TUCSON, Ariz — After Saturday's assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump at a rally, calls to tone down angry politics are combining with calls to step up security in political environments.
Just days after the shooting, the Republican National Convention was underway—with heightened security.
"They have all kinds of screenings, like you're getting on a plane. And so as I come into the hotel, I have to run my bag through the scanner. Now in the convention center, we all have to carry clear plastic bags like a sporting event," says Kathleen Winn, an alternate delegate from Arizona. "It is really locked down. The security is very, very tight."
Winn is campaigning against incumbent Rep. Juan Ciscomani (R-06) in the state's July 30 primary, but is also an alternate delegate at the RNC in Milwaukee.
Rep. Ciscomani is staying close to home to do constituent work in his district this week.
“'I'm keeping an eye on the convention for sure," he tells KGUN 9. "We have to know what's going on there. We were all briefed on security measures at the convention for those that were attending and also back when we get back to Washington, because they don't want to take any more risk.”
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"It makes sense that they would have upped the security. I think that as we all watch the video over and over again and then learn what we've learned. It is horrifying, and I was grateful that the Democrats came out and said what they said," says Winn.
Republicans officially nominated Trump and JD Vance for the 2024 GOP presidential ticket, after Vance was announced as Trump's choice for Vice President.
"I think he's a wonderful choice. He comes from middle class America, and he really has a great story. He really is the American dream, and I think he will serve us well in that role, in that capacity," says Winn.
Trump is expected to speak Thursday to officially accept the nomination, which will mark his first public speech since the assassination attempt, Saturday.
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Blake Phillips is a reporter for KGUN 9. Originally from St. Louis, Mo., Blake grew up in Sierra Vista. During his college tenure at the Missouri School of Journalism, Blake worked for the NBC affiliate KOMU-TV in Columbia. He is excited to return to a place he calls home and give back to the community in which he grew up. Share your story ideas and important issues with Blake by emailing blake.phillips@kgun9.com.
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Craig Smith is a reporter for KGUN 9. With more than 40 years of reporting in cities like Tampa, Houston and Austin, Craig has covered more than 40 Space Shuttle launches and covered historic hurricanes like Katrina, Ivan, Andrew and Hugo. Share your story ideas and important issues with Craig by emailing craig.smith@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook and Twitter.
