By — Dan Cooney Dan Cooney By — Tim McPhillips Tim McPhillips Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/watch-2024-rnc-delegates-react-to-trump-shooting Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter WATCH: 2024 RNC delegates react to Trump shooting Politics Jul 15, 2024 9:16 PM EDT MILWAUKEE – Chris Slinker was driving to his mother’s house when the news broke that a gunman had shot at former President Donald Trump during his rally in Pennsylvania. “The first feeling I had was I was scared. I was actually nervous and scared,” Slinker, a Wisconsin delegate, said Monday. “When I got to her house, turned on the TV and saw that he did escape and it did not kill him, it turned into more of a ‘fight’ attitude.” Two days later, Slinker and other delegates who spoke with PBS News at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee said the assassination attempt against Trump has changed the mood. “I feel like you can sense the whole unifying factor across the country,” said Travis Couture-Lovelady, a delegate from Kansas. “I believe lots of folks that are saying, ‘OK, the discourse is too far.’” And that’s why some of the delegates are eager to hear a message of unity and resilience from Trump. Educate your inbox Subscribe to Here’s the Deal, our politics newsletter for analysis you won’t find anywhere else. Enter your email address Subscribe Form error message goes here. Thank you. Please check your inbox to confirm. “I would say that the delegates are eager to hear from President Trump, eager to see him, and to just get some reassurance about how he’s doing,” Rep. Erin Houchin, R-Indiana, said. Experts have pointed to a rise in political violence and threats over the past decade along polarizing party lines. Sheri Brady, a delegate from Oregon, said rhetoric pushed by “the progressive left” is contributing to the political violence the country has seen in recent years. “They are painting a portrait of President Trump and his policies that doesn’t reflect reality,” she said. “The media plays a big role in that in the words that they use, the tone that they’ve taken to represent what he stands for and what he’s trying to do.” To tone down the rhetoric, she said, “I think we need to realize that we’re all human and focus on what we have in common. We are united as Americans. We need to focus on why we love America, what we have in common, and stop dehumanizing our opponents and people that don’t see things as we see them.” More RNC 2024 coverage Live updates: Trump picks Vance for VP as RNC begins Trump picks Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, a critic turned loyal ally, as his Republican running mate Protesters gather outside Republican National Convention for abortion and immigrant rights, end to war in Gaza Fact-checking the wild conspiracy theories related to the attempted Trump assassination We're not going anywhere. Stand up for truly independent, trusted news that you can count on! Donate now By — Dan Cooney Dan Cooney Dan Cooney is the PBS NewsHour's Social Media Producer/Coordinator. @IAmDanCooney By — Tim McPhillips Tim McPhillips @timmcphillips3
MILWAUKEE – Chris Slinker was driving to his mother’s house when the news broke that a gunman had shot at former President Donald Trump during his rally in Pennsylvania. “The first feeling I had was I was scared. I was actually nervous and scared,” Slinker, a Wisconsin delegate, said Monday. “When I got to her house, turned on the TV and saw that he did escape and it did not kill him, it turned into more of a ‘fight’ attitude.” Two days later, Slinker and other delegates who spoke with PBS News at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee said the assassination attempt against Trump has changed the mood. “I feel like you can sense the whole unifying factor across the country,” said Travis Couture-Lovelady, a delegate from Kansas. “I believe lots of folks that are saying, ‘OK, the discourse is too far.’” And that’s why some of the delegates are eager to hear a message of unity and resilience from Trump. Educate your inbox Subscribe to Here’s the Deal, our politics newsletter for analysis you won’t find anywhere else. Enter your email address Subscribe Form error message goes here. Thank you. Please check your inbox to confirm. “I would say that the delegates are eager to hear from President Trump, eager to see him, and to just get some reassurance about how he’s doing,” Rep. Erin Houchin, R-Indiana, said. Experts have pointed to a rise in political violence and threats over the past decade along polarizing party lines. Sheri Brady, a delegate from Oregon, said rhetoric pushed by “the progressive left” is contributing to the political violence the country has seen in recent years. “They are painting a portrait of President Trump and his policies that doesn’t reflect reality,” she said. “The media plays a big role in that in the words that they use, the tone that they’ve taken to represent what he stands for and what he’s trying to do.” To tone down the rhetoric, she said, “I think we need to realize that we’re all human and focus on what we have in common. We are united as Americans. We need to focus on why we love America, what we have in common, and stop dehumanizing our opponents and people that don’t see things as we see them.” More RNC 2024 coverage Live updates: Trump picks Vance for VP as RNC begins Trump picks Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, a critic turned loyal ally, as his Republican running mate Protesters gather outside Republican National Convention for abortion and immigrant rights, end to war in Gaza Fact-checking the wild conspiracy theories related to the attempted Trump assassination We're not going anywhere. Stand up for truly independent, trusted news that you can count on! Donate now