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By Randall Yip, Executive Editor
Day one of the Republican convention in Milwaukee featured Donald Trump making his first appearance since the assassination attempt Saturday on his life. Television cameras panning the cheering crowd on the convention floor showed mostly White delegates with a smattering of minorities and a handful of Asian Americans.
On stage, the GOP tried to present a different version of the party with speakers representing the diversity of the country including Harmeet Dhillon, a national committee member of the Republican National Committee representing California
She took the stage to recite a Sikh prayer to a respectful audience. However, some on social media quickly villainized her.
One described her Sikh prayer as being dedicated to a demonic spirit. Another said the RNC “did us and Christ dirty.” Finally, another called it “unacceptable and intolerable.”
Not everyone blasted her appearance.
Sunjeev Berry said “Harmeet and I have our disagreements but let me just acknowledge how beautiful it was to hear @pnjaban‘s voice bringing the Punjabi words of a Sikh prayer and benediction to the RNC podium.”
California State Assemblymember Tri Ta (R-Westminster) takes a broader perspective.
“I don’t want to say anything about the negative, because, you know, I think all I see that I want to aim for is the bigger picture,” Ta said to AsAmNews from Milwaukee during a video call. “I want to see that our candidate has the energy and gives us hope.”
Republican delegates also on Monday formalized the nomination of Senator JD Vance who was elected to his first term as U.S. Senator representing the state of Ohio in 2023.
Despite calls for unity and to tone down the political rhetoric following Saturday’s shooting, Vance immediately blamed rhetoric from President Biden for the attack.
Ta supports the choice of Vance as the running mate saying the 39 year old will bring younger voters to the polls. His message of blaming Biden for the assassination attempt seemed to contradict Trump’s call for unity. That doesn’t concern the assemblymember.
“We are human, and you know, sometime humans, he or she may have a moment.”
A group called Asian Americans for Democracy issued a statement that read “by picking Vance, Trump has anointed an heir apparent who will take Trumpism well into the future. This selection of an election denier who once compared Trump to Hitler only strengthens our resolve to turn out AANHPI voters in November and deny Trump another term.”
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