Republican National Convention begins Monday in Milwaukee following Trump assassination attempt
The Republican National Convention begins Monday in Milwaukee, less than 48 hours after former President Donald Trump survived an assassination attempt at a rally in Pennsylvania.
Trump is expected to formally accept the nomination to run for a second term in the White House at the convention in downtown Milwaukee, and in a statement following the Saturday evening shooting his campaign said he "looks forward to joining you all in Milwaukee as we proceed with our convention."
Authorities said Saturday evening that a spectator died, and two other spectators were in critical condition after a suspected shooter fired multiple shots toward the stage. The shooter was "neutralized" by the Secret Service and died, according to the agency.
The shooting raised questions ahead of the national special security event for which tens of thousands of people will descend on Milwaukee. Demonstrations from across the political spectrum are planned each day of the four-day event just outside the credentials-only "hard" security zone that surrounds the main event venues of Fiserv Forum, the UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena and the Baird Center.
And the shooting put a sharper focus on the city's inability under state law to ban guns within the area directly outside the hard zone, where those demonstrations will be taking place.
On Monday morning U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle released a statement saying the agency had "reviewed and strengthened" its RNC security plan following the shooting Saturday.
The act of political violence was condemned by Republicans and Democrats alike.
On Sunday, officials said security and the convention schedule in Milwaukee would remain in place despite the attempted assassination.
Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson expected that the shooting would change the tenor of the event.
"Republicans coming for this convention, I think they want it to be a festive event and they intend to carry on with the convention but now after having an attempt on the presumptive nominee of their party, I think that that does change some mood here," he said.
RNC security not expected to change significantly following Trump assassination attempt
Cheatle in her statement on Monday did not provide specifics about how RNC security would be strengthened beyond saying Trump's security detail had been further strengthened and changed.
"The security plans for National Special Security Events are designed to be flexible," she said in the statement. "As the conventions progress, and in accordance with the direction of the President, the Secret Service will continuously adapt our operations as necessary in order to ensure the highest level of safety and security for convention attendees, volunteers and the City of Milwaukee."
Officials on Sunday overall expressed confidence in the security plan for the RNC and said it was not expected to shift in light of the attempted assassination, although President Joe Biden on Sunday said he ordered the Secret Service to review its security plans.
Republican Party of Wisconsin Chairman Brian Schimming told reporters outside Fiserv Forum Sunday that he didn't anticipate any major security changes for the RNC.
“We're going to be in a safe situation here in Milwaukee, not only here in the convention hall area, but at the hotels around in the communities,” he said. “This is probably one of the most secure areas on the face of the planet right now. We have thousands of law enforcement agencies from all over the state and all over the Midwest here. I think they're doing a great job, I really do.”
Johnson noted the additional $25 million in federal security funding that Milwaukee received to host the RNC, bringing the total grant to $75 million. Chicago, which is hosting the Democratic National Convention next month, received the same sum.
With such an event comes "the highest level of security that you can get," he said, though he also said he has public safety concerns more broadly, as he does every day.
"I want folks to make sure that they exercise patience, especially if they're looking to come downtown and understand that law enforcement and other partners will be working to make sure that we keep the convention and the surrounding areas safe for all attendees and all people who are participating in the event in one form or another," he said.
He also urged people to respect each other's First Amendment rights during the convention and said he was not aware of changes to the city's plan for the Office of Community Wellness and Safety to help at the demonstration areas.
"We'll continue to monitor the situation," he said. "I know that the (police) chief is, of course, very aware."
Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman told WISN-TV that officials were continuing “to monitor what is the response and resources that we need.”
“I know that we are constant conversation with our federal partners or state partners. The outreach and the support is impressive ... We all know that this is a major event, we're going to be prepared and ready for it," Norman said.
Norman also stressed the high level of security that was already planned for the RNC.
"This is a national special security event. There's no higher security that you can have for this type of event. There's a lot of different resources. I like to take a word for our military brothers and sisters — ‘By land, sea, and air’ — that we have resources. And it's important that we have that reassurance to our community, to those remaining participants, that we got this."
When asked about new concerns about any planned protests, Norman said he didn’t.
"No, because we’re all prepared regardless of the engagement between our law enforcement partners and also our partners in the community," he said.
Norman said he wasn’t aware of any new threats targeting the RNC.
“There’s a lot of great resources here, a lot of great partnerships. We understand the level of security that we need. We have a lot of great communication with our local partners, our federal partners,” Norman said. “And again, we got this.”
RNC schedule will proceed as planned
Schimming said the RNC would go on as planned.
“There are no major changes whatsoever at this point to the schedule for the convention that will be held here this week,” Schimming said.
The convention begins Monday and ends Thursday.
He added that “the schedule has not changed in terms of the vice-presidential nomination on Wednesday night, or the presidential nomination on Thursday night."
Tall fencing in place around 'hard' security zone
Around the primary convention locations — Fiserv Forum, UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena and the Baird Center — tall fences delineate the credentials-only "hard" zone from the surrounding security "footprint" where vehicles will be screened before entering and demonstrations are scheduled each day of the convention.
Metal fencing is also in place around the Pfister Hotel and its parking garage, along with a large white tent outside the hotel similar to the one erected when President Joe Biden stayed there in March. The hotel is outside the hard zone and security footprint.
Downtown streets surrounding the main sites of the convention are a maze of tall fences, road closures and restrictions.
On Friday, set up was well underway, with workers driving golf carts and assembling fences throughout the area. Milwaukeeans were still able to walk around the area that as of Monday will be limited to only those with credentials.
The restrictions come despite the Secret Service’s efforts to limit the impact and disruptions to nearby businesses and residents. Previously, Secret Service officials said they canvassed residents and businesses downtown with information on how to receive services like garbage pickup during the convention.
Downtown residents will no doubt still be impacted, as could the social services some rely on.
That reality has required adaptation for St. Ben's Community Meal, which will be on the edge of the security perimeter. The organization will expand services during the convention to serve Milwaukee’s unhoused populations, whose normal routes could be within the hard zone.
In deep blue Milwaukee, red is the dominant color as RNC kicks off
It's impossible to mistake the event taking place downtown.
On bus shelters, C-SPAN ads promise "your unfiltered view of the GOP convention."
Visit Milwaukee signs attached to light polls outside the Baird Center welcome the RNC to the city.
At a parking structure next to Fiserv Forum, all-caps signs read, "America needs President Trump" and "Make America Great Once Again!"
Across the face of Fiserv Forum itself, a banner advertises the convention with a red elephant, trunk raised, headed to the right.
Although the RNC is just now kicking off, a smaller, quieter Republican contingent was conducting party business at the Baird Center last week. The meetings of the 168 members of the party’s national committee included the Platform Committee that came out with the party platform that solidified the former president's takeover of the party.
Mayor Johnson, a Democrat, weighing response to RNC in light of shooting
That's not to say liberal voices won't also be part of the conversation in this deep blue city throughout the convention, though how Democrats will navigate the politics of this moment remains to be seen.
Johnson, who courted the RNC citing the expected economic impact and international spotlight on the city, remains a vocal supporter of Biden. His commentary can be counted on throughout the convention, though he said in light of the assassination attempt he is contemplating his strategy.
He said "the human thing do" is to be sensitive to what happened, though Johnson also made clear he vehemently disagrees with Trump and the Republican Party platform.
"I think there's a human element that has to be considered here as well, but at the same time, too, I do not want to see him become president and his policies enacted for Milwaukee, for Wisconsin or for the United States," he said.
On Monday, the Coalition to March on the RNC 2024 plans to continue with its own march to protest the convention and the Republican Party more broadly.
In a statement, the group said it was "reaffirming our commitment to a family-friendly march."
"From the very beginning of our coalition, we have been clear about two things: we stand in opposition to the racist and reactionary Republican agenda, and we are a broad coalition that is planning a family-friendly march. Our points of unity are in opposition to the entire Republican agenda, not solely one candidate or politician," the group said in the statement.
Delegates, locals taking in assassination attempt ahead of RNC
The shooting was on the minds of attendees as they arrived at Mitchell International Airport Sunday morning, but several also said they were still excited for the convention and not worried about safety or security in Milwaukee.
"I am excited," said Brenda Milewski, 64, a Washington state delegate. "And very confident. Although there was the incident from yesterday, it's still going to be pretty strong and we still have the confidence knowing that Trump's going to be our person."
Clif Vicars, an alternate delegate from Tennessee, flew in Sunday morning from the Tri-City Airport for his first Republican National Convention.
"I'm not apprehensive at all," Vicars said as he walked through the terminal in a red Make America Great Again hat.
Others had a different reaction.
Melanie Collette, a Cape May County Commissioner in New Jersey and delegate at the convention, was eating with Damaris Perez at Carson’s Prime Steaks and Famous Barbecue in downtown Milwaukee Saturday when they heard the news.
“I’m so upset right now,” Collette said.
Perez said she was shocked this kind of incident would happen in America.
“We should have different opinions, different political affiliations but it should never resort to violence,” said Perez, a resident of Franksville in Racine County.
Milwaukee officials weighing opportunities, politics, security on eve of Republican National Convention
Before the assassination attempt, elected officials in Milwaukee offered varying views on the eve of the convention.
Ald. Sharlen Moore said her primary concern ahead of the RNC was safety for residents of Milwaukee, including those outside downtown neighborhoods.
She acknowledged that most people attending the RNC were coming to support their party but said she was worried about “bad actors” who could sow chaos and hoped various city departments had done enough preparation to mitigate any possible harm.
“It is important that we lead with being welcoming, but that we also communicate that our guests are just that — guests — and we want them to respect our city,” Moore said.
Ald. Scott Spiker, who unsuccessfully sought to ban bump stocks for guns and raise municipal fines for disorderly conduct with weapons days ahead of the convention, said he was feeling "a cross between excited and nervous."
"It is an opportunity for us to showcase what a great city we have, but, obviously, it also puts a target on us for people who mean to do folks ill, and that makes me nervous," he said.
Weapons have also been a point of concern for other council members like Ald. Robert Bauman, who represents downtown and previously sought, also unsuccessfully, to ban guns within the security "footprint". State law prevents Milwaukee from prohibiting guns, according to the City Attorney's Office.
Under city ordinance, dozens of items are prohibited in the broader security "footprint" while guns are allowed except for machine guns, fully automatic weapons, short-barreled shotguns, and silencers, all of which are prohibited under state law, according to the City Attorney's Office.
"We are hoping for the best, but there are possibilities of disorder," he said.
Ald. Marina Dimitrijevic described her feelings in one word: Anxiety.
She raised concerns about the use of city resources and said it's difficult to welcome a political party to the city that holds values "completely opposed" to hers.
"For the sake of our city and trying to get our name out there, we're just going to try to do the best that we can," she said.
Tristan Hernandez, Ricardo Torres, La Risa Lynch, Kelly Meyerhofer, Jolan Kruse, Zoe Jaeger of the Journal Sentinel staff and Brittany Carloni of the USA TODAY-Network staff contributed to this story.
Alison Dirr can be reached at [email protected]. Mary Spicuzza can be reached at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: RNC begins in Milwaukee days after Trump assassination attempt
