(Grand Rapids) — Donald Trump is holding his first rally Saturday since the assassination attempt on his life a week earlier, a stark contrast to rival Joe Biden, who is in isolation due to COVID-19 and weakened by a growing backlash.
Exactly one week after he survived an assault rifle shot in Pennsylvania, the former president is heading to Michigan, a “swing state” he won in 2016 but which Joe Biden took from him in 2020.
Accompanied by JD Vance, the senator he has chosen to support his campaign for the November presidential election, he will hold a rally in the city of Grand Rapids at 5 p.m.
PHOTO JEFF KOWALSKY, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Supporters line up to attend Donald Trump’s rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
On the ground, the Republican will seek to cement his base in this northern region that has suffered from deindustrialization, like Detroit. An approach to which his running mate, originally from the neighboring state of Ohio, and who presents himself as a voice for a downgraded America, should contribute.
All eyes will be on the security arrangements, however, as many questions remain about the failings at the previous rally.
PHOTO JEFF KOWALSKY, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Police officers watch over the crowd from the top of a building on Saturday, who have come to take part in the partisan rally.
In front of the hall where the candidate is expected, hundreds of activists waited on Saturday morning in an atmosphere of jubilation, punctuated by chants of “USA”, “USA”. Some even camped on site beforehand.
“What we witnessed last Saturday was a miracle,” Edward Young, 64, who has attended 81 Donald Trump rallies, told AFP.
Like several other participants, he wore a T-shirt bearing the image of the billionaire, with a bloody ear and raised fist, immortalized by photographers a week earlier and which had been seen around the world.
“They turned him into a martyr and left him alive. Now he is more powerful than ever,” he adds.
PHOTO EVAN VUCCI, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Donald Trump on July 13 after the assassination attempt.
“Even a speeding bullet can’t stop him. He is what this country needs,” said Sherri Bonoite, 75, who is attending her first Trump rally.
“Important decision”
Bolstered by this image of a miracle worker, Donald Trump also emerged strengthened from a nomination convention which saw him this week obtain the support of the entire Republican Party.
A striking contrast to his Democratic rival, outgoing President Joe Biden, who is currently playing for his political survival.
PHOTO SUSAN WALSH, ASSOCIATED PRESS ARCHIVES
United States President Joe Biden
Recovering at his private residence in Delaware, the 81-year-old Democrat has been unable to silence voices urging him to pass the torch, amid nagging questions about his mental acuity and physical fitness.
The candidate assured Friday that he would resume his campaign next week, but his combative tone failed to hide the growing revolt among Democratic leaders.
More than thirty elected officials have publicly called on him to give way to a younger candidate. And one of his main donors, businessman Michael Moritz, has called on him to step down and announced that he is suspending his donations to the party.
As a result, some now believe the question is no longer whether he will throw in the towel, but rather when. And who might replace him.
Joe Biden “has a very important decision to make,” Sen. Elizabeth Warren said on MSNBC Saturday, raising the possibility of his replacement by his vice president, Kamala Harris, 59, a former California attorney general.
“What gives me a lot of hope right now is that if President Biden decides to step down, we have Vice President Kamala Harris, who is ready to step up, unite the party, take on Donald Trump and win in November,” she said.
“If you’re running against a repeat offender, a prosecutor like Kamala is a really good person to represent your case,” she added, referring to Donald Trump’s criminal conviction, a first for a former U.S. president.