The Republican National Committee and former President Trump’s campaign have confirmed that the upcoming convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, will continue as scheduled, despite a shooting incident at a Trump rally in Pennsylvania. The statement, signed by Trump co-campaign managers Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita, RNC Chair Michael Whatley, and co-chair Lara Trump, emphasized that President Trump “looks forward to joining you all in Milwaukee as we proceed with our convention to nominate him to serve as the 47th President of the United States.”
The Republican National Convention, where Trump will be formally nominated as the GOP’s 2024 standard-bearer, is scheduled to kick off on Monday in Milwaukee, the largest city in swing-state Wisconsin.
Reince Priebus, chair of the Milwaukee convention host committee and a former RNC chair who later served as Trump’s first White House chief of staff, noted in a statement that “guests have already begun to arrive in Wisconsin, and we look forward to working with the Republican National Committee to welcome everyone to Milwaukee this week.”
These statements come just hours after the former president was rushed from the stage after shots rang out at his rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, located north of Pittsburgh in the western part of the Keystone State.
The Secret Service reported that “a suspected shooter fired multiple shots toward the stage from an elevated position outside of the rally venue. US Secret Service personnel neutralized the shooter, who is now deceased.”
“One spectator was killed, two spectators were critically injured,” the Secret Service added in their statement.
The shooting occurred minutes after Trump began speaking at his rally. The visibly bloodied former president was quickly escorted off the stage by Secret Service agents. In a social media post, Trump stated, “I was shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear.”