Trump arrives in Milwaukee for Republican convention – DW – 07/15/2024

Former President of the United States (2017-2021) Donald Trump landed in Milwaukee, Wisconsin state, to attend the Republican National Convention this Sunday (07/14/2024), almost 24 hours after a failed assassination attempt on him. Injured, his son Eric Trump posted on social media.

“Milwaukee is getting down with @realdonaldtrump,” Eric said.

The former president indicated on his Truth social network before flying that he considered delaying his arrival at the event for two days due to what happened, but then decided that he could not allow a “shooter or a potential assassin” to change his schedule.

On Saturday, July 13, both the Republican Party and the Trump campaign indicated that the convention, scheduled to take place in Milwaukee this Monday, July 15 to Thursday, July 18, was going ahead, and said the 78-year-old New York magnate was looking forward to being in it

“I am Donald J. Trump and I will never give up! I will always love you for supporting me. Unity. Peace. Let’s Make America Great Again,” he said in an email sent by his campaign, along with a photo that showed him with a raised fist as his security team removed him from the stage after the attack.

Trump was holding a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on Saturday when he was shot in his right ear. One person was killed, two were injured and the attacker, who opened fire from outside the premises, was shot dead by police.

Milwaukee has already been cordoned off from the former president’s arrival and convention celebrations, with the city center closed to traffic and a heavy police presence and fencing around the congress center, where 15,000 Republican Party delegates are expected to attend from the country’s 50 states.

“This is probably one of the most secure arenas on Earth right now,” Wisconsin Republican Party Chairman Brian Schimming told reporters, reassuring the hundreds of Republican delegates who visit year-round for the big game event.

The criminals carried out the crime alone and used a semi-automatic rifle

The FBI estimates that Thomas Matthew Crooks, the 20-year-old author of the attack against the former president on Saturday, July 13, acted alone and that first indications do not give clues that he belongs to any international terrorist organization.

“At this time, the information we have indicates the shooter acted alone and there are no public safety concerns at this time,” Kevin P. Rojek, the FBI agent leading the investigation, said in a teleconference.

The agent said that at the moment “a nexus of suspects” has also not been identified, who in fact, as previously reported, used a semi-automatic rifle that was purchased by his father, although it is unclear whether he took the weapon with his parents’ permission or not.

Investigators said they are currently studying the incident as a case of “domestic terrorism” and have sent Crooks’ gun and cell phone to an FBI lab in Virginia.

He said that the publications made by the young man on social networks and the review carried out so far by police authorities have not revealed any political ideology, nor any history of any type of mental illness.

Rojek said the federal agency was not aware of any confrontations between Crooks and local law enforcement officers before the attack.

MG (EFE, AFP)