Trump back in the election campaign after assassination attempt

Shortly after Trump was shot and his candidacy was announced, the Republican is going on tour with a brand new vice president. Meanwhile, his opponent is fighting for political survival. A US election campaign in fast motion.

Grand Rapids/Washington – Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump used his first campaign rally since the assassination attempt on him to lash out at his faltering opponent Joe Biden. Trump appeared alongside his new vice presidential candidate JD Vance in Grand Rapids, Michigan – exactly one week after an assassin shot and slightly injured him at a similar event in Pennsylvania. Trump was as belligerent as ever and mocked the problems of the Democratic incumbent Biden, who is facing a rebellion in his own party.

A week earlier, a gunman opened fire at a campaign rally in the town of Butler in the state of Pennsylvania and shot Trump. The perpetrator was killed by security forces. One visitor to the rally died and two others were wounded. Trump was injured in the right ear. The incident was an escalation in the already heated US election campaign.

Details of Trump’s injuries become public

Trump’s team released details of his gunshot wound for the first time. In the assassination attempt, the bullet missed the ex-president’s head by less than a centimeter, Trump’s doctor Ronny Jackson said in a written statement. The shot hit the upper part of Trump’s right ear and caused a wound about two centimeters wide. This is now healing properly. Overall, Trump is doing well and is recovering from the attack as expected. Jackson also emphasized: “It is an absolute miracle that he was not killed.”

In Grand Rapids, Trump again told cheering supporters in reference to the assassination: “I stand before you only by the grace of Almighty God.” Trump appeared for the first time at a campaign rally together with his new vice president, Vance. At a Republican nominating convention in Milwaukee a few days ago, delegates officially chose the two as the candidate duo for the presidential election in November. “I made the right choice,” Trump said of his new partner. “He’s so good.”

Trump raved about his party’s meeting in Milwaukee. “It was like a big, beautiful, four-day celebration of love.” There was no argument, no shouting, no yelling.

Schadenfreude over Biden’s crisis

The Republican, however, mocked the upcoming Democratic Party nominating convention in August. “They have a few problems. First of all, they have no idea who their candidate is.” Trump was referring to the Democrats’ revolt against their leader Biden, who wants to run for a second term in November’s election. However, the 81-year-old is under massive pressure because of his age and doubts about his mental fitness. A growing number of party colleagues are publicly calling on Biden to drop out of the presidential race.

Trump repeatedly made fun of the Democratic incumbent during his appearance. Biden cannot find his way off the stage on his own. “He has no idea what he is doing.” The Republican denigrated his competitor as a “weak old man” and a “stupid person” who surrounds himself with fascists, communists and bad people.

Trump also took an offensive approach to Vice President Kamala Harris, who is considered the most likely replacement candidate in the event of Biden’s withdrawal from the election campaign. “She’s crazy,” Trump raged. He could tell by her laughter. “She’s crazy.”

Pressure on Biden continues to grow

Meanwhile, the collective pressure from Democrats on Biden is growing ever stronger. More and more Democrats in the US Congress are stepping forward to publicly call on their party colleague to withdraw from the presidential race. Most recently, a dozen other Democrats made public a call for Biden to withdraw within 24 hours. The tone is also becoming harsher. One congressman publicly admitted that he no longer recognized Biden during a recent meeting.

Behind the scenes, media reports say that the party’s very first ranks are also trying to persuade Biden to withdraw, including the two top Democrats in Congress, Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries, as well as the former Speaker of the House and still influential Democrat, Nancy Pelosi. Biden’s former boss, former President Barack Obama, is also said to have expressed concerns.

Biden, who is currently isolating himself in his private home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, due to a corona infection and is not appearing in public, has so far appeared unimpressed by the rebellion within the party and announced his return to the campaign stage for next week. According to US media, the 81-year-old is secretly no longer categorically ruling out withdrawing from the race in view of the enormous resistance within his own ranks.

Biden has so far publicly rejected all calls for his withdrawal. His campaign team also insists that he has no intention of giving up. dpa