Trump Seizes the Moment in Milwaukee: What to Know in Washington

Trump Seizes the Moment in Milwaukee

Donald Trump turned an assassin’s barely errant bullet into a pure Trumpian spectacle, bringing together his base and Republican leaders ahead of the party’s national convention this week.

Billionaires publicly endorsed his bid for reelection and undecided voters could be swayed, too. “Those images showing a defiant Donald Trump with blood on his face and his fist in the air are better advertising than anything money can buy,” said Matthew Wilson, a political science professor at Southern Methodist University. “This has got to help Donald Trump at least for a while with independents — because overwhelmingly most Republicans and Democrats decided a long time ago.” Read More

The convention opening today will draw over 50,000 attendees and is under even closer scrutiny after Saturday’s assassination attempt at a campaign rally. Secret Service, local, state, and federal law enforcement reaffirmed robust security plans, Trump moved up his schedule to attend, and businesses in the vicinity are bracing for protests, reflecting the country’s deep political divisions. Read More

It may not be the typically jovial affair. However, many lawmakers, lobbyists, and party faithful still hopped on their flights and said the violence wouldn’t change their plans. Milwaukee will still be a place to be seen, schmooze with donors, and cajole for policy wishlists. The convention itself is taking on a new sense of purpose, Republicans said. Read More

In a show of unity, Trump called onetime primary rival Nikki Haley on Saturday after the shooting and asked her to attend the convention, according to people familiar with the matter. The former president is seizing on the outpouring of goodwill to make requests of people who may have otherwise balked. Haley is slated to speak Tuesday. Read More

• David Urban, an informal Trump adviser and lobbyist, said he expects the shooting to unify Americans behind Trump. Read More
• Gunman 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks appears to have acted alone and there is no current public safety threat, FBI officials said. Officials said they will continue to probe the shooting “aggressively” and will be focused on averting any potential threats in connection with the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee as well as the Democratic National Convention in Chicago next month.Read More
• Posts from elected officials and others claimed without proof that President Joe Biden ordered the shooting. Others baselessly said the incident was staged, or circulated posts misidentifying the shooter. “Joe Biden sent the orders,” Rep. Mike Collins (R-Ga.) posted. Sen. JD Vance, a top contender for Trump’s vice-presidential running mate, wrote on X that the Biden campaign’s rhetoric “led directly to President Trump’s attempted assassination.” Read More
• World leaders condemned political violence and wished Trump a speedy recovery. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Chilean President Gabriel Boric said such acts of violence threaten democracy, while Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he was “sickened” by the shooting. Read More

Congress is demanding answers from Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on the Secret Service’s actions. House Homeland Security Chair Mark Green (R-Tenn.) in a Sunday letter asked Mayorkas for information on the perimeter security protocols at the site of the campaign rally and whether Trump had adequate protection from Secret Service.

• Green plans to hold a hearing to investigate the shooting, including the Secret Service’s actions. The House Oversight Committee also announced plans for a hearing with Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) also promised a “full investigation” into the shooting. Read More
• Secret Service is facing public scrutiny and investigations as the assassination attempt thrusts an agency with a checkered past into the center of a political firestorm. Read More

Some lawmakers worry they are among the most exposed if the turn toward political violence grows worse. Most of the 535 members of Congress don’t have government-provided security like other high-ranking US officials, leaving them vulnerable when they’re off the Capitol campus. Read More

CONVENTION AGENDA:

• BGOV is on the ground tracking the convention via a special edition Convention Tracker newsletter. Read More

Shooting Changes Biden’s Strategy

Biden’s beleaguered campaign is now limited in how it can push forward.

The outburst of political violence stymies his efforts to draw attention to his opponent’s behavior and second-term agenda. It also undercuts a core premise of his presidency — that he would restore decency and normalcy to national politics.

Instead, Biden hopes a unifying message in a time of crisis can resonate with voters. The focus on the attempted assassination also offers Biden a reprieve from questions over whether he should withdraw. One Democratic donor, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said that they previously believed the party would be best served by replacing Biden, but there’s no way that could happen now without contributing to a sense of chaos. Read More

During an Oval Office address Sunday night Biden implored candidates to cool their rhetoric, warning the nation was heading down a dangerous path in which violence subverts the will of Americans. He said the November election would “shape the future of America and the world for decades to come” but insisted the country must resolve its differences through democracy.

“That’s how we do it — at the ballot box, not with bullets,” Biden said during his six-minute speech. “The power to change America should always rest in the hands of the people, not the hands of a would-be assassin.” Read More

BIDEN’S SCHEDULE:

• 11 a.m. — Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris get a security briefing from DHS and law enforcement.
• 2:30 p.m. — Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre holds a briefing.
• 3:45 p.m. — The president participates in an interview with NBC’s Lester Holt.

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To contact the reporter on this story: Giuseppe Macri in Washington at gmacri@bgov.com

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Kayla Sharpe at ksharpe@bloombergindustry.com