MILWAUKEE: Donald Trump made a triumphant entrance during the first night of the Republican National Convention, receiving a raucous ovation from the party faithful two days after a would-be assassin's bullet grazed his right ear.
Trump walked into the Fiserv Forum in downtown Milwaukee with a thick bandage over the ear as the crowd chanted "Fight! Fight! Fight" and pumped their fists, a reference to his reaction in the moments after he was wounded.
The former president mouthed the words "Thank you" and settled into a box with some of his children and U.S. Senator J.D. Vance, Trump's choice for running mate announced earlier in the day.
Trump is due to formally accept the party's nomination in a prime-time speech on Thursday and will face Democratic President Joe Biden in the Nov. 5 election.
The four-day convention began less than 48 hours after a gunman opened fire at a Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, killing one supporter. The gunman was shot dead and his motive remains unclear.
During Monday's session, the party gave speaking slots to six everyday Americans who highlighted the impact inflation has had on lower and middle-income families, while Republican leaders assailed the Biden administration as being out of touch.
Senator Tim Scott, who briefly ran against Trump for the nomination, said divine intervention spared Trump's life. "Our God still saves," Scott said. "He still delivers and he still sets free. Because on Saturday the devil came to Pennsylvania holding a rifle, but an American lion got back up on his feet and he roared!"
Vance, 39, was a fierce Trump critic in 2016 but has since become one of the former president's staunchest defenders, embracing his false claims that the 2020 election was marred by widespread fraud. Vance is deeply popular with Trump's core supporters, but it remains to be seen whether he can broaden the ticket's appeal. He shares Trump's aggressive approach to politics.
Soon after Trump's afternoon announcement, Vance emerged on the convention floor with his wife Usha, shaking hands with and hugging delegates who swarmed the couple. He is scheduled to address the convention on Wednesday.
Opinion polls show a close race between Trump, 78, and Biden, 81, though Trump leads in several swing states that are likely to decide the election. — Reuters
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