In Milwaukee, Trump cements his grip on Republicans

After obtaining the full support of his party's delegates and a long ovation, Donald Trump reaps the fruits of his control of the harvest on Tuesday ;publicans, on the second day of their great gathering at Milwaukee.

Even before the spectacular party which is to close this convention on Thursday, the candidate announced that he was going back to the campaign with a meeting on Saturday in the state of Michigan, exactly one week after the shootings which targeted him.

Eager to illustrate the unity of the American right behind the septuagenarian, four months before the presidential election, several former rivals of the Republican must speak at high mass of the party on Tuesday, in a very choreographed staging.

Starting with Nikki Haley, very popular with moderate and independent Republican voters.

The former governor of South Carolina has sharply criticized the billionaire in the past, warning of a risk of “chaos” in the event of a new Trump presidency.

L' former American ambassador to the UN had not planned to go to the Milwaukee convention, but the assassination attempt on Donald Trump completely reshuffled the cards, accelerating the aggregation of Republicans around the candidacy of survivor.

She will speak in the middle of the evening.

Ron DeSantis, Vivek Ramaswamy, Ted Cruz. .. other ex-rivals of Donald Trump must also speak on Tuesday and project the image of an army marching to dislodge Democrat Joe Biden from the White House.

< p>– “A warrior” –

The first day of the convention, Monday, was marked by the first public appearance of Donald Trump since the assassination attempt on him.

Former US President Donald Trump given a standing ovation and greeted by Ohio Senator J.D Vance (d) and his sons Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, on the first day of the Republican convention in Milwaukee, July 15, 2024 in Wisconsin © AFP – Brendan SMIALOWSKI

The 78-year-old man, with a bandage on his right ear, arrived at 9:00 p.m. (local time) surrounded by his bodyguards in the huge sports hall where all the elite of the “Grand Old” had been present since the morning. Party.”

The crowd then stood up as one and cheers rang out from the stands, as well as shouts “USA”, “USA”.

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The former president did not give a speech but went to sit in the VIP area, surrounded by his most fervent supporters, first and foremost his sons Donald Junior and Eric.

Among the excited spectators were a good part of the approximately 2,400 delegates who, earlier, massively cast their votes to nominate Donald Trump as the Republican Party's presidential candidate for the November 5.

“Trump has a will that I have not seen in any other human being. He is fantastic. I believe he is protected by our prayers and our love for him. And he looks good. He exudes strength,” enthuses Connie Davie, an ardent activist.

Austin Utley, another admirer of the former president, cannot hide his emotion. “His mere presence here, only two days after being shot at, illustrates why everyone supports him: because he is a warrior,” he said.

– “The largest mosquito in the world” –

Former U.S. President Donald Trump (l) and Ohio Senator J.D. Vance on the first day of the Republican convention in Milwaukee, July 15, 2024 in Wisconsin © AFP – Brendan SMIALOWSKI

The other notable event at the opening of the convention was the announcement by Donald Trump of the choice of his future vice-president, J. D. Vance, a 39-year-old senator among the most loyal of his lieutenants.

This anti-system elected official, with an atypical career path since he has had a career in the army as well as in Silicon Valley, should reassure the party's most right-wing voters, while Donald Trump is trying to make inroads among the moderates. Mr. Vance will be alongside the candidate at the meeting in Michigan on Saturday.

The former business magnate also set out this week to win votes in outside his party. He called on independent candidate Robert Kennedy Jr. to drop out of the race and support him against Joe Biden.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., independent presidential candidate, during a campaign rally in Washington, May 24, 2024 © AFP – Bastien INZAURRALDE

The anti-vaccine activist — nephew of assassinated president “JFK” — however refused to throw in the towel.

A video from the conversation between the two men was leaked on social media Tuesday morning. We hear Donald Trump talking about the shots that targeted him on Saturday, during his rally in Pennsylvania.

It's like being bitten by “the biggest mosquito in the world.” world!”, he says.

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