held in Milwaukee on Sunday afternoon.
An RNC spokeswoman did not respond to a request for comment.
“Emotions are high,” said Illinois RNC National Committeeman Richard Porter. “Determination is even stronger. Our nation narrowly escaped disaster – many see the hand of providence.”
“But that said, the mood of our party is stable and grateful,” he said.
A source who works with one of the scheduled convention speakers said the RNC has advised the speakers to stick with it and not change their approach.
“Project trust,” said the person. “Maintain the status quo.”
Bernie Moreno, who was among a group of GOP Senate candidates scheduled to speak at the convention Tuesday night, was not yet sure how the assassination might affect his speaking lists or the substance of what he had to say.
“President Trump was miraculously saved by divine intervention,” he said. “I take it every day.”
Trump campaign officials went into a “communications blackout” after the shooting on Saturday night memo NBC News was written by James Blair, Trump’s political director, so it’s hard to predict how the attempt on Trump’s life will affect the official convention proceedings. But so far, Trump’s direct comments have been appreciative and avoided any overt politics.
“Thank you everyone for your thoughts and prayers yesterday because it was only God who prevented the unthinkable from happening,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “WE SHALL NOT FEAR, but stand firm in our Faith and OPPOSED to Evil.”
Trump also spoke with President Joe Biden, a call Biden aides described as “nice, short and respectful.”
RNC national committee member Leora Levy of Connecticut, whom Trump appointed as ambassador to Chile in 2019, also said she hoped the convention would stick to the party’s principles and not be too divisive.
“It’s very sad,” he said. “Political rhetoric in our country has reached a level it will never reach. They are [Democrats] They did all kinds of things to demonize Trump. In other words, they called him Hitler.”
Levy is giving a blessing on the first night of the convention, which he said will focus in part on unity.
“I wrote a prayer aimed at uniting our country,” he said. “It calls people to be strong and courageous. I hope people will stick to our values, but we can agree without resentment.”
Still, some of the party’s biggest names quickly took to social media strikes more political tonesan indication that speeches and events at the RNC will be more combative when discussing the assassination attempt.
“Today is not just an event,” said Ohio Sen. JD Vance, who is on the short list to be Trump’s running mate. Posted in X. “The central premise of the Biden campaign is that President Donald Trump is an authoritarian fascist who must be stopped at all costs.”
“The rhetoric led directly to the assassination attempt of President Trump,” he said.