What will Donald Trump say at the Republican National Convention this week, after an attempt on his life? Alex Wong/Getty Images hide caption
What will Donald Trump say at the Republican National Convention this week, after an attempt on his life?
This week, the Republican Party is laying out its vision of an America once again led by former President Donald Trump.
Thousands of his supporters are gathered in Milwaukee, Wisc. in a hall filled with balloons and draped in red, white and blue.
Each night, people like House Speaker Mike Johnson, former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, Vivek Ramaswamy and former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Ben Carson have criticized the policies of the current administration.
They cited everything from the border, the Constitution and foreign policy as areas of weakness that their candidate could improve upon if elected.
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Trump's platform has been consistent since he first launched his bid for president in 2015, making foreign policy comments like: "When was the last time anybody saw us beating, let's say, China, in a trade deal? They kill us. I beat China all the time."
His message for America has long been one of grievance and retribution, and he's talked about crime and drugs, immigrants and taxes in his typical Trump fashion. But this was, of course, before an attempt was made on his life on Saturday at a rally in Pennsylvania.
Donald Trump and Republican vice presidential candidate, U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) appear on the first day of the Republican National Convention. Joe Raedle/Getty Images hide caption
Trump spoke with Washington Examiner reporter Salena Zito in the hours after the shooting. She recounted that interview on CNN, saying: "He said in that moment he understood that everything had changed for the country and himself."
NPR's Franco Ordoez joined Ari Shapiro from Milwaukee to share where the RNC might be headed now.
For one, he says the vibe is fairly euphoric, as if the Republican Party is celebrating an election already won. But when it comes to Trump himself, some are saying he seems different, more vulnerable.
"He's been kind of visibly subdued," Ordoez said. "He's got that white bandage on his right ear, he sits in the VIP section surrounded by friends and family. He's calm, sometimes even emotional, such as when Sarah Sanders and Laura Trump were telling stories about how he is as a grandfather. People tell me that an experience like that on Saturday, being so close to death can change a person. And sources tell me it has impacted him."
But when it comes to the messaging of Trump's campaign, Ordoez believes that remains unchanged: "Trump's not known for being vulnerable. And I said again, a key message of the campaign is strength versus weakness. And his campaign insists those message are not going to change."
This episode was produced by Brianna Scott and Gurjit Kaur. It was edited by Courtney Dorning, Dana Farrington, Megan Pratz and Padma Rama. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.
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What will Trump tell the RNC after an attempt on his life? - NPR