Donald Trump enters Republican convention hall with a bandaged ear and gets a hero's welcome

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Two days after surviving an attempted assassination, former President Donald Trump appeared triumphantly at the Republican National Convention's opening night with a bandage over his right ear, the latest compelling scene in a presidential campaign already defined by dramatic turns.

GOP delegates cheered wildly when Trump appeared onscreen backstage and then emerged in the arena, visibly emotional, as musician Lee Greenwood sang “God Bless the USA." That was hours after the convention had formally nominated the former president to head the Republican ticket in November against President Joe Biden.

Trump, accompanied by a wall of Secret Service agents, did not address the hall — with his acceptance speech scheduled for Thursday — but smiled silently and occasionally waved as Greenwood sang. He eventually joined his newly announced running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, to listen to the night’s remaining speeches, often with a subdued expression and muted reactions uncharacteristic for the unabashed showman.

The raucous welcome underscored the depth of the crowd's affection for the man who won the 2016 nomination as an outsider, at odds with the party establishment, but has vanquished all Republican rivals, silenced most conservative critics and now commands loyalty up and down the party ranks.

“We must unite as a party, and we must unite as a nation,” said Republican Party Chairman Michael Whatley, Trump’s handpicked party leader, as he opened Monday's prime-time national convention session. “We must show the same strength and resilience as President Trump and lead this nation to a greater future.”

But Whatley and other Republican leaders made clear that their calls for harmony did not extend to Biden and Democrats, who find themselves still riven by worries that the 81-year-old question is not up to the job of defeating Trump.

“Their policies are a clear and present danger to America, to our institutions, our values and our people,” said Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson, welcoming the party to his battleground state, which Trump won in 2016 but lost to Biden four years ago.

Saturday’s shooting at a Pennsylvania rally, where Trump was injured and one man died, were clearly in mind, but the proceedings were celebratory — a stark contrast to the anger and anxiety that had marked the previous few days. Some delegates chanted “fight, fight, fight” — the same words that Trump was seen shouting to the crowd Saturday as the Secret Service ushered him off the stage, his fist raised and face bloodied.

“We should all be thankful right now that we are able to cast our votes for President Donald J. Trump after what took place on Saturday,” said New Jersey state Sen. Michael Testa as he announced all of his state’s 12 delegates for Trump.

When Trump cleared the necessary number of delegates, video screens in the arena read “OVER THE TOP” while the song “Celebration” played and delegates danced and waved Trump signs. Throughout the voting, delegates flanked by “Make America Great Again” signs applauded as state after state voted their support for a second Trump term.

Multiple speakers invoked religious imagery to discuss Trump and the assassination attempt.

“The devil came to Pennsylvania holding a rifle,” said Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina. “But an American lion got back up on his feet!”

Wyoming delegate Sheryl Foland was among those who adopted the “fight” chant after seeing Trump survive Saturday in what she called “monumental photos and video.”

“We knew then we were going to adopt that as our chant,” added Foland, a child trauma mental health counselor. “Not just because we wanted him to fight, and that God was fighting for him. We thought, isn’t it our job to accept that challenge and fight for our country?”

“It’s bigger than Trump,” Foland said. “It’s a mantra for our country.”

Another well-timed development boosted the mood on the convention floor Monday: The federal judge presiding over Trump’s classified documents case dismissed the prosecution because of concerns over the appointment of the prosecutor who brought the case, handing the former president a major court victory.

Trump's campaign chiefs designed the convention to feature a softer and more optimistic message, focusing on themes that would help a divisive leader expand his appeal among moderate voters and people of color.

On a night devoted to the economy, delegates and a national TV audience heard from speakers the Trump campaign pitched as “everyday Americans” — a single mother talking about inflation, a union member who identified himself as a lifelong Democrat now backing Trump, a small business owner, among others.

Featured speakers also included Black Republicans who have been at the forefront of the Trump campaign’s effort to win more votes from a core Democratic constituency.

U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt of Texas said rising grocery and energy prices were hurting Americans’ wallets and quoted Ronald Reagan in calling inflation “the cruelest tax on the poor.” Hunt argued Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris didn’t seem to understand the problem.

“We can fix this disaster,” Hunt said, by electing Trump and sending "him right back to where he belongs, the White House.”

Scott, perhaps the party's most well-known Black lawmaker, declared, “America is not a racist country.”

Republicans hailed Vance’s selection as a key step toward a winning coalition in November.

Trump announced his choice of his running mate as delegates were voting on the former president’s nomination Monday. The young Ohio senator first rose to national attention with his bestselling memoir, “Hillbilly Elegy,” which told of his Appalachian upbringing and was hailed as a window into the parts of working-class America that helped propel Trump.

North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, who had been considered a potential vice presidential pick, said in a post on X that Vance’s “small town roots and service to country make him a powerful voice for the America First Agenda.”

Yet despite calls for harmony, two of the opening speakers at Monday's evening session — Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia and North Carolina gubernatorial nominee Mark Robinson — are known as some of the party's most incendiary figures.

Robinson, speaking recently during a church service in North Carolina, discussed “evil” people who he said threatened American Christianity. “Some folks need killing,” he said then, though he steered clear of such rhetoric on the convention stage.

Opening night also did not pass without references to the 2020 election and Trump's repeated lies that it was stolen from him.

Trump’s nomination came on the same day that Biden sat for another national TV interview as the president sought to demonstrate his capacity to serve another four years despite continued worries within his own party.

Biden told ABC News that he made a mistake recently when he told Democratic donors the party must stop questioning his fitness for office and instead put Trump in a “bull's-eye.” Republicans have circulated the comment aggressively since Saturday’s assassination attempt, with some openly blaming Biden for inciting the attack on Trump’s life.

The president’s admission was in line with his call Sunday from the Oval Office for all Americans to ratchet down political rhetoric. But Biden maintained Monday that drawing contrasts with Trump, who employs harsh and accusatory language, is a legitimate part of a presidential contest.

Inside the arena in Milwaukee, Republicans did not dial back their attacks on Biden, at one point playing a video that mocked the president’s physical stamina and mental acuity.

They alluded often to the “Biden-Harris administration” and took regular digs at Vice President Kamala Harris — a not-so-subtle allusion to the notion that Biden could step aside in favor of his second-in-command.

Associated Press writers Christine Fernando in Chicago, Ali Swenson in Minneapolis, Jonathan J. Cooper in Phoenix, and Farnoush Amiri, Thomas Beaumont, Michelle L. Price and Sophia Tareen in Milwaukee contributed.

Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump and Republican vice presidential candidate Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, are seen during the Republican National Convention Monday, July 15, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump attends the first day of the Republican National Convention, Monday, July 15, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump and Republican vice presidential candidate Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, appear during the Republican National Convention Monday, July 15, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump is seen during the Republican National Convention Monday, July 15, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

Sen. Tim Scott, R-SC, speaking during the first day of the Republican National Convention, Monday, July 15, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

President Joe Biden speaks with reporters at Andrews Air Force Base, Md., Monday, July 15, 2024. as he heads to Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

Lt. Governor Jon Husted nominates Republican vice presidential candidate Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, during the Republican National Convention Monday, July 15, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

Republican vice presidential candidate Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, greets delegates as he arrives on the floor during the first day of the 2024 Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum, Monday, July 15, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Republican vice presidential candidate Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, and his wife Usha Chilukuri Vance arrive on the floor during the first day of the 2024 Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum, Monday, July 15, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

A home believed to be connected to the shooter in the assassination attempt of Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump, Monday, July 15, 2024, in Bethel Park, Pa. Investigators are hunting for any clues about what may have driven Thomas Matthew Crooks to try to assassinate Trump. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

FILE - Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, right, points toward Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump at a campaign rally, March 16, 2024, in Vandalia, Ohio. Trump says Ohio Sen. JD Vance will be his vice presidential pick. He says on his Truth Social Network that, “After lengthy deliberation and thought, and considering the tremendous talents of many others, I have decided that the person best suited to assume the position of Vice President of the United States is Senator J.D. Vance of the Great State of Ohio.” (AP Photo/Jeff Dean, File)

Eric Trump, center, raises his arm during roll call of the states during the first day of the Republican National Convention, Monday, July 15, 2024, in Milwaukee. Also with him are from l-r., his wife Lara Trump, Tiffany Trump and her husband Michael Boulos. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

FILE - This combo image shows Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump, left, March 9, 2024 and Republican vice presidential candidate Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, right, Aug. 5, 2022. Trump says Vance will be his vice presidential pick. He says on his Truth Social Network that, “After lengthy deliberation and thought, and considering the tremendous talents of many others, I have decided that the person best suited to assume the position of Vice President of the United States is Senator J.D. Vance of the Great State of Ohio.” (AP Photo, File)

FILE - Republican Ohio Senate candidate JD Vance speaks as Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump listens at a campaign rally at Wright Bros. Aero Inc. at Dayton International Airport, Nov. 7, 2022, in Vandalia, Ohio. Trump says Vance will be his vice presidential pick for 2024. He says on his Truth Social Network that, “After lengthy deliberation and thought, and considering the tremendous talents of many others, I have decided that the person best suited to assume the position of Vice President of the United States is Senator J.D. Vance of the Great State of Ohio.” (AP Photo/Michael Conroy, File)

Michael Boulos and his wife Tiffany Trump, and Eric Trump and his wife Lara Trump watch the roll call of states during the first day of the Republican National Convention, Monday, July 15, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

FILE - Republican Ohio Senate candidate JD Vance speaks as Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump listens at a campaign rally in Youngstown, Ohio., Sept. 17, 2022. Trump says Vance will be his vice presidential pick for 2024. He says on his Truth Social Network that, “After lengthy deliberation and thought, and considering the tremendous talents of many others, I have decided that the person best suited to assume the position of Vice President of the United States is Senator J.D. Vance of the Great State of Ohio.” (AP Photo/Tom E. Puskar, File)

A worker carries a chair during perperations for the Republican National Convention Sunday, July 14, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Law enforcement officers stand in an aisle at the 2024 Republican National Convention inside the Fiserv Forum, Sunday, July 14, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

An exterior general view at the 2024 Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum, Sunday, July 14, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala. is seen during the Republican National Convention Sunday, July 14, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

A color guard comprised of veterans rehearses ahead of the 2024 Republican National Convention, Sunday, July 14, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Yankees placed DJ LeMahieu on the 10-day injured list Monday because of a lingering hip issue and recalled top prosect Jasson Domínguez from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

LeMahieu was placed on the IL because of right hip impingement and manager Aaron Boone said the Yankees' struggling infielder may not return this season.

“It’s been something that’s been kind of lingering on him the last couple of weeks. He’s been getting treatment on it,” Boone said. “It’s kind of better some days, worse the others."

The 36-year-old LeMahieu, a two-time batting champion is hitting .204 with two homers and 26 RBIs in 67 games. He missed New York’s first 55 games because of a fracture in his right foot that healed slowly.

LeMahieu batted .243 with 15 homers and 44 RBIs in 136 games last season and is hitting .231 since winning his second batting title during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season.

Boone said Domínguez is a welcome addition to the lineup and will play center field and bat sixth Monday as New York opens a three-game series against Kansas City at Yankee Stadium with a half-game lead on the Baltimore Orioles in the AL East.

“I think you know my thoughts on him,” Boone said. “I’ve been a huge fan ever since I met him. Just love his makeup, his talent and he’s earned this opportunity.”

Domínguez was not initially called up when rosters expanded to 28 players on Sept. 1. Domínguez will also see time in left field, where he has played once with the Yankees and in 58 games in his minor league career.

Domínguez joins the Yankees three days after GM Brian Cashman said the team was sticking with Alex Verdugo in left. Verdugo is hitting .235 with 11 homers and 56 RBIs in 137 games this season and .302 (13 for 43) in his last 12 games.

Domínguez made his season debut and went 0 for 4 as New York’s 27th man against the Detroit Tigers in the Little League Classic last month. The 21-year-old batted .314 with 11 homers and 35 RBIs in 58 games across three minor league levels.

Signed for a $5.1 million bonus as a 16-year-old in 2019, Domínguez batted .258 with four homers and seven RBIs in eight games with the Yankees from Sept. 1-9, 2023, before tearing a ligament in his throwing elbow. He underwent surgery last September and then injured his oblique on a checked swing on June 15.

Since returning from the oblique injury July 26, Domínguez batted .309 with seven homers and 25 RBIs in 44 games for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

“Like I said on Sept. 1 when we didn’t initially recall Jasson, he’s in the conversation every single day,” Boone said. “I think as much as anything, it’s just continuing to build the momentum he’s built here over the last few weeks, where we feel like, especially the last couple of weeks, really starting to be in the peak of the season and play at a high level. So he’s been knocking on that door since he came back and now seemed like the time to bring him.”

In other moves by the Yankees, Jon Berti was activated from the injured list after the utilityman missed 90 games with a left calf strain. Acquired in a spring training trade with the Miami Marlins, Berti hit .273 with one homer and six RBIs in 17 games before collapsing in pain a few steps out of the batter’s box in San Diego on May 24.

The Yankees also designated reliever Anthony Misiewicz for assignment. The lefty appeared in one game for the New York this season and was 3-2 with a 3.33 ERA in 44 appearances for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

FILE - New York Yankees' DJ LeMahieu in action during a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Monday, Aug. 26, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass, File)