Republican presidential candidate and former president, Donald Trump, and Republican...

Republican presidential candidate and former president, Donald Trump, and Republican vice presidential candidate Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, watch with their families as the balloons fall during the final day of the Republican National Convention Thursday, July 18, 2024, in Milwaukee. Credit: AP/Nam Y. Huh

MILWAUKEE — Thousands of Republican delegates officially made Donald Trump their party's presidential nominee just days after he survived an assassination attempt.

The shooting hung over the 2024 Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, where prominent GOP officials and everyday citizens from around the country spoke to the party faithful. They made their case for Trump to return to the White House and savaged Democratic President Joe Biden with blistering attacks on his record and his mental acuity.

Appearing in public for the first time since a bullet grazed his ear, Trump entered the Fiserv Forum with a white bandage prominently affixed to his ear, a visual reminder of the potential tragedy he narrowly escaped. He also made his first appearance with his chosen running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance.

For Trump, a former reality television star highly attuned to his public image and the visuals he projects, the convention provided a chance to choreograph an entertaining spectacle for his loyal supporters and the voters he's trying to court. All as supporters in cowboy hats, “make American great again” caps, Trump masks and American flag regalia cheered him on.

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