With a bandage strapped over one ear, Donald Trump made a triumphant return to the public eye on Monday evening at the Republican National Convention, receiving a rapturous welcome from thousands of supporters just two days after an attempt on his life.
The former president entered the convention arena in Milwaukee with a raised fist to the strains of a live performance of “God Bless the USA.”
He slowly walked through cheering crowds of delegates—some with tears in their eyes—before greeting key political allies and family members, including three of his children, though his wife Melania was absent.
At moments, the audience pumped their fists and chanted “Fight! Fight! Fight!” echoing Trump’s cry after a bullet grazed his ear at a rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday.
The Republican nominee for November’s presidential contest is riding a wave of political momentum. The Democratic Party has been questioning 81-year-old Joe Biden’s candidacy following a poor debate performance last month, while Trump’s team has celebrated recent legal victories.
At the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, the former president listened to about an hour of speeches while sitting next to his running mate and vice-presidential candidate, Ohio Senator JD Vance, whose place on the ticket for November’s election was announced only hours earlier.
Trump did not make a speech but at times appeared moved by the crowd of thousands. He bowed his head in prayer and mouthed several times: “Thank you, everybody.”
Supporters and Republican delegates, some with tears in their eyes, had been waiting for hours for the former president’s appearance, which was not officially listed on the schedule for the opening day of the convention but was widely expected.
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