MILWAUKEE.- The Republican National Convention (NRC) kicks off on Monday with a new political scenario following the attack on former President Donald Trump in Pennsylvania, where one person died and two others were seriously injured.
However, Carlos Trujillo, leader of Latino Americans for Trump, the group that would officially seek to appeal to the Latino vote, is not on the list of speakers.
As investigations by the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) advance, the political landscape in the United States is taking a new path, in which former President Trump could be confirmed as his party’s official candidate.
Ahead of the Trump assassination, Mindy Romero, founding political sociologist and director of the USC Price Center for Inclusive Democracy, noted that Republicans were grappling with uncertainty about whether President Joe Biden would drop out of the presidential race.
“In a normal situation, [los republicanos] “They’re just going to pounce on their only opponent, right? The Democratic nominee, or the president,” he said. “Now they might have to get right to a couple of people or more than a couple of people, but I think that’s what’s going to be interesting, how they handle that uncertainty.”
The tone of the convention speeches could now focus on the attack on Trump and how his opponents seek to stop him, with perhaps no reference to the fact that the identified shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, is registered in Pennsylvania as a Republican.
Former President Trump heads into the convention in a technical tie with President Biden, according to polling averages.
As for the Electoral College votes, according to a recent projection by FiveThirtyEight, Biden would get 271 electoral votes and Trump 267.
And the Latino vote?
Although Trujillo is not on the list of speakers – with whom this newspaper has requested interviews without obtaining a positive response – there are Latino speakers who have not necessarily appealed to these voters in particular, but to Americans in general, such as Senators Marco Rubio (Florida) and Ted Cruz (Texas).
“Are Trump and the Republican Party doing much to court or target Latino or black voters? No, I will say that both parties do a very poor job of reaching out to communities of color and young people, particularly in the Latino community,” Romero said.
In the case of Republicans, the academic points out that former President Trump focuses more on white voters.
“It’s more about appealing to white voters,” he said. “I would say there’s been a bit of superficial outreach, probably from here, but not very effective.” [hacia los votantes de color]”In fact, both parties have had the opportunity for a long time to mobilize voters of color and opt into the caucus, and both have failed,” he said.
Who will attend the Convention
The original list of speakers at the convention currently includes Donald Trump Jr., Eric Trump, Lara Trump, daughter-in-law and co-chair of the Republican Party, as well as Kimberly Guilfoyle, Donald Jr.’s girlfriend.
It is possible that former first lady Melania Trump will join the speakers following the attack, but that has not been confirmed.
“A monster who recognized my husband as an inhuman political machine attempted to end Donald’s passion, his laughter, his ingenuity, his love of music and his inspiration,” Melania said in an official statement released on the X platform, formerly Twitter.
In addition to the Trump family, artists, celebrities, and media and entertainment industry leaders will be present as speakers, including Matt Brooks, executive director of the Republican Jewish Coalition; Tucker Carlson, television host; Savannah Chrisley, television personality and criminal justice reform advocate; Franklin Graham, religious leader; Lee Greenwood, country music star; Bob Unanue, CEO of Goya Foods; and Tom Homan, former acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), among others.
Several Republican officials and congressmen will also be present, such as Senators Tom Cotton (Arkansas), Rick Scott and Marco Rubio, both from Florida; JD Vance (Ohio) –who is rumored to be named a candidate for vice president–, Tim Scott (South Carolina), Ted Cruz (Texas).
Also in attendance were House Speaker Mike Johnson (La.), House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (La.), and House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik (N.Y.).
Another thirty speakers are expected, including former advisers or ex-officials of the Trump administration.
Keep reading:
• What is known about the shooter who attacked Donald Trump in Pennsylvania
• The dramatic photos released after the shooting at Donald Trump’s rally
• Donald Trump’s son was the first to react on social media after the shooting