Questionable security checks, serious rhetoric, and a presidential candidate presented as a martyr.
The assassination attempt on Donald Trump is casting a shadow over the Republican Party convention, which is now underway in Wisconsin.
"The convention will be held as planned in Milwaukee, where we will nominate our president as the party's brave and fearless candidate," reads an internal memo from the Trump campaign, as reported by Politico.
In the text, written by two high-ranking Trump advisors, employees are urged to stay away from the campaign's offices in Florida and Washington DC until tightened security measures are in place.
Staff are also asked to be extra vigilant in the "politically polarized" climate and refrain from commenting on Saturday's shooting of Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania. The former president was injured in the ear and taken away bleeding from the scene, but was reportedly in good spirits shortly after.
Indestructible martyr?
The campaign meeting was the last before the party convention, which has been months in the making. Formally, it aims to coronate Trump as the Republican presidential candidate, present his presumptive vice president, and unite behind the party platform.
It usually is a lavish, four-day celebration with glittering boots, fireworks, and pep ahead of the election campaign.
Now everything has changed. The Secret Service's bodyguard protection, which has been combing through the giant arena Fiserv Forum, has been urged by President Joe Biden to tighten security further. But no changes will be made – and both the Secret Service and the police emphasize that there are no known threats to the convention in an attempt to alleviate concerns.
We feel confident with the security plans for the convention and are ready to roll, says Audrey Gibson-Cicchino, coordinator for the convention at the Secret Service, reports Reuters.
Republicans are known as the party that primarily advocates for the right to bear arms, but it is uncertain whether plans to allow firearms in the outer areas of the meeting area will remain, writes USA Today.
The rhetoric is also likely to be affected by the assassination attempt. After the shooting, Trump called for unity against "the face of evil". But there is no doubt that the shots in Butler strengthen the image of him as an indestructible fighter and martyr – an image reinforced by the picture of him with a bloody cheek and clenched fist.
Running mate and union leader
The former president has already hinted that his speech on the final evening of the convention will be a "completely different kind of speech" than he originally planned.
The convention is well-suited to TV broadcast times, which means the agenda starts in the afternoon and culminates with a keynote speaker. The penultimate evening is reserved for the yet unknown vice presidential candidate. It is also customary for the country's potential first lady, in this case Melania Trump, to take the stage.
This year, the giant trade union Teamsters (equivalent to the Transport Workers' Federation) will also speak for the first time. It can be seen as a sign of Trump's appeal among white workers, a group that traditionally has voted Democratic.
Founded: 1854
Symbol: Elephant
Originally opposed to slavery. One of its most famous profiles, Abraham Lincoln, became the party's first and the USA's 16th president in 1861. Through Lincoln's so-called emancipation proclamation, slavery was abolished in 1863, in the midst of the Civil War.
Today, the Republican Party is strong in the South and in the USA's inland. It is a conservative, business-friendly party that traditionally advocates for low taxes and a small public sector. Republicans generally have great confidence in the military and advocate for the right to bear arms. Many representatives are generally and on religious grounds opposed to same-sex marriage and abortion.
Republican presidents since 1950:
Dwight Eisenhower 1953–1961
Richard Nixon 1969–1974
Gerald Ford 1974–1977
Ronald Reagan 1981–1989
George H W Bush 1989–1993
George W Bush 2001–2009
Donald Trump 2017–2021
Donald Trump, 78 years old, was the USA's 45th president between 2017 and 2021. The outspoken Republican won the presidential election in 2016 with the promise to "make America great again", but failed to be re-elected in November 2020.
Trump was the first president who did not have prior experience as an elected politician or military officer. Instead, he has spent his life in business.
Born in Queens, New York, he has an economics degree with a focus on real estate from the University of Pennsylvania. Trump inherited real estate from his father and built an empire with a focus on hotels and golf courses.
Donald Trump is the father of five children and married for the third time. His current wife is Slovenian-American Melania Trump.
