The Head of the US Secret Service has expressed confidence in the plan to secure the Republican National Convention (RNC) which starts on Monday, July 15, 2024.
Kimberly Cheatle assured the public that the security plan for the RNC has been reviewed and strengthened following an assassination attempt on Donald Trump.
Two other rally attendees were also shot and survived.
One man, Corey Comperatore, 50, died in the shooting, and has been hailed as a hero from trying to protect his daughters from the bullets
“The incident in Pennsylvania has understandably led to questions about potential updates or changes to the security for the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee,” Cheatle said.
“I am confident in the security plan our Secret Service RNC coordinator and our partners have put in place, which we have reviewed and strengthened in the wake of Saturday’s shooting.”
Kimberly Cheatle
Mayor Cavalier Johnson noted in a briefing that “the folks on the ground here have confidence in the work that they’ve put in over the last 18 months.”
“And I have faith and confidence as well in the Secret Service and the police and fire departments and other agencies providing security today,” he added.
The first day of the Republican National Convention is expected to feature speakers who would argue that Trump’s agenda of sweeping tariffs and lower taxes will jump-start the US economy.
The former President stated that he wants tariffs on trade partners and no taxes on tips and would like to knock the corporate tax rate down a tick.
The Republican platform also promises to “defeat” inflation and “quickly bring down all prices,” in addition to pumping out more oil, natural gas and coal.
The platform would address irregular migration in part with the “largest deportation program in American history.”
Trump would also scrap President Joe Biden’s policies to develop the market for electric vehicles and renewable energy.
Trump Rewrites RNC Speech
Meanwhile, Trump disclosed that he has rewritten his RNC speech.
“The speech I was going to give on Thursday was going to be a humdinger,” he said, adding that it “would’ve been one of the most incredible speeches.”
He noted that its focus was Biden’s policies while in office but he “threw it away” for one he hopes will “unite our country.”
“People are very divided,” Trump added.
“This is a chance to bring the whole country, even the whole world, together. The speech will be a lot different, a lot different than it would’ve been two days ago.”
Donald Trump
Trump noted that the reason he wasn’t killed was that he looked away from the crowd and to a screen with speech notes.
He said, “I rarely look away from the crowd. Had I not done that in that moment, well, we would not be talking today, would we?”
Trump arrived in Milwaukee on Sunday night for the Republican National Convention.
Nearly 2,500 delegates are gathering in Milwaukee for a roll call vote to select the Republican presidential nominee, formally ending the presidential primary.
A vast majority of those delegates are already bound to support Donald Trump, who only needs a majority to win the Republican nomination.
150 Republican delegates, including the entire delegations from Montana, New Mexico and South Dakota, are technically “unbound,” meaning they can vote for any candidate at the convention.
Trump himself is expected to speak on Thursday to accept the nomination, with the speech he said has been rewritten after the assassination attempt on him at the weekend.
