MILWAUKEE 鈥� With rhetoric noticeably cooled since the attempt on Donald J. Trump鈥檚 life, Republicans made him their official presidential nominee Monday, proclaimed by his son, Eric, in a carefully staged moment.
The son cast all 125 votes from Florida on behalf of the father, putting the president over the top with a family flourish, underscoring that the Republican brand is synonymous with Trump, the GOP nominee for a third consecutive time.
鈥淥n behalf of our entire family, and on behalf of the 125 delegates in the unbelievable state of Florida, we hereby nominate every single one of them for the greatest president that鈥檚 ever lived, and that鈥檚 Donald J. Trump,鈥� Eric Trump said.
He was flanked by two of his siblings, Donald Trump Jr. and Tiffany Trump, as well as his wife Lara Trump, who serves co-chair of the Republican National Committee.
As the roll call proceeded, word spread that Trump鈥檚 running mate would be Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio, who had said Saturday that the rhetoric of President Joe Biden鈥檚 campaign 鈥渓ed directly to President Trump鈥檚 attempted assassination.鈥�
鈥淲e fight for what鈥檚 right, not what鈥檚 easy,鈥� said Michael McDonald, the Republican chair of Nevada, in nominating Trump, calling the race a battle for the soul of America.
鈥淔ight, fight,鈥� was what Trump yelled moments after the shooting.
But cries of battle were at odds with the overall tone set by a Trump campaign now singing the song of unity at a moment extreme political division. When chants of 鈥渇ight, fight, fight鈥� broke out Monday, convention managers waved them off.
鈥淣o fight chants!鈥� Ben Proto, the 海角换妻 chair, yelled to his delegates. 鈥淲e鈥檙e trying to tone it down.鈥�
海角换妻 is one of the northeastern states where the Trump era has been problematic for down-ballot Republicans, but delegates and guests from Biden states insisted intra-party differences disappeared Saturday in Butler, Pennsylvania.
鈥淚t truly was the hand of God that saved him,鈥� said Leora Levy of Greenwich, a Trump loyalist who was scheduled to deliver the closing prayer Monday night. 鈥淗e has more work to do.鈥�
Richard Lowes, a party activist from suburban Pittsburgh, where Democrats prevail, predicted that the campaign鈥檚 call for unity would be embraced. Lowes said he was in the front row at the Butler rally.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 me in the red hat,鈥� Lowes said, pointing to a picture on the front page of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. He said Democratic friends immediately called him, inquiring about his safety 鈥� and telling him the race effectively was over.
鈥淭he Republicans are more united now than ever,鈥� said Lowes said.
The convention vote came 45 days after Trump was convicted of 34 felonies related to alleged hush-money paid to cover up an affair with a porn star, a first for a former U.S. president that is deemed irrelevant in the GOP.
The Trump campaign鈥檚 only reference to history was that Trump could become the first man to defeat the president who defeated him.
When Proto cast 海角换妻鈥檚 votes, he touted the state鈥檚 role as a defense contractor and its home to UConn basketball.
鈥満＝腔黄�, the Constitution state, the arsenal of democracy and the home of the two-time, soon-to-be three-time NCAA men鈥檚 basketball champion UConn Huskies, proudly cast 28 votes for the 45th president and soon to be 47th president of the United States, Donald J. Trump,鈥� Proto said.
Proto stood next to Levy, who recently lost a bitter fight for another term on the Republican National Committee despite her Trump connection. Levy won a Republican primary for U.S. Senate in 2022 after a late endorsement by Trump.
Her opponent was the party-endorsed candidate, former state House Minority Leader Themis Klarides, who had disclosed not voting for Trump in 2020 after being a Trump delegate in 2016.
Klarides is a not a delegate this year.
The delegates had filed into the arena at noon with no word from Trump about his running mate, even though they would be asked to accept the choice before breaking for dinner.
Vice presidential petitions that circulated among five state delegations, 海角换妻 among them, a technicality to place a name in nomination, did not identify the nominee.
Proto circulated a clip board with the forms. Levy signed, then handed the clipboard back to the chair, who gave it to John Frey, the former state representative from Ridgefield who sits on the Republican National Committee.
The Trump campaign assured the delegations that signatures could be stricken if the announced choice was unacceptable. Proto smiled and said he did not anticipate any objections.
Democrats have been quick to point out Vance鈥檚 past criticism of Trump鈥檚 candidacy during the 2016 presidential election, though their relationship was mended when the former president endorsed Vance鈥檚 run for U.S. senator in 2022.
But Biden allies are characterizing the new minted vice presidential pick as 鈥減assing the MAGA litmus test with flying colors.鈥�
In a call arranged by Biden鈥檚 campaign on Monday afternoon, Democrats sought to create the contrast between the two presidential tickets, specifically highlighting Vance鈥檚 opposition to abortion rights as well as his stance on Social Security and Medicare.
鈥淭rump鈥檚 VP pick is great news for the wealthiest Americans and lousy news for everyone else,鈥� U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., said on the call. 鈥淏illionaires on Wall Street and Silicon Valley are cheering, but there is no joy for working people. Vance thinks seniors should get by with less.鈥�
Staff writer Lisa Hagen contributed to this story from Washington, D.C.
