Donald Trump fans on 'another level of crazy' during emotional appearance after shooting

It was hard not to feel sorry for country singer Lee Greenwood.

Tasked with introducing Donald Trump to the Republican National Convention, all eyes were meant to be on him. But the 17,000-strong crowd of delegates had already spotted their hero on the big screen, standing in the wings.

So as Greenwood belted out 'God Bless The USA' on stage at Milwaukee's Fiserv Arena, hardly a soul was watching him. Instead, the first chants of "fight, fight, fight" filled the air as Trump , his right ear bandaged, waited patiently.

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With a phalanx of Secret Service agents surrounding him, he eventually began the slow walk into the arena. Greenwood had done his bit, working the Republican delegates into a frenzy - now it was time for 'The Don'. Trump events are known for their razzmatazz, their choreography and their craziness, but Monday night was on another level. Shouts of "USA, USA, USA" rang out as the 78-year-old Presidential nominee made his way towards the VIP area.

Then came the first 'fist' salute - the new Trump trademark following his reaction to Saturday's assassination attempt. It was remarkable to think that just 48 hours earlier he had been in the sights of a wannabe-assassin's AR-15.

Trump appeared emotional and almost embarrassed by the attention - not something you could accuse him of in the past. Waiting for him in the VIP area were three of his children - Tiffany, 30, Eric, 40, and 46-year-old Donald Jnr. Vice Presidential nominee JD Vance and former Fox News host Tucker Carlson were also on the front row.

Trump did not address the convention, but smiled and waved to the crowd as supporters shouted "Fight, fight, fight". Organisers had to delay the arrival of speaker Amber Rose - a social media influencer and Kanye West 's ex-girlfriend - due to the ovation. Texan delegates saluted Trump with their cowboy hats as flashes from camera phones lit up the auditorium.

Trump's speech on Thursday is billed as the RNC's main event, but it is hard to see it topping this. Outside the Fiserv Arena, Milwaukee 's famous bars and pubs showed Trump 's appearances on big screens.

Life-long Democrat Scott Williams, 35, from the suburb of Shorewood, watched in the County Clare Irish pub. He said: "I can't stand the man, but that takes balls to appear in public two days after a dude tried to kill you." Sam Miller, 31, from nearby Whitefish Bay, joked: "Donald ain't never taking that bandage off again."

Milwaukee's decision to host the RNC has been a mixed blessing for residents and businesses. Hotels and restaurants are fully booked, with organizers predicting the event will bring £150m to the city. But locals have been left furious after huge swathes of downtown Milwaukee were sealed off by the Secret Service.

The Fiserv Arena, home of the NBA's Milwaukee Bucks, is protected by an unprecedented ring of steel. There are five vehicle checkpoints manned by local and federal agents and Secret Service officers. Drivers have to open their boots and bonnets while sniffer dogs sweep their vehicle for explosives. Snipers have also been stationed on rooftops close to the main convention venue. Officers from 25 states have been drafted in to the city for the four-day event, which organise teams of police on horseback and bicycles were seen patrolling the perimeter on Monday afternoon.

They were joined by hundreds of protesters and pro-Trump supporters in the 90+ degree heat. Officers were seen arrest one drunk anti-Trump demonstrator at a pro-Palestine rally in a park close to the Forum. Traders were also doing brisk business selling 'Make America Great Again' t-shirts and caps.

US President Joe Biden admitted on Monday that it was a "mistake" to say the Democrats need to put "Trump in the bullseye". Biden told NBC that he meant they needed to focus more on Trump 's policies and rhetoric. "It was a mistake to use the word," he said in his first sit-down interview since Trump was shot in Pennsylvania. "I didn't mean it. I didn't say cross hairs. I meant bullseye. I meant focus on him, focus on what he's doing."

But he defended calling Trump a threat to democracy and disagreed there was a need to tone down his rhetoric. "I've not engaged in that rhetoric," Biden said. "Now, my opponent is engaged in that rhetoric. How do you talk about the threat to democracy, which is real, when a president says things like he says?"

"Do you just not say anything, because it may incite somebody? I am not the guy that said I want to be a dictator on day one, I am not the guy that refused to accept the outcome of the election."

Secret Service Director Kimberly A. Cheatle admitted on Tuesday the assassination attempt "should never have happened". She acknowledged in an interview with ABC's 'Good Morning America' that "the buck stops with me". Ms Cheatle said agents were actively searching for Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, when he opened fire.

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"I'm being told that the shooter was actually identified as a potential threat of suspicion," she said. "Units started responding to seek that individual out. Unfortunately, with the rapid succession of how things unfolded, by the time that individual was eventually located, they were on the rooftop and able to fire off at the former president. I am the director of the Secret Service. It was unacceptable, and it's something that shouldn't happen again."

Yesterday's theme at the RNC was crime and immigration. Trump was due to appear in the main arena again last night (Tues). Former PM Liz Truss is due to speak at an event on Wednesday while Trump's running mate Vance will deliver the main speech.

Reform Party leader Nigel Farage is also due to fly to Milwaukee on Wednesday evening after the King's Speech in the House of Commons. He will be present for pal Trump's much-anticipated speech on Thursday. Anti-Trump protest groups said they had "made their point" at demonstrations on Monday and would be holding no further gatherings.

Shares in Trump's social media company have surged after he survived the assassination attempt on Saturday. Trump Media, which runs the Truth Social platform, closed up about 31%. The price had risen as much as 70% in pre-market trading over the weekend before falling back again. Analysts said the gains reflected bets that the shooting had improved his chances of winning the election in November.

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Billionaire Elon Musk is among those who have formally endorsed Trump since the shooting. Trump founded the Trump Media and Technology Group in 2021 after he was booted off major social platforms. Truth Social claims to have roughly 2 million active users.