Chairman of RNC calls for unity in remarks

Sudiksha Kochi and Kathryn Palmer, USA TODAY
·2 min read

Michael Whatley, chair of the Republican National Committee, called for unity in both the GOP party and as a nation following the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump in his remarks to convention attendees Monday.

The chairman’s calls echo similar language by a handful of other speakers on the first night of the event as the Republican party grapples with the stunning act of violence during its marquee political convention.

Michael Whatley, RNC Chair, gavels in the convention during the first day of the Republican National Convention. The RNC kicked off the first day of the convention with the roll call vote of the states.
Michael Whatley, RNC Chair, gavels in the convention during the first day of the Republican National Convention. The RNC kicked off the first day of the convention with the roll call vote of the states.

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“We must unite as a party, and we must unite as a nation. We must show the same strength and resilience as President Trump and lead this nation to a greater future,” the chairman said Monday.

Whatley added that the election is not just about the next four years, but it’s about “future generations of Americans to come.”

“Unity” has become the word du jour for both Republicans and Democrats on the heels of the shooting at a Pennsylvania Trump campaign rally Saturday, which left one attendee dead and others wounded. The former president escaped with an injury to his right ear, which he said in a statement on the social media platform, Truth Social, was caused by a grazing bullet.

These calls for national unity have been rare instances of bipartisan, as many leaders have uniformly condemned the attempted assassination. A few Republicans, including Vice Presidential nominee J.D. Vance, have taken a less conciliatory tone. In a statement over the weekend before he became Trump’s running mate, Vance blamed the shooting on the rhetoric of President Joe Biden’s campaign. In an address to the nation Saturday, President Joe Biden called unity “the most elusive goal of all,” but that “nothing is more important than that right now ? unity.”

Trump is currently scheduled to address delegates on Thursday evening, the last day of the four-day-long convention.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Michael Whatley RNC Chair calls for unity after Trump shooting

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