MILWAUKEE (AP) 鈥� Two days after surviving an attempted assassination, former President Donald Trump appeared triumphantly at the Republican National Convention's opening night with a bandage over his right ear, the latest compelling scene in a presidential campaign already defined by dramatic turns.
GOP delegates cheered wildly when Trump appeared onscreen backstage and then emerged in the arena, visibly emotional, as musician Lee Greenwood sang 鈥淕od Bless the USA." That was hours after the convention had formally nominated the former president to head the Republican ticket in November against President Joe Biden.
Trump did not address the hall 鈥� with his acceptance speech scheduled for Thursday 鈥� but smiled silently and occasionally waved as Greenwood sang. He eventually joined his newly announced running mate, , to listen to the night鈥檚 remaining speeches, often with a subdued expression and muted reactions uncharacteristic for the unabashed showman
The raucous welcome underscored the depth of the crowd's affection for the man who won the 2016 nomination as an outsider, at odds with the party establishment, but now has vanquished all Republican rivals, silenced most GOP critics and commands loyalty up and down the party ranks.
鈥淲e must unite as a party, and we must unite as a nation,鈥� said Republican Party Chairman Michael Whatley, Trump鈥檚 handpicked party leader, as he opened Monday's primetime national convention session. 鈥淲e must show the same strength and resilience as President Trump and lead this nation to a greater future.鈥�
But Whatley and other Republican leaders made clear that their calls for harmony did not extend to Biden and Democrats, who find themselves still riven by worries that the 81-year-old question is not up to the job of defeating Trump.
鈥淭heir policies are a clear and present danger to America, to our institutions, our values and our people,鈥� said Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson, welcoming the party to his battleground state, which Trump won in 2016 but lost to Biden four years ago.
厂补迟耻谤诲补测鈥檚 , where Trump was injured and one man died, were clearly in mind, but the proceedings were celebratory 鈥� a stark contrast to the anger and anxiety that had marked the previous few days. Some delegates chanted 鈥渇ight, fight, fight鈥� 鈥� the same words that Trump was seen shouting to the crowd as the Secret Service ushered him off the stage, his fist raised and face bloodied.
鈥淲e 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,鈥� said New Jersey state Sen. Michael Testa as he announced all of his state鈥檚 12 delegates for Trump.
When Trump cleared the necessary number of delegates, video screens in the arena read 鈥淥VER THE TOP鈥� while the song 鈥淐elebration鈥� played and delegates danced and waved Trump signs. Throughout the voting, delegates flanked by 鈥淢ake America Great Again鈥� signs applauded as state after state voted their support for a second Trump term.
Multiple speakers invoked religious imagery to discuss Trump and the assassination attempt.
鈥淭he devil came to Pennsylvania holding a rifle,鈥� said Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina. 鈥淏ut an American lion got back up on his feet!鈥�
Wyoming delegate Sheryl Foland was among those who adopted the 鈥渇ight鈥� chant after seeing Trump survive Saturday in what she called 鈥渕onumental photos and video.鈥�
鈥淲e knew then we were going to adopt that as our chant,鈥� added Foland, a child trauma mental health counselor. 鈥淣ot just because we wanted him to fight, and that God was fighting for him. We thought, isn鈥檛 it our job to accept that challenge and fight for our country?鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 bigger than Trump,鈥� Foland said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a mantra for our country.鈥�
Another well-timed development boosted the mood on the convention floor Monday: The federal judge presiding over Trump鈥檚 classified documents case because of concerns over the appointment of the prosecutor who brought the case, handing the former president a major court victory.
The convention is designed to reach people outside the GOP base
Trump's campaign chiefs designed the convention to feature a softer and more optimistic message, focusing on themes that would help a divisive leader expand his appeal among and .
On a night devoted to the economy, delegates and a national TV audience heard from speakers the Trump campaign pitched as 鈥渆veryday Americans鈥� 鈥� a single mother talking about inflation, a union member who identified himself as a lifelong Democrat now backing Trump, a small business owner, among others.
Featured speakers also included Black Republicans who have been at the forefront of the Trump campaign鈥檚 effort to win more votes from a core Democratic constituency.
U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt of Texas said rising grocery and energy prices were hurting Americans鈥� wallets and quoted Ronald Reagan in calling inflation 鈥渢he cruelest tax on the poor.鈥� Hunt argued Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris didn鈥檛 seem to understand the problem.
鈥淲e can fix this disaster,鈥� Hunt said, by electing Trump and sending "him right back to where he belongs, the White House.鈥�
Scott, perhaps the party's most well-known Black lawmaker, declared: 鈥淎merica is not a racist country.鈥�
Republicans hailed Vance鈥檚 selection as a key step toward a winning coalition in November.
Trump announced his choice of his running mate as delegates were voting on the former president鈥檚 nomination Monday. The young Ohio senator first rose to national attention with his , 鈥淗illbilly Elegy,鈥� which told of his Appalachian upbringing and was hailed as a window into the parts of working-class America that helped propel Trump.
North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, who had been considered a potential vice presidential pick, said in a post on X that Vance鈥檚 鈥渟mall town roots and service to country make him a powerful voice for the America First Agenda.鈥�
Yet despite calls for harmony, two of the opening speakers at Monday's evening session 鈥� Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia and North Carolina gubernatorial nominee Mark Robinson 鈥� are known as some of the party's most incendiary figures.
Robinson, speaking recently during a church service in North Carolina, discussed 鈥渆vil鈥� people who he said threatened American Christianity. 鈥淪ome folks need killing,鈥� he said then, though he steered clear of such rhetoric at the convention stage.
The campaign continues
Trump鈥檚 nomination came on the same day that Biden sat for another national TV interview the president sought to demonstrate his capacity to serve another four years despite continued worries within his own party.
Biden told ABC News that he made a mistake recently when he told Democratic donors the party must stop questioning his fitness for office and instead put Trump in a 鈥渂ullseye.鈥� Republicans have circulated the comment aggressively since 厂补迟耻谤诲补测鈥檚 assassination attempt, with some openly blaming Biden for inciting the attack on Trump鈥檚 life.
The president鈥檚 admission was in line with his call Sunday from the Oval Office for all Americans to ratchet down political rhetoric. But Biden maintained Monday that drawing contrasts with Trump, who employs harsh and accusatory language, is a legitimate part of a presidential contest.
Inside the arena in Milwaukee, Republicans did not dial back their attacks on Biden, at one point playing a video that mocked the president鈥檚 physical stamina and mental acuity.
They alluded often to the 鈥淏iden-Harris administration鈥� and took regular digs at Vice President Kamala Harris 鈥� a not-so-subtle allusion to the notion that Biden could step aside in favor of his second-in-command.
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Associated Press writers Christine Fernando in Chicago, Ali Swenson in Minneapolis, Jonathan J. Cooper in Phoenix, and Farnoush Amiri, Thomas Beaumont, Michelle L. Price and Sophia Tareen in Milwaukee contributed.
Bill Barrow, Steve Peoples And Jill Colvin, The Associated Press
