A defiant former President Donald Trump will still attend the upcoming Republican convention in Wisconsin after an assassination attempt at his campaign rally on Saturday night, his aides confirmed in the wake of the attack.
According to The Hill, Trump campaign senior advisers Chris LaCivita and Susie Wiles made clear his intentions in a statement:
President Trump looks forward to joining you all in Milwaukee as we proceed with our convention to nominate him to serve as the 47th President of the United States. As our party’s nominee,
President Trump will continue to share his vision to Make America Great Again.
The convention is set for a launch on Monday. Trump is scheduled to formally accept his party’s nomination and deliver remarks at the gathering.
A woman buys a copy of the British Mail on Sunday newspaper at a newsagents in London, Sunday, July 14, 2024, showing the reaction to events at former President Trump’s campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
For his part, Trump posted on Truth Social roughly two-and-a-half hours after the shooting took place, thanking law enforcement officials who came to his aid.
He further offered his condolences for the attendee who was killed and confirming he was wounded in the ear.
Defiant: Bloodied Trump Pumps Fist to Crowd After Shooting at Rally
“It is incredible that such an act can take place in our Country. Nothing is known at this time about the shooter, who is now dead,” Trump posted.
“I was shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear. I knew immediately that something was wrong in that I heard a whizzing sound, shots, and immediately felt the bullet ripping through the skin. Much bleeding took place, so I realized then what was happening. GOD BLESS AMERICA!”
Next week’s Republican convention will be held two blocks away from the site where President Teddy Roosevelt survived an assassination attempt in 1912.