Former President Donald Trump, two days after surviving an attempted assassination, appeared triumphantly at the Republican National Convention's opening night with a bandage over his right ear. Delegates cheered wildly as Trump appeared onscreen backstage and then emerged, visibly emotional, as Lee Greenwood sang “God Bless the USA." Trump did not address the convention.
Trump's appearance came hours after delegates nominated the former president to lead their ticket for a third time and cheered Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance as his running mate.
Donald Trump enters 2024 Republican National Convention. #RNCinMKE pic.twitter.com/SmxXjN2pdu
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“We must unite as a party, and we must unite as a nation,” said Republican Party Chairman Michael Whatley, Trump’s handpicked party leader, as he opened Monday's primetime national convention session. “We must show the same strength and resilience as President Trump and lead this nation to a greater future.”
Even speakers known for incendiary rhetoric like Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia and North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson focused on the party's new theme of unity.
Catch up on what happened on Day 1 in NPR's RNC live blog.