Trump announced on Truth Social on Sunday afternoon that he was heading to Milwaukee within hours instead of postponing the trip for two days, saying he was “determined not to allow a ‘gunman’ or potential assassin to force his way into the country.” [a] Rescheduling or other changes.”
A person who spoke with Trump in the past 12 hours said Trump has been mostly “mental” about the situation and that “it’s totally out of the ordinary for him.” Like others interviewed for this story, the person spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations and planning.
“He believes he’s been given a gift by God. It’s incredible,” the person said. Trump aides have instructed others to emphasize “unity” at the convention. The focus of the four-day convention is expected to shift further to his “courage and tenacity,” according to a person close to Trump. Convention planners “want speakers to tone down the rhetoric, not tone it down” regarding the rhetoric used in the speeches, the person said.
In a memo to staff early Sunday, top Trump advisers Chris LaCivita and Suzie Wiles said the convention “will proceed as scheduled” as party delegates prepare to “nominate the President as our party’s courageous and fearless nominee.”
LaCivita and Wiles said they had stepped up security at Trump campaign offices in Washington, D.C., and West Palm Beach, Florida, and urged aides to stay away from the offices while they assessed security risks. Additional security measures have been put in place to ensure safe attendance at events, including those outside the heightened security perimeter, according to people familiar with the convention planning. But the people said they expected the program to go on largely as planned.
In an attempt to bridge divisions within the GOP, former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley, who ran against Trump for the GOP nomination, is scheduled to speak at the convention, according to two sources familiar with the plans. Haley did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
A big challenge for Trump and Biden’s advisers going forward will be dealing with the anger and partisan blame that erupted in the aftermath of the shooting. Many of Trump’s supporters, ordinary voters and elected officials quickly took to social media to blame Saturday’s shooting on rhetoric by Biden and his allies that portrayed Trump as a threat to democracy.
LaCivita and Wiles tried to ease tensions in an overnight memo, asking aides not to comment publicly on the shootings: “We condemn violence in all forms and will not tolerate dangerous rhetoric on social media.”
LaCivita initially posted harsher comments about X on Saturday night, suggesting the attack had something to do with the decision by President Trump’s opponents.[W]”Of course they tried to get him off the ballot, of course they tried to put him in jail, and now this,” LaCivita wrote, after he has since deleted the post.
Many of Trump’s supporters, including Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio), who is being considered as Trump’s running mate, have placed the blame for the shooting on Trump’s political opponents, arguing that it was not “just an isolated incident.”
In a televised statement on Saturday after the shooting, Biden called Saturday’s violence “sick” and urged Americans to “stand together as one nation in condemning it.”
Democrats had planned a full week of counter-strategy, holding daily press conferences to get their message across about Biden’s economic success, the Republican Party’s stance on abortion and what they would do if Trump were re-elected.
But the Biden campaign suspended all external communications on Saturday night and aides said they were working to pull TV ads as soon as possible, creating uncertainty about how the campaign will handle speeches and activities at this week’s convention.
Shortly after the shooting in Butler, Pennsylvania, Trump raised his fist and repeatedly said “fight” in a show of defiance as he was escorted off the stage by Secret Service agents.
Trump softened his tone in a Truth Social post on Sunday, writing, “It is more important than ever that we come together, show our true character as Americans, remain strong and determined, and do not let evil win.”
