Former President Donald Trump seated family members, key political allies and his new vice president, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, in the box where he sat during his cameo Monday night at the Republican National Convention.
In the front row next to Trump were former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, Rep. Byron Donalds and House Speaker Mike Johnson, as well as his wife Kelly.
Behind the president were Kimberly Guilfoyle with her fiancé Donald Trump Jr., Eric Trump and his wife Lara Trump and Tiffany Trump and her husband Michael Boulos.
Melania, Ivanka and Barron Trump have yet to be seen at the Milwaukee convention.
Trump made a dramatic entrance Monday night sporting a bandage on his ear, a reminder that he had been hit by an assassin’s bullet just two days earlier.
Former President Donald Trump was surrounded by his family and key political allies during his appearance Monday night at the Republican National Convention: (from left to right, bottom) Tucker Carlson, Rep. Byron Donalds, Sen. J.D. Vance, House Speaker Mike Johnson (from left to right, top) Kimberly Guilfoyle, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump
Former President Donald Trump smiles from his friends and family box Monday night at the Republican National Convention, flanked by Tucker Carlson, Rep. Byron Donalds, Sen. JD Vance and House Speaker Mike Johnson.
Trump arrived in Milwaukee on Sunday but was not seen at the convention site until shortly after 9 p.m. Monday.
The cameras focused on him as he stood, waiting to enter the Fiserv Forum ballroom, while practicing with the large bandage on his ear.
Lee Greenwood, the musician who plays Trump’s classic song God Bless the USA, appeared in person to perform the tune.
He spoke dramatically about Trump’s survival of Saturday’s assassination attempt, praising his “defiance against someone who tried to kill him.”
“You’re not going to be able to beat this man,” Greenwood said.
Earlier on Monday, Trump had officially clinched the Republican nomination.
The state of Florida put him over the required number of delegates and his family members were also there at the time.
Donald Trump Jr., Eric Trump, Lara Trump and Tiffany Trump sat together in a row behind former President Donald Trump in a special friends and family box Monday at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.
Tiffany Trump (top left) applauds alongside her husband Michael Boulos (center) as Sen. JD Vance (right) is introduced Monday night as former President Donald Trump’s running mate (bottom left)
Seated in the friends and family box were (bottom row) Tucker Carlson, Rep. Byron Donalds, former President Donald Trump, Sen. JD Vance, House Speaker Mike Johnson, (top row) Kimberly Guilfoyle, Donald Trump Jr., Eric Trump, Lara Trump and Tiffany Trump.
Eric, Lara, Donald Trump Jr., Tiffany Guilfoyle and Boulos met with other delegates from the Sunshine State and applauded the new candidate.
As the vote was taking place, Trump let slip on Truth Social that he had already chosen his vice president and that it would be Vance, a MAGA favorite and friend of Trump Jr.
Vance and his wife Usha made their convention debut shortly afterward, when Republican delegates voted in unison to add him to the ticket.
Trump was not officially scheduled to appear at the Milwaukee convention on Monday night, but he made a similar move when he was the Republican nominee in 2016, the last time traditional conventions were held due to the COVID-19 pandemic four years ago.
In 2016, Trump broke the precedent of candidates not appearing at their conventions until near the end of the week.
On his first day in Cleveland, he joked with the crowd by appearing as a silhouette on the screen while Queen’s We Are the Champions played, before walking out to greet them.