NC’s Sen. Tillis will go to RNC to show ‘unity’ after assassination attempt on Trump

U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina predicts that the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump will shift the tone of the 2024 Republican National Convention to one of “unity.”

Tillis said Monday during a press conference that he originally had planned to go to the RNC convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, for a “brief stop,” with plans to be in Wilmington on Wednesday for an infrastructure announcement.

“But I’ve decided to clear my calendar, get up there tomorrow and be there for the majority of the conference traveling back on Friday,” Tillis said. “Because I think now’s the time for the Republicans to show unity.”

“I believe that President Trump is going to do that in his speeches and the themes of the convention,” Tillis said.

Tillis is generally considered a bipartisan dealmaker, having worked with Democrats on legislation. He was censured by his own state party during the NCGOP’s annual convention in Greensboro last year for not always voting in line with the platform.

“We need to be the party that sets aside the rhetoric and starts calming the nerves and getting this nation back on track and leading by example,” Tillis told reporters on Monday during the press conference.

Tillis said whether it’s the Kenosha, Wisconsin, unrest following the shooting by police of an African-American man or “some of the violent events” from the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol attack, “there’s no place for that kind of violence and certainly not for the deadly violence that we saw on Saturday.”

“Right now we have people in both parties who seem to be wanting to create fear, uncertainty and doubt in a world full of it. And I think that the party that focuses on optimism, certainty and confidence is the party that wins in November, and I believe that party is going to be the Republican Party,” he said.

Delegates at RNC convention preach ‘unity’

On Saturday, while speaking at his rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, Trump was shot in the ear, a spectator was killed and two others were critically injured. A 20-year-old Pennsylvania man who is now dead is believed to be the shooter. Following this, elected officials on both sides of the aisle from around the nation and in North Carolina have denounced political violence. The FBI has assumed the role of the lead federal law enforcement agency in the investigation.

And less than two days later, on Monday, the convention – during which Trump was officially named the GOP presidential nominee – kicked off.

Some of the delegates in Milwaukee lined up with Tillis in predicting that the attempt on Trump’s life would contribute to Republicans forming a united front.

“I think it solidified us,” North Carolina Republican Party Chairman Jason Simmons said in an interview with McClatchy. “We’re coming into this convention already united. Not for the sake of unity, but for the sake of rallying behind President Trump. But what (the shooting) did was solidified that unity and really refocused us as a party, as a people, that life is precious, and we are grateful for his safety and we’re grateful to be able to celebrate with him this week.”

“There’ve been unity messages in the past,” North Carolina delegate A.J. Daoud, of Pilot Mountain, told McClatchy at the convention, “but I think it would resonate more now than ever, only because of what’s been going on the last couple of days.”

Simmons said the convention would focus on what unites Americans.

“You look at what everybody wants. We want to be able to take care of our families. We want to be able to have safety and security. We want to be able to have economic opportunities,” Simmons said.

“Those are things that are universal, and so we get so caught up in the minutia of those things that divide us amongst those things, but there’s so much that unites us, and those are the things that we’ll have the opportunity to highlight here at this convention.”

Asked about the security of the GOP convention, considering the shooting, Tillis said he thought after what happened Saturday “it’s probably gonna be one of the safest places in the United States.”

Investigating the assassination attempt on Trump

Tillis said it was necessary to get to the “facts” and find out where the security lapse happened during the Butler rally. He decried “talking heads” engaging in speculation or people participating in conspiracy theories.

“Let’s hear from the Secret Service. Let’s figure out where the hand-off was between federal, state and local elected officials. Somebody made a huge mistake … somebody has to be held accountable. This wasn’t just an honest mistake. Someone in this process needs to be held accountable,” he said.

Tillis signed on to a letter requesting that Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Dick Durbin from Illinois hold a hearing and for the Secret Service director, Homeland Security secretary and FBI director to testify.

This story was originally published July 15, 2024 at 6:35 PM with the headline "NC’s Sen. Tillis will go to RNC to show ‘unity’ after assassination attempt on Trump."

Luciana Perez Uribe Guinassi

The News & Observer

Luciana Perez Uribe Guinassi is a politics reporter for the News & Observer. She reports on health care, including mental health and Medicaid expansion, hurricane recovery efforts and lobbying. Luciana previously worked as a Roy W. Howard Fellow at Searchlight New Mexico, an investigative news organization.

Danielle Battaglia

McClatchy DC

Danielle Battaglia is the D.C. correspondent for The News & Observer and The Charlotte Observer, leading coverage of North Carolina’s congressional delegation and elections. She also covers the White House. Her career has spanned three North Carolina newsrooms where she has covered crime, courts and local, state and national politics. She has won two McClatchy President’s awards and numerous national and state awards for her work.