After shots were fired during former President Donald Trump’s campaign rally in Pennsylvania, Ohio GOP Chairman Alex Triantafilou said the party was more motivated than ever to nominate him at the party’s upcoming convention.
Mr. Triantafilou was already in Milwaukee, where the Republican National Convention is taking place, when he heard the news.
“The entire staff that’s running the convention was here setting up tables and stuffing convention gift bags ... and it was my wife who came into the room and announced collectively to the group,” he said. “We were shaken and stunned initially, but that emotion changed pretty quickly.”
“I would say, we’re determined more than ever to nominate President Trump here,” he added.
More than 50,000 people are expected to attend the convention, and while Saturday’s incident heightened concerns, Mr. Triantafilou said the Ohio delegation has not had any cancellations as of Sunday afternoon.
“I’ve never felt more secure than when I’m in the secure perimeter of the convention center,” he said. “The security is very strong, and I have great faith in the men and women of law enforcement that protect us.”
Mr. Triantafilou, who has been to five conventions in the past, said he was not sure if there were going to be any changes to the security measures already in place. The Blade has reached out to convention staff for comment.
At a campaign rally in Butler, Pa., gunfire broke through the crowd, and Trump, with a bloody face, was ushered off the speaking platform by the Secret Service. He later took to social media, saying he was shot in the upper part of his right ear. Trump is expected to be OK and be present at the convention.
The Associated Press reported that one attendee was killed and two spectators were critically injured. The FBI identified the shooter as Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, of Bethel Park, Pa. Crooks was shot and died outside the rally venue. The incident is being investigated as an assassination attempt.
On Sunday, U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D., Ohio) took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to call for an investigation into the incident on Saturday.
“There must be a comprehensive investigation into the assassination attempt against President Trump,” the post says. “We must get to the bottom of this so it never happens again.”
Prior to the post, Cleveland businessman and Republican Bernie Moreno called on Mr. Brown to apologize for any inflammatory rhetoric he might have spread toward the former president. Mr. Brown is on the ballot for re-election in November against Mr. Moreno.
“For nearly a decade, Sherrod Brown and other elected Democrats have used extreme rhetoric to demonize President Trump and his supporters, including saying they should ‘pay the price’ for their views,” the statement said.
Mr. Brown’s comment comes from a CNN interview where he said Republicans need to be held responsible at the ballot box. Brian Lyons, Mr. Brown’s press secretary, said Mr. Brown was unavailable for an interview.
U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D., Toledo) lived through the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in 1963 and was working nearby when President Ronald Reagan was shot and wounded in 1981, so she was upset to hear the news about the former president. She said the younger generation has the responsibility of breaking down partisan warfare, which promotes political violence.
“We’ve seen the radicalization of certain elements in our society that want to create division for political advantage,” she said. “It’s important to understand what is helping to drive that division.”
She said she hopes this will be a turning point for a more civil presidential campaign.
Tony Schroeder, a delegate representing the 5th Congressional District at the convention, said the shooting at the rally did not concern him for the week ahead.
“I think the venue that we’ll be attending is very secure. They’re certainly, generally speaking, a lot more hardened than rallies because they’re able to maintain a much better cordon, and this is something they’ve been preparing for a long time,” Mr. Schroeder said.
Mr. Schroeder said the party has sent communication to the delegates that events would still be going on throughout the week.
State Rep. Josh Williams (R., Sylvania Township) said he was scared for Trump’s safety but wasn’t surprised because of how polarizing rhetoric has been on the rise. Mr. Williams, who was on his way to Milwaukee, said he has been the victim of harmful threats online and has had to take precautions since being in the statehouse.
“Anytime I’m off the statehouse grounds, I carry a firearm because these are unprecedented times for individuals who believe political violence is justified in order to get your political agenda across,” Mr. Williams said.
When statehouse members receive threats, Mr. Williams said there isn’t much they can do beyond increasing security. However, Mr. Williams said sometimes he needs to travel to areas without security, and he is without protection.
“I’ve articulated to our security detail, we’re sitting ducks as state representatives,” he said. “As an attorney, I have more protections under the law if I’m operating and practicing and someone threatens my life in regards to a particular case.”
Despite the incident, Mr. Williams said he was not worried about the security at the convention.
“I’ll stand next to the president if I’m given the opportunity with no fear in my heart,” he said.
The RNC begins Monday and continues through Thursday.
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