The Right Track: What we're seeing at RNC

Thank you all for reaching out about last week’s newsletter and telling me who you thought would be Trump’s vice presidential pick! I was wrong about my hunch, but a few of you guessed JD Vance correctly .

Last week’s newsletter seems like a lifetime away. So much has happened since.

Trump makes a bold first appearance at Republican National Convention

About 48 hours after an assassination attempt, former President Donald Trump boldly showed up at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. It was an incredible move, given the trauma he experienced only two days earlier.

My colleague at USA TODAY, columnist Ingrid Jacques, is covering the RNC from Milwaukee . Catch up on what happened Wednesday here .

The RNC has given speaking slots to an array of people , from experienced politicians to everyday Americans. The party platform also has shifted more to the center on issues like abortion, reflecting Trump’s more moderate views on the issue.

Is Trump, who will deliver his acceptance speech tonight , ushering in a new Republican Party? I discuss this and the effect it will have on the upcoming election in today’s column .

Where were you when a gunman tried to assassinate former President Trump?

The assassination attempt on Saturday was a horrifying event. Yet, as I wrote in my reaction column, not entirely surprising . The assassination attempt raised multiple questions for me about security, leftist rhetoric about Trump – the feature of my Wednesday column – and what it means for the upcoming election.

Security questions seem the most urgent: How did a gunman get access to a rooftop only 150 or so yards from Trump? Why didn’t counter-snipers see the gunman sooner? Why did Secret Service agents seem to struggle to react to the shooting, particularly when leaving the scene?

Secret Service agents should be the best in their field, and we did not witness that Saturday. We need answers and should earnestly press for them.

Trump’s reaction to getting shot was extraordinary. Seeing him wounded, watching him duck for cover, then raise his fist defiantly and yelling, “Fight!” was a powerful moment in American politics. That moment will be frozen in time and will surely mark a pivotal turning point for the Republican Party.

What were your thoughts after the shooting? What did you make of the security issues? Let me know: nrussell@gannett.com.

It's been a busy week of news. Here's what my colleagues and I have been covering:

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: The Right Track: What we're seeing at RNC