Republicans have expressed determination to forge ahead to elect former President Trump as voices from both parties urge calm.
MILWAUKEE—A resolute Republican Party will convene its national convention on July 15, less than 48 hours after an assassination attempt against presumptive presidential nominee Donald J. Trump.
Amid uncertainty about the motivation for the attack and escalating political tension in the country, party leaders and others have also called for calm as the party nominates former President Trump as its candidate for the nation’s highest office.
More than 2,400 Republican delegates, thousands of invited guests, and hundreds of journalists will attend the four-day convention. In all, some 50,000 people are expected in Milwaukee.
Audrey Gibson-Cicchino of the U.S. Secret Service said on July 14 that the convention already has the highest security designation the federal government issues and that she is confident adequate provisions are in place. “We’re not anticipating any changes to our operational security plan for this event.”
However, multiple law enforcement officers from various agencies posted in the downtown area on July 14 told The Epoch Times that security arrangements were evolving based on changes made by the Secret Service in the wake of the July 13 shooting.
Groups of up to 10 officers were posted at various locations around and within the secure perimeter of Fiserv Forum, the convention site. Squads of five to six officers patrolled the area on bicycles.
Officers from various municipalities are providing security for the event, including those from the city and county of Milwaukee. State police officers from other states, including Indiana and New Jersey, are also on duty. Members of the Transportation Security Administration man pedestrian screening checkpoints around the arena.
Security at Trump campaign offices in Washington, D.C., and West Palm Beach, Florida, has been enhanced in the wake of the event, according to Mr. LaCivita and Ms. Wiles.
RNC Plans Unchanged
The former president survived the attack at a campaign rally in Bradford, Pennsylvania on July 13, suffering a gunshot wound to his right ear.
Before he was escorted from the platform by a cadre of Secret Service agents, former President Trump, blood streaked across his face, paused to pump his fist to the crowd and appeared to voice the words, “Fight! Fight! Fight!”
Former President Trump was treated and released from a medical facility. Two people were killed, including the attacker, and two were seriously injured.
The next day the former president repeated his intention both to continue his political struggle and to appear at the convention where he will be formally nominated on the final day of the event, July 18.
Chris LaCivita and Susie Wiles, senior members of the Trump campaign staff, issued a memo to campaign staffers on July 13.
“In moments of tragedy and horror, we must be resolute in our mission to reelect President Trump,” Mr. LaCivita and Ms. Wiles wrote. “The RNC Convention will continue as planned in Milwaukee, where we will nominate our president to the brave and fearless nominee of our Party.”
Tamping Down Rhetoric
At the same time, members of the Trump campaign and others have cautioned against allowing speculation and political rhetoric to escalate tension in what has become the most contentious election cycle in recent memory.
Mr. LaCivita and Ms. Wiles likewise urged campaign staffers to avoid fueling tensions further.
“We also urge you to recognize the political polarization in this heated election,” they wrote. “Please do not comment publicly on the occurrence of today. We condemn all forms of violence and will not tolerate dangerous rhetoric on social media.”
President Joe Biden also called for calm discourse.
“We’ll debate, and we’ll disagree. That’s not—that’s not going to change. But it’s going to—we’re going to not lose sight of the fact of who we are as Americans.” President Biden said in a statement on July 14.
He later addressed the nation from the Oval Office, saying, “Disagreement is inevitable in American democracy. It’s human nature. But politics must never be a literal battlefield. We stand for an America not of extremism and fury, but of decency and grace.”
Political figures from both parties roundly condemned the attack on the former president.
Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, who challenged former President Trump in the primaries, wrote on social media, “This should horrify every freedom loving American. Violence against presidential candidates must never be normalized.”
