July 20, 2024, 6:25 PM
July 20, 2024, 6:25 PM
Bolstered by an inaugural convention that gave him the full support of the Republican Party, Donald Trump is resuming his campaign for the November elections on Saturday with confidence, in stark contrast to his Democratic rival, President Joe Biden, who is as weak as ever.
Exactly one week after escaping an assassination attempt during a shooting at an event in Pennsylvania, Trump will hold a political event in Grand Rapids, Michigan (northeast).
Accompanied by JD Vance, the 39-year-old senator he chose as his running mate, he will appear before the public at 5 p.m.00 locals, in this state that he won in 2016 and lost in the 2020 presidential election.
All eyes will be on the security arrangements, amidst numerous questions about the shortcomings of the final act.
This new electoral meetingIt is held in a closed sports center with capacity for 12,000 spectators, an environment that is easier to secure than an open space.
A crowd of activists is at the scene, many wearing T-shirts with the image of the billionaire after the failed attack, with his ear bleeding and his fist raised.
“What we witnessed last Saturday was a miracle,” Edward Young, 64, who has attended 81 Trump events under his belt, told AFP.
There, Sherri Bonoite, 75, is holding her first campaign rally as a Trump supporter. “Even a speeding bullet can’t stop him. “This is what the country needs,” he said.
But not everyone was celebrating Trump’s triumphant presence in Michigan.
“I can only imagine that they will try to rewrite history and pretend that they care about working people,” Democratic Senator Debbie Stabenow said Saturday.
The other side of the coin
Biden, meanwhile, will continue his convalescence from Covid-19 at his private residence in Delaware, in the east of the country.
At 81, the veteran ruler is the target of Multiple calls within the Democratic Party for him to abandon his candidacy amid doubts about his cognitive abilities and physical health.
According to The Washington Post, He even lost the support of the influential Barack Obama, of who was vice president and who also believes that he should “seriously consider the viability of his candidacy,” according to those close to the former president (2009-2017).
Some 20 Democratic lawmakers have already made the same request publicly, with some even calling for an open party convention to choose a replacement.
Unity among Republicans
A Biden exit from the race could, however, destabilize the Republicans, who would be forced to review their electoral strategy, extensively detailed during the four days of the convention held this week in Milwaukee.
So far, Biden’s health status is a central focus of the Republican campaign and the pieces of electoral propaganda with A president who makes gaffes, stutters or stumbles, They multiply.
Trump, 78, was careful not to attack Biden over his health during his speech at the convention Thursday, where he was officially nominated as the candidate.
The arguments could backfire if the current vice president, Kamala Harris, 59, becomes his rival.
The axis of the campaign “will not fundamentally change”, said Jason Miller, a close adviser to Trump, in an interview with AFP.
“Biden, Kamala Harris, or another radical left Democrat, are all responsible for the destruction of our economy,” Miller said, also highlighting what Republicans consider a “crisis” due to illegal migration across the border with Mexico.
These were the central themes addressed by Trump at a convention that turned out to be a great success for the leader of the American right.
Donald Trump is in luck and is enjoying the Democrats’ setbacks.
Not only did he survive an assassination attempt on July 13, but The case opened against him for alleged mismanagement of classified documents was dropped after leaving the White House in January 2021.
His image after the attack, with his face covered in blood and a raised fist as he was led away by Secret Service agents, traveled around the world and He reinforced his image as a strong man.
This week he also won the unwavering support of his party leaders, including his former internal rivals.
The presidential elections in the United States will be held on November 5.