• ‘I’m supposed to be dead’, ex-president says following assassination attempt
• Picks J.D. Vance as running mate

MILWAUKEE: On the same day that he clinched the Republican nomination for the Nov 5 presidential elections, Donald Trump also scored a major legal victory that saw a judge dismissing one of the criminal cases against him, on Monday.

The decision by the Trump-appointed judge comes two days after the Republican presidential nominee survived an assassination attempt at a Pennsylvania campaign rally.

US District Court Judge Aileen Cannon ruled that the prosecutor who charged Trump with mishandling classified documents was unlawfully appointed to his role.

Meanwhile, Trump formally announced his vice presidential pick at the 2024 Republican convention in Milwaukee.

“As Vice President, J.D. will continue to fight for our Constitution, stand with our Troops, and will do everything he can to help me MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.

Ohio Senator J.D. Vance pipped other contenders, such as Florida Senator Marco Rubio and North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, all of whom are slated to speak at the convention this week.

One of the least experienced VP picks in modern history, the one-term senator is further to the right than the ex-president on many issues including abortion, where he embraces calls for federal legislation.

Earlier, the ex-president clinched a majority of the delegates at the party’s national convention, after his son Eric, representing Florida, put him over the threshold, to cheers on the convention floor.

Some 50,000 Republicans have desc­ended on the shores of Lake Michigan for the four-day celebration of all things Trump, culminating in his acceptance speech.

Convention organisers insisted the show would go on despite the attempt on Trump’s life.

Nevertheless, the attempted assassination — in which one bystander was killed, and two more wounded — will dominate the convention.

The gathering is largely designed in Trump’s image, with digital banners beaming out a message in the cavernous convention arena: “Make America Great Once Again.” The branding reflects his takeover of the party.

In the wake of the assassination attempt, Trump said he is revising his acceptance speech to emphasise national unity, rather than highlight his differences with Biden.

“This is a chance to bring the whole country, even the whole world, together. The speech will be a lot different, a lot different than it would’ve been two days ago,” Trump told the Washington Examiner.

Trump said that following the judge’s decision on Monday dismissing the documents case, his other outstanding prosecutions should also be thrown out.

He is still awaiting trial on two cases — a federal prosecution in Washington and a Georgia state prosecution — for his attempts to overturn his 2020 election defeat.

The July 1 Supreme Court ruling that he has immunity for many actions he took as president could hamstring both those cases.

Trump is also due to be sentenced in New York in September for trying to cover up a hush-money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels in the weeks before his 2016 election victory.

‘Supposed to be dead’

Ahead of the convention, Trump told the New York Post on Sunday he was “supposed to be dead” after surviving an assassination attempt, which he described as a “very surreal experience.”

“I’m not supposed to be here, I’m supposed to be dead,” Trump told the Post in an interview aboard his plane en route to.

It was a “very surreal experience” he recounted with a white bandage covering his right ear, the paper said.

Trump told the Post he would have been dead had he not tilted his head slightly to the right to read a chart on illegal immigrants while addressing the rally.

“By luck or by God, many people are saying it’s by God I’m still here,” he said.

He praised the Secret Service agents for killing the shooter.

“They took him out with one shot right between the eyes,” he said.

“They did a fantastic job,” he added. “It’s surreal for all of us.”

Published in Dawn, July 16th, 2024