At the Republican Party’s national convention in Milwaukee, former President Donald Trump officially became the party’s presidential nominee for the 2024 election. As part of his nomination, Trump announced his selection of 39-year-old U.S. Senator James D. Vance as his vice presidential running mate, according to Reuters.
Trump took to his Truth Social platform to express his confidence in Vance, stating, “As Vice President, J.D. will continue to fight for our Constitution, stand with our Troops, and will do everything he can to help me MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN.”
The Republican convention opened in Milwaukee’s Fiserv Forum, two days after Trump narrowly survived an assassination attempt in Pennsylvania. The event also followed a significant legal victory for Trump, as a federal judge dismissed one of his criminal prosecutions.
On Thursday, Trump is expected to formally accept the party’s nomination in a primetime address. He will then face Democratic President Joe Biden in the November 5 election. Both candidates, aged 78 and 81 respectively, are locked in a close race, as indicated by opinion polls.
Trump has continued to falsely claim that his defeat to Biden in the 2020 election was the result of widespread fraud. He has not committed to accepting the election results if he were to lose.
In light of the assassination attempt, Trump has decided to revise his acceptance speech to emphasize national unity instead of focusing on his differences with Biden. He expressed his desire to bring the country and the world together, stating, “The speech will be a lot different than it would’ve been two days ago.”
Following the judge’s decision to dismiss one of his cases, Trump is now seeking the dismissal of his other outstanding prosecutions. He is awaiting trial on two separate cases, one federal and one state, for his attempts to overturn the 2020 election results. However, a recent Supreme Court ruling granting him immunity for many actions taken during his presidency could potentially limit the impact of these prosecutions.
Trump is also facing sentencing in New York in September for his involvement in a hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels prior to the 2016 election.
Trump took to his Truth Social platform to express his hope that the dismissal of one indictment would be the first step towards dismissing all the ongoing investigations against him and his supporters. He referred to the prosecutions of those involved in the storming of the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.
