16 July 2024 , 05:33
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Donald Trump has broken cover sporting a bandaged ear in his first major appearance since he was shot at during a rally in Pennsylvania - he received a hero’s welcome from Republicans
Donald Trump has made a dramatic return to the public eye since he was shot at, injuring his ear, during a rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday, in what is believed to have been an assassination attempt.
In his first public outing since the incident, Trump was seen sporting a bandage over his ear while the patriotic tune of ’God Bless the USA’ played as he entered the venue. As he stood next to his newly announced Vice President J.D. Vance, the crowd burst into applause and began chanting: "USA, USA, USA."
Trump was given a hero’s welcome as he made his first public appearance since Saturday’s assassination attempt. The Presidential hopeful was a surprise guest at the opening night of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.
Trump, who was grazed by a wannabe-assassin’s bullet in Pennsylvania at the weekend, is due to give a speech at the event on Thursday evening. But he made a shock appearance at the Fiserv Forum - just 48 hours since the attempt on his life which left a crowd member dead and two others critically injured.
A visibly emotional Trump was joined in the VIP box by son Donald Jnr, daughter Tiffany and Vice Presidential nominee JD Vance. Dressed in a navy suit, white shirt and red tie, he was sporting a white bandage over his injured right ear. Trump repeatedly made his trademark clenched fist gesture and clapped supporters and friends as the frenzied crowd chanted “fight, fight, fight” and “USA, USA”.
Before taking to the stage, Trump revealed on social media that he had chosen Ohio Senator J. D Vance as his vice presidential running mate.
Trump shouts ’fight’ and raises his fist after being shot in the ear ( Image: AP)
"After much consideration and weighing up the immense talents of many others, I have decided that the person best suited to take on the role of Vice President of the United States is Senator J.D. Vance from the great state of Ohio," Trump shared on Truth Social. "J.D. served our country honourably in the Marine Corps, graduated from Ohio State University in two years, Summa Cum Laude, and is a Yale Law School Graduate, where he was Editor of The Yale Law Journal, and President of the Yale Law Veterans Association."
Trump is sporting an ear bandage ( Image: AFP via Getty Images)
The decision significantly boosts Vance’s profile, who has adopted the former president’s populist agenda after years of vehement criticism of Trump. Vance, a venture capitalist and author of the best-selling memoir "Hillbilly Elegy," was elected to the US Senate in 2022 following Trump’s endorsement in a fiercely contested Republican primary.
Vance, a newcomer to Congress, secured his seat with Trump’s backing, which proved instrumental in his victory in the challenging 2022 race. Despite his public criticism of Trump in 2016, six years later, Trump openly mocked him but still endorsed him in the 2022 election.
Trump received a hero’s welcome ( Image: AFP via Getty Images)
In the Senate, Vance has been an outspoken supporter of Trump, often voting in line with the former president’s interests. He opposed a Ukrainian aid bill earlier this year, mirroring Trump’s scepticism about additional funding. He shares a close bond with Donald Trump Jr.
Following the announcement that former President Donald Trump has chosen Ohio Senator J. D. Vance as his running mate, the task of selecting Vance’s replacement now falls on Ohio Governor Mike DeWine. "President Trump has made a great choice and Senator Vance will be a great partner as they campaign together this fall," DeWine said in a statement.
Vance has been a vocal Trump supporter ( Image: AP)
The RNC continues today with a ring of steel in place protecting the venue where Trump will speak on Thursday. Today’s theme is crime and the US border, with one of Trump’s sons expected to be among the speakers.
There is a massive security operation underway to protect Trump and other delegates, including former PM Liz Truss, who is due to speak at an event on Wednesday. Nigel Farage is due to fly to Milwaukee on Wednesday evening after attending the King’s Speech in the House of Commons.
Trump was a surprise guest ( Image: AP)
A huge swathe of downtown Milwaukee has been made a no-go zone for the general public, with only delegates and accredited media allowed near the Fiserv Forum - the 17,000-seater home of the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks. There are five vehicle checkpoints manned by local and federal agents and Secret Service officers.
Snipers have also been stationed on rooftops close to the main convention venue. Officers from 25 states have been drafted into the city for the four-day event. Teams of police on horseback and bicycles were seen patrolling the perimeter on Monday afternoon. They were joined by hundreds of protesters and pro-Trump supporters in the 90+ degree heat.
Officers were seen arresting one anti-Trump demonstrator for being drunk and disorderly at a gathering of pro-Palestine supporters in a park close to the Fiserv Forum. Traders were also doing brisk business selling ‘Make America Great Again’ t-shirts and caps.
Overnight, US President Joe Biden admitted it was a “mistake” to have said the Democrats need to put “Trump in the bullseye” during a recent donor call. Biden said he meant they needed to focus more on Trump’s policies and rhetoric.
“It was a mistake to use the word,” he told NBC in his first sit-down interview since Trump was the target of an assassination attempt. “I didn’t mean it. I didn’t say cross hairs. I meant bullseye. I meant focus on him, focus on what he’s doing.”
But he defended calling Trump a threat to democracy and disagreed there was a need to tone down his rhetoric. “I’ve not engaged in that rhetoric,” Biden said. “Now, my opponent is engaged in that rhetoric. How do you talk about the threat to democracy, which is real, when a president says things like he says? Do you just not say anything, because it may incite somebody? I am not the guy that said I want to be a dictator on day one, I am not the guy that refused to accept the outcome of the election.”
Donald Trump first appears ( Image: Fox)
Meanwhile the FBI said it had gained access to attacker Thomas Matthew Crooks’ phone - but still have not been able to pinpoint a motive for the shooting. CBS also reported that Crooks’ father called police after the shooting took place. The nature of the call and its exact timing remains unclear.