Donald Trump has been officially nominated as the Republican Party's candidate for the November 5 presidential election and has chosen a 39-year-old senator to endorse him in the race.
"I have decided that the man best suited to be the Vice President of the United States is Senator J.D. Vance of the great state of Ohio," Donald Trump said.
A former soldier and bestselling author, this young, elected official has been a constant advocate in Congress for causes close to the former businessman, such as fighting immigration and defending economic protectionism.
His election by the former president was greeted with shouts of "J.D.!", "J.D.!", "J.D.!" in Milwaukee, the city in the Great Lakes region where the Republican convention is being held.
A few minutes later, Donald Trump was nominated as the Republican candidate for the November 5 presidential election. The septuagenarian will officially accept that mission on July 18, during a spectacular evening that will culminate in the release of 100,000 red, white and blue balloons.
"We should all be thankful that we can vote for Trump after what happened on Saturday," a representative of the New Jersey delegation stressed.
The tens of thousands of Republicans gathered in Milwaukee nearly lost their hero, who was shot at during an outdoor rally in Pennsylvania.
Thousands of police officers were deployed in high-pressure conditions on the streets of the former industrial city. "If they're not alarmed, I'm not alarmed," 57-year-old Tim Hawkins, who had traveled from across the country, told AFP.
The venue chosen for the convention is a huge sports complex whose walls are covered with large photographs glorifying the 45th US president, who also wants to be the 47th.
The main themes of the congress will be purchasing power, immigration, crime and the security guaranteed by a strong America.
With the exception of his speech, the Republican is keeping his schedule extremely discreet for security reasons.
The image that is on everyone's mind, and that has been seen around the world, is that of Donald Trump with a bloody ear and a swinging fist being hurriedly escorted out of a campaign meeting in Pennsylvania by his security detail.
The attack shocked an increasingly polarized American public and angered Trump's most radical activists, who openly accused Democrats of being responsible.
With over 50,000 attendees, the Milwaukee convention is an extremely high-security event.
Entire areas of downtown are cordoned off with large metal gates and patrolled by Secret Service agents, the elite police force that came under heavy criticism for not providing adequate protection for Donald Trump during his outdoor rally on July 13.
Nevertheless, the congressional agenda has been preserved. "Aside from increased security measures outside the perimeter, there will not be a single change to the program," said David Bossie, a close friend of Donald Trump who is co-chairing the convention.
Joe Biden tried to ease tensions over the weekend. But he criticized Donald Trump's choice of J.D. Vance as his right-hand man, accusing the Ohio senator of "wanting to raise taxes on middle-class households while promoting tax cuts for the wealthy."
The attack on Donald Trump could benefit the Republican electorally, experts say.
For Martin Kuttler, a Milwaukee resident and Republican supporter, there is no doubt that the race for the White House is "tied." "Donald Trump will win because we always tend to rally around those who have been affected," the 60-year-old man proudly told AFP. | BGNES
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