Donald Trump appeared to great applause at the Republican National Convention with a white bandage covering his right ear.
This is the first time the former president has appeared at a public event. since he was shot by a 20-year-old gunman Thomas Crooks Saturday night.
Entering the packed room, Trump saluted and raised his fist as the crowd chanted “fight, fight, fight.”
He remained among his supporters for about an hour.
Trump-Biden latest: President on defensive ahead of possible new debate
Earlier in the evening, JD Vance was announced as his running mate.a former critic who once compared Trump to Hitler and described him as a “cultural heroine.”
Senator Vance is now a devoted follower of Trump’s politics and regularly repeats his theory that Democrats “stole” the 2020 election.
“I said some bad things about Trump 10 years ago, but I think it’s important to be able to admit when you’re wrong again,” he told Fox News on Monday night.
Donald Trump and his vice presidential candidate, JD Vance. Photo: Reuters
Trump and Biden’s phone call
President Joe Biden said he and Trump had a “very cordial” phone conversation following the attempted assassination of his political rival on Saturday.
“It sounded good,” Biden said in an interview with NBC’s Lester Holt.
“He said he was fine and thanked me for calling him. I told him that Jill and I were literally praying for him and that I hope his entire family is getting through this.”
Trump said Biden “couldn’t have been nicer” on the call, in an interview with ABC.
President Biden during an interview with NBC
‘Bullseye’s’ comment was a ‘mistake’
During his NBC interview, Biden said it was a mistake to tell his supporters “it’s time to put Trump on the spot” ahead of Saturday’s attempted assassination of the former president.
“I meant to say that we should focus on him, that we should focus on what he is doing, that we should focus on his policies, that we should focus on the amount of lies that he told in the debate,” he said.
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The US president called for a “cooling down” of political rhetoric following the attempted assassination at a Republican campaign rally in Pennsylvania.
“It matters whether you accept the election result or not,” he said.
“It’s important whether or not you talk about how you’re going to deal with the border instead of talking about people as vermin. Those things matter. That’s the kind of language that’s provocative.”
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Asked if he was considering withdrawing from the presidential election, Biden replied: “No.”
He said he had been “demonstrating to the American people that I am in control of all my faculties” since his debate with Trump, where he stumbled over words, slurred his words and paused for long, frequent moments.
“I don’t need notes, I don’t need (teleprompters). I can go out and answer any question. When NATO was in town, I was there for an hour and answered questions,” the president said.
