RNC 2024 Day 1 updates: Bandaged and emotional, Trump makes 1st appearance since assassination attempt
Chants of "we love Trump" could be heard as he entered the RNC.
The first day of the Republican National Convention has wrapped up in Milwaukee -- marked with an appearance by former President Donald Trump just two days he was wounded in an assassination attempt at a Pennsylvania rally on Saturday evening.
Despite the shooting, the gathering of more than 50,000 attendees, including an expected 2,400 Republican delegates, is slated to maintain its original programming as a time to bring the party together -- but now newly energized by Trump's amazing survival and raised-fist show of defiance.
One of the most anticipated moments of Trump's campaign happened Monday when Trump named 39-year-old Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance as his running mate.
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Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene: 'Evil came' for Trump
Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene said the RNC comes at a "somber moment," two days after the assassination attempt against Trump.
"Two days ago, evil came for the man we admire and love so much," she said. "I thank God that His hand was on President Trump."
She said she prays for the family of Corey Comperatore, who was killed at the rally.
"Corey embodied the spirit of America. First, he displayed the ultimate show of love when he shielded his wife and daughter, sacrificing his own life," she said. "He reminded America of what we must be -- a people who will do whatever it takes to defend the people and the nation that we love."
In turning her remarks toward the Biden administration, Greene said the Democrats have "ripped open our borders" and driven up housing costs and health care "while slashing American wages and eliminating jobs."
"They claim that our economy is thriving, yet hundreds of thousands of American-born workers lost their jobs these past few years," she said.
Ron Johnson's opening salvo against Democrats
The convention's hometown senator, Ron Johnson -- a Trump ally, is the first speaker to rail against Democrats and President Biden, whom he said has made the country "less safe and far more expensive."
It marks the first sign of Republicans taking the offensive at the RNC.
He said Biden's 2008 promise to "fundamentally transform America" has come true -- and he said the U.S. is the worse for it.
Johnson said the Biden administration has brought "open borders, reckless spending and weakness on the world stage."
RNC chair: 'We must unite as a nation'
Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley opened his remarks with a call for unity in the wake of the "horrifying assassination attempt" against Trump.
"We are praying for President Trump. We are praying for the injured. We are praying for the family of Corey Comperatore," Whatley said. "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 world."
Tonight's theme
The theme of the evening is Make America Wealthy Again, where speakers are expected to discuss inflation, increased interest rates, gas prices and housing costs.
-ABC News' Kelsey Walsh