The Republican National Convention will take place as usual despite the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump.
On Saturday a shooting at Trump’s rally in western Pennsylvania turned fatal for one spectator and critically injured two others along with the former President sustaining an obvious injury when a bullet grazed past his ear.
Heightened state of readiness is expected at this year’s RNC convention. With the official opening of security control for news media only less than two days off from going into effect in advance of next week’s Republican National Convention, there are no plans to increase a secured zone around downtown Tampa nor have any new specific terror threats been reported.
RNC chair Michael Whatley spoke with “Fox News Sunday” and said, “The arena’s set, the security is here and we feel very comfortable that we’re working with the Secret Service.”
Whatley stressed that “this is going to be a facility where we’re going to be able to have 50,000 delegates and alternates and guests and members of the media who are going to be here and who are going to be safe. That’s very critical for us.”
In a social media post Sunday, Trump floated delaying his trip to the convention in response to the shooting before reversing course later on and saying that he would not be deterred by “some potential assassin.” Roughly two hours later, he landed in Milwaukee, a major city and swing state of Wisconsin.
The four-day event is to see Trump formally nominated as the Republican Party’s candidate for president. The convention is also the likely venue where Trump will reveal his vice-presidential pick.
The roughly 2,400 Republican delegates descending on the Fiserv Forum in downtown Milwaukee are first expected to formally nominate Trump during a state-by-state roll call vote Monday afternoon. He is also due to deliver his speech Thursday night.
All signs are that the convention will go on as planned, and speakers were asked not to change their speeches despite Saturday’s shooting.
Republicans hope to use the gathering in order for Trump and his party faithful to come back together as a unified whole while reinvigorating delegates and activists leading up until November, when voters decide whether President Biden will receive or deny an opportunity at a second term.
Trump’s talk also could help GOP stir up unity ahead of the release from his last rival in this year’s Republican presidential nomination race, former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, who served as U.N. ambassador within the Trump administration, on Tuesday at convention.
