Donald Trump entered the Republican National Convention with a bandage covering his right ear. The former president appeared at the RNC’s opening night just days after the assassination attempt at his Pennsylvania rally.
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The Republican National Convention heads into its second day — now with Donald Trump officially as its presidential nominee and Ohio Sen. JD Vance as his running mate.
On the campaign trail, Biden is trying to sharpen the choice voters face in November
President Joe Biden speaks with reporters at Andrews Air Force Base, Md., Monday, July 15, 2024. as he heads to Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
Biden will speak at the NAACP convention in Las Vegas today, aiming to showcase his administration’s support for Black voters who are a tentpole of the Democratic coalition and of his personal political support.
He’ll also participate in an interview with BET. And tomorrow, he’ll address UnidosUS, looking to bolster his appeal to Latino voters, another crucial Democratic-leaning bloc.
What to know about JD Vance, Trump’s VP pick
A hand written sign adds Republican vice presidential candidate Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, during the Republican National Convention Monday, July 15, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
Trump chose U.S. Sen. JD Vance of Ohio to be his running mate as he looks to return to the White House. Here are some things to know about the 39-year-old Republican now in his first term in the Senate:
- Vance rose to prominence with his bestseller memoir ‘Hillbilly Elegy,’ a book about his roots in rural Kentucky and blue-collar Ohio.
- Vance was a “never Trump” Republican in 2016, but by the time Vance met Trump in 2021, he had reversed his opinion.
- Vance and Trump have a personal chemistry: The two speak on the phone regularly, and Trump has complimented Vance’s beard, saying he “looks like a young Abraham Lincoln.”
▶Read more about JD Vance
Nikki Haley expected to speak later today
Nikki Haley, Trump’s former primary rival, was a last-minute addition to the schedule.
The former United Nations ambassador and South Carolina governor waited two months after dropping out in March to say she would vote for him. Then last week, she announced she would instruct her convention delegates to vote for Trump but wasn’t planning to attend the convention.
It wasn’t until Sunday — hours after the shooting — that her office reversed itself and said she would speak.
GOP’s Trump-era evolution was on full display at day 1 of the RNC
Donald Trump and Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, appear during the Republican National Convention, July 15, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell is arguably responsible for the GOP’s biggest policy accomplishments, particularly in installing conservative judges at all levels of the judiciary. But that didn’t matter much to the Trump-friendly crowd at the RNC, which greeted the Kentucky Republican with boos — a tangible rejection of someone demonized as an establishment Republican who has insufficiently supported the former president.
Just a short while later, JD Vance enjoyed a much different reception. The second-youngest U.S. senator — and the first millennial to appear on a major party ticket — received raucous applause when he walked onto the convention floor for the first time as Trump’s running mate.
The dueling moments offered a window into the changes that have swept the GOP under Trump — bookending an era in which McConnell has gone from one of his party’s most powerful leaders and incisive tacticians to getting jeered on the convention floor by his own party’s activists.
▶Read more key takeaways from day 1 of the RNC
What to watch as the RNC enters its second day
Donald Trump entered the Republican National Convention with a bandage covering his right ear. The former president appeared at the RNC’s opening night just days after the assassination attempt at his Pennsylvania rally.
The Republican National Convention heads into its second day — now with Donald Trump officially as its presidential nominee.
Trump energized the crowd Monday night by entering the arena with a bandage on his right ear after being injured during an assassination attempt Saturday. Expect more speakers Tuesday to mention what they described as the former president’s strength and resilience after the shooting at his rally in Pennsylvania.