MILWAUKEE—Former President Donald Trump, sporting a bandage on his ear, made his first public appearance at the Republican National Convention in Wisconsin yesterday evening, days after surviving an assassination attempt.
The former president appeared on the jumbotron at the Fiserv Forum shortly before 9 p.m. CT, sparking cheers from attendees.
Former President Donald J. Trump and running mate Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) at the 2024 RNC in Milwaukee, Wis., on July 15, 2024. Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times
A white bandage was visible on his right ear, which had been grazed by a bullet shot by the would-be assassin.
Moments after he appeared, musician Lee Greenwood took to the stage and spoke out on behalf of former President Trump. As the band vamped over the instrumental opening to “Proud to Be an American,” the former commander-in-chief walked out on stage, pumping his fist and waving.
His son Donald Trump, Jr. gave him a thumbs up from the family box. As Mr. Greenwood played his signature song, the former president swayed to the music, smiled, waved, and mouthed the words, “Thank you.”
At one point, he looked over at his running mate, Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio), and said something inaudible. Chants of “USA!” and “Fight” echoed through the arena, followed by, “We love Trump.”
His appearance came hours after announcing Vance, a 39-year-old freshman senator from Ohio and bestselling author, as his VP pick, ending months of speculation.
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“After lengthy deliberation and thought, and considering the tremendous talents of many others, I have decided that the person best suited to assume the position of Vice President of the United States is Senator J.D. Vance of the Great State of Ohio,” Trump wrote in a statement on Truth Social.
The former president praised Vance’s qualifications in his statement, saying, “J.D. honorably served our Country 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. J.D.’s book, “Hillbilly Elegy,” became a Major Best Seller and Movie, as it championed the hardworking men and women of our Country.
“J.D. has had a very successful business career in Technology and Finance, and now, during the Campaign, will be strongly focused on the people he fought so brilliantly for, the American Workers and Farmers in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, Minnesota, and far beyond.”
Trump revealed his decision after cloaking his vice presidential choice in secrecy while floating “teasers” for months.
Besides being ready to serve if the presidential candidate were unable to fulfill his duties for any reason, Mr. Vance could sway some voters to the Trump–Vance ticket.
MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell, who was chatting and taking photographs with fans at the Republican National Convention, said about having Vance as the vice presidential candidate, “I’m in 100 percent.”
“There’s not a phoniness about him,” Mr. Lindell said.
Republican voter registration activist Scott Presler told The Epoch Times that Vance would enable the ticket to “win the Midwest,” including the battleground states of Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
“I think it’s fantastic,” Jeff Santopietro, also from Connecticut, said. He told The Epoch Times that he believes his party has “a deep, deep bench” when it comes to choosing running mates.
The Biden campaign issued a statement criticizing the selection of Mr. Vance.
“Donald Trump picked J.D. Vance as his running mate because Vance will do what Mike Pence wouldn’t on January 6: bend over backwards to enable Trump and his extreme MAGA agenda, even if it means breaking the law and no matter the harm to the American people,” the statement reads.
Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) celebrates his nomination for the office of Vice President alongside his wife Usha Chilukuri Vance and Ohio Delegate Bernie Moreno on the first day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wis., on July 15, 2024. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
Vance ascended from Appalachian roots and obtained an Ivy League education.
He gained attention with the publication of his best-selling memoir, “Hillbilly Elegy,” in 2016. The book describes his family’s origins in rural Kentucky and his raising in Ohio. Mr. Vance was elected to represent Ohio in the U.S. Senate in 2022 after gaining the endorsement of President Trump.
Originally a sharp critic of Trump, Vance grew to become a staunch defender of the former president and one of the chief proponents of his America First policies, particularly regarding trade, border security, and foreign policy. The Ohio senator has been skeptical of providing open-ended support for Ukraine in its war with Russia.
“He never bent to the mob, [making him] the best president of my lifetime,” Vance said after former President Trump endorsed him in 2022.
Donald Trump Jr. and political commentator Tucker Carlson were advocates for Mr. Vance’s nomination.
Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, who was short-listed for the nomination, congratulated Vance in a statement, saying, “JD Vance is a fantastic choice. Americans will soon see this is an incredibly intelligent and talented man who is completely committed to making America great again.”
North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, also considered, praised Vance’s small-town origins and service to the nation.
“I look forward to campaigning for the Trump–Vance ticket,” Burgum said in a statement.
Vance will likely square off in a debate against Vice President Kamala Harris.
The Biden campaign, shortly after Vance was named, said that Harris is eager to debate him in a vice presidential debate to be hosted by CBS on either July 23 or Aug. 13. The Trump campaign has not yet agreed to a date or format for a debate between the running mates.
—Janice Hisle, Lawrence Wilson and Nathan Worcester
BOOKMARKS
Department of Homeland Security Secretary announced yesterday that independent presidential candidate RFK, Jr. will receive Secret Service protection. The candidate had requested this for months and it was granted in the wake of the assassination attempt on Trump.
The FBI has gained access to Thomas Crook’s phone, the 20-year-old identified as the shooter in the assassination attempt on Trump. Authorities have yet to identify a motive.
Israel launched a missile strike on Al Mawasi in southern Gaza on July 13 in a bid to eradicate senior Hamas military leaders. According to Gaza health officials the attack killed 90 and wounded more than 300 people, including women and children. The region had previously been declared safe by the military, residents said.
Rwanda is refusing to refund any of the 270 million pounds Britain donated as part of its Migration and Economic Development Partnership project. The project was canceled after sending just four asylum seekers from Rwanda to the United Kingdom.
A new, simpler treatment has emerged for the autoimmune disease multiple sclerosis. The treatment will now feature a 10-minute injection instead of a four-hour long IV drip.
Pro-Palestinian demonstrators have refused to dismantle a protest camp at British Columbia’s Vancouver Island University. The university had given the protesters until 8 a.m. on July 15 to clear out, but the demonstrators issued a statement saying they aren’t leaving, and that the university is trying “to villainize them and punish them for using their right to protest.”
Reps. John Moolenaar (R-Mich.) and Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.) have issued a call to NATO to establish liaison offices in the Indo-Pacific region to address threats by communist China. Tokyo has been floated as a possible location.
—Stacy Robinson
