Trump secures GOP nomination for 2024, names Vance as running mate

• Trump is scheduled to deliver a speech on Thursday to mark his nomination for the presidential race against Democratic President Joe Biden next November.

• Republican nominee Ohio Senator J.D. Vance has been selected as his running mate for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination.

Former US President Donald Trump has secured the Republican Party’s nomination for the 2024 US presidential election, the Al Anba newspaper reported.

This announcement was made on the opening day of the Republican Party’s national convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, amidst stringent security measures and heightened tensions following a recent assassination attempt on the former president’s life.

Upon his arrival in the city overlooking Lake Michigan, Trump, 78, received a warm welcome from his supporters.

The location chosen for the Republican convention is a large, modern sports complex, its walls adorned with large pictures of the 45th US president, who is seeking to become the 47th president.

Trump is scheduled to deliver a speech on Thursday to mark his nomination for the presidential race against Democratic President Joe Biden next November.

Meanwhile, Republican nominee Ohio Senator J.D. Vance has been selected as his running mate for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination.

Trump stated on his Truth Social website that he made the decision after “extensive thought and deliberation” and after considering many other candidates, noting that the Ohio senator is “the best person” for the job.

“J.D. Vance has had a very successful career in technology and finance, and now he will focus his campaign on the people he has fought so hard for: America’s working people and farmers in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, Minnesota, and beyond,” Trump added.

Trump’s selection of the Ohio senator resulted in the elimination of two other potential running mates: North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum and Florida Senator Marco Rubio.

US President Joe Biden has criticized his Republican opponent’s vice presidential nominee, James David Vance, labeling him a “Trump clone.”

Biden told reporters that the Ohio senator is indistinguishable from Trump, stating, “I don’t see any difference.”

He also accused Vance of favoring the wealthy, emphasizing in a post on the “X” platform that Vance and Trump “aim to raise taxes on middle-class families while increasing tax cuts for the rich.”

Biden’s election campaign denounced Vance, describing him as an “extremist” who “denies the outcome of the 2020 election and supports a nationwide abortion ban.”

Trump, in an interview with the “New York Post” conducted from his plane en route to the national convention, reflected on his recent experiences, saying, “I wasn’t supposed to be here, I was supposed to be dead.”

He noted that the situation was “surreal,” with a white bandage covering his right ear as described by the newspaper.

Trump mentioned that he believed he would have died if he hadn’t tilted his head slightly to the right to read a graphic about illegal immigrants during his rally speech.

“By good luck or by the grace of God, a lot of people say I’m still here by the grace of God,” he said, praising the Secret Service for killing the shooter.

“They took him down with one bullet between the eyes. They did a great job. It’s surreal for all of us.”

The image of Trump raising his fist after being shot, as Secret Service agents escorted him away, made headlines around the world and went viral on social media.

“A lot of people say it’s the most iconic photo they’ve ever seen. They’re right. I’m not dead. Usually, you have to die to get an iconic photo,” the former Republican president told the newspaper.

Trump said he was rewriting the speech he had prepared for the Republican convention after the assassination attempt, explaining that he had initially drafted a “very tough speech” criticizing the “terrible Biden administration.” However, he discarded it in favor of a speech aimed at “uniting our country.”

Nevertheless, he added, “I don’t know if that’s possible. People are very divided.”

The Republican Party commenced its four-day national convention on Monday evening with a moment of silence “to pray for the victims and their families” of the shooting during Trump’s campaign rally in Pennsylvania last Saturday.

Approximately 50,000 people are expected to attend the “Make America Great Again” convention, taking place at the Fiserv Forum complex in downtown Milwaukee.

The convention will feature impassioned speeches by top Republicans and party leaders, highlighting the party’s stance on key domestic issues concerning American voters, such as immigration and the economy.

A large fence has been erected around downtown Milwaukee, guarded by Secret Service agents who have emphasized their readiness to ensure security at the Republican National Convention.

However, they faced heavy criticism for not providing adequate protection for Donald Trump during his outdoor rally last Saturday.

The Republican National Convention’s rigorous schedule remains unchanged. “Apart from heightened security outside the convention perimeter, there will be no alterations to the agenda,” said David Bossie, a close friend of Trump’s and co-chair of the convention, in comments to AFP.

“We have crafted four evenings of prime-time television that we are very proud of, and we will not alter them due to a tragic event.”

Meanwhile, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump called for all lawsuits against him to be dropped after a Florida judge dismissed the case related to his retention of classified documents.

Trump stated on his Truth Social platform that “dismissing the wrongful conviction case in Florida should be the first step, quickly followed by dismissing all other cases against me.”

According to local media reports, a federal judge has dismissed the classified documents case against Trump, clearing the major legal challenges ahead of his 2024 presidential bid.

CNN quoted U.S. District Judge Ellen Cannon as ruling that “the appointment of special counsel Jack Smith violates the Constitution.” Cannon added, “The executive branch’s increasing tendency to appoint regulatory special counsels in recent times seems to have followed an ad hoc pattern with minimal judicial oversight.”

Trump stated on his Truth Social network that dismissing the case “should be just the first step,” urging for “the dismissal of other cases against him and decrying the charges as political attacks.”

Meanwhile, the U.S. Secret Service has pledged to cooperate with an independent investigation into the attempted assassination of Trump during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania.

“The Secret Service is collaborating with federal and state agencies to understand what happened, how it occurred, and how to prevent its recurrence,” stated Secret Service Director Kimberly Shettle in a release.

“We acknowledge the significance of the independent investigation initiated by President Joe Biden, and we will fully participate in it. Additionally, we will cooperate with relevant congressional committees on oversight measures,” added Shettle.

President Biden has ordered a comprehensive investigation and a review of security protocols at the rally, along with heightened security measures at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.

Meanwhile, the FBI has announced that it is investigating the attempted assassination of Trump as a potential act of domestic terrorism. Robert Wells, assistant director of the FBI’s counterterrorism division, informed reporters, “We are treating it as an attempted assassination, but we are also investigating it as a possible act of domestic terrorism.”