Donald Trump's whirlwind week: From an assassination attempt, to the RNC
Just days after the assassination attempt against him, Donald Trump accepts the presidential nomination at the Republican National Convention. Fort Worth Mattie Parker sits down with CBS News Texas political reporter Jack Fink to discuss how Republicans can help cities. And Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson addresses the RNC months after he made national headlines when he switched from the Democratic to the Republican Party.
Jack covers these stories and more in the latest episode of Eye on Politics (original air date: July 21, 2024).
Whirlwind week
It was a whirlwind and historic week for former President Donald Trump, his family, his supporters and the country. There are several investigations underway into the assassination attempt against the former President and three-time GOP presidential nominee. The FBI, the Inspector General at the Department of Homeland Security, the House Oversight Committee and Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa are all looking into what happened and why. One of the main questions is how it was possible for the accused shooter, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks of nearby Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, to gain access to the roof of a building so close to where the former President was speaking.
After the shooting, Trump said he rewrote parts of his RNC speech with the goal of uniting the country.
"The discord and division in our society must be healed," Trump said during his speech Thursday night. "I am running for all of America, not half of America because there is no victory in winning half of America."
Also at the convention, Trump's running mate and Vice-Presidential nominee, Ohio Senator JD Vance, made a direct pitch to working-class voters in the key battleground states of Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania.
Vance, who turns 40 next month and grew up poor in Ohio, is seen by many Trump supporters as the heir apparent or next generation of the MAGA or Make America Great Again movement.
Republican National Convention delegates from North Texas say they were energized this week. Political reporter Jack Fink spoke with Rosalie Escobedo of Tarrant County, Troy Jackson of Dallas County and Michael Padilla from Collin County, about Trump's VP pick and his whirlwind week. Watch that interview below.
The Republican National Convention featured primetime speeches from high-profile Texas Republicans. Both Gov. Greg Abbott and Sen. Ted Cruz, who are both up for reelection this fall against Democratic North Texas Congressman Colin Allred, sharply criticized President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris for their border policies.
Also in attendance at the RNC — Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson, who made national headlines last year when he announced he was switching parties from being a Democrat to a Republican. Even though the city is run by a manager and is non-partisan, Dallas is the largest city with a Republican Mayor.
In his RNC address, Johnson blasted Democrats for being weak on crime.
"On matters of public safety, the Democrats were never there for me, Dallas families or the American people," Johnson said. "Let's make our cities safe again by supporting Republicans who will stand up and fight for our safety."
One-on-one with Mattie Parker
Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker, another North Texas Republican, who leads one of the largest cities in the U.S. told CBS News Texas that cities could play an important role if Trump is elected to a second term. She spoke with Jack in the week following the assassination attempt on the former President.
Watch that discussion below.
Biden dropping out?
As Republicans displayed a party united and energized behind former President Trump and his VP, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, there are still questions about the Democratic ticket.
Multiple reports have said President Biden is considering dropping out and not running for re-election — despite strong denials from his campaign and the White House. All of this began slowly building after the presidential debate and Biden's highly criticized performance.
On Friday, Democratic Congressman Marc Veasey of Fort Worth joined three other members of Congress in asking Biden to step down.
In their joint letter, the representative said in part:
"With great admiration for you personally ... it is now time for you to pass the torch to a new generation of Democratic leaders ... we must face the reality that widespread public concerns about your age and fitness are jeopardizing what should be a winning campaign."
Jack spoke with one of the region's top Democrats, Dallas County Judge Clay Lewis Jenkins and asked him if the President should bow out of the race. Watch that interview below.