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The Republican Party has officially chosen Donald Trump as its nominee in this year’s presidential election, two days after the former president survived an assassination attempt.
Trump clinched his party’s nomination at approximately 2:21 p.m. CT when the delegation from Florida, his adopted home state, cast its votes for his candidacy. It took place just minutes after Trump announced he would be choosing Ohio Senator JD Vance as his running mate, saying he’ll be “strongly focused on the people he fought so brilliantly for.”
The Florida delegation’s votes were officially cast by Trump’s second-eldest son, Eric Trump, who along with his elder brother, Donald Jr, and half-sister, Tiffany, are serving as delegates to the convention from the Sunshine State.
“On behalf of our entire family and on behalf of 25 delegates in the unbelievable state of Florida, we hereby nominate every single one of them for the greatest president that’s ever lived, and that’s Donald J. Trump, hereby declaring him the Republican nominee for president of the United States of America,” he said.
The convention floor at the FiServ Forum in Milwaukee erupted into applause, with a band breaking into an instrumental version of “Celebration” by Kool & The Gang.
The roll call of state delegations continued, though with no delegates voting for anyone but Trump it was a mere formality, particularly since the ex-president had already received enough votes to be nominee.
Trump is expected to be at the convention for Monday evening’s session, though he is not set to speak until he officially accepts his party’s nomination on Thursday evening.
The ex-president said on Sunday that he wanted the convention to continue on schedule despite the assassination attempt against him during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania the previous day.
Vance, a first-term Ohio senator, is expected to speak Wednesday night when he accepts his party’s nomination as vice president.
