Reported by Mike Hobson
July 23, 2024
It came as a surprise to most from Senate District 14 that follow Senator April Weaver on social media when she posted a photo from the Birmingham Airport last Tuesday. Her post showed a photo of an orthopedic boot and arm splint and stated, “Headed to Milwaukee, it’s hard to tell a guy who got shot on his way there that you can’t come because you got hit by a car.”
On Friday, July 12, Alabama State Senator April Weaver was injured after being struck by a car in a pedestrian crosswalk in Alabaster. She was transported by ambulance to Shelby Baptist Medical Center where she was treated for her injuries. Weaver, who is an elected Alabama delegate for the Republican National Convention (RNC), was scheduled to fly to Milwaukee on Sunday, but her injuries delayed her departure. After receiving evaluation and treatment from an orthopedic specialist she was cleared to travel to Milwaukee to meet the rest of the Alabama delegation.
Weaver says she was determined to attend the RNC to support her former boss, President Donald Trump, following the assassination attempt. In 2020, she received a presidential appointment to the post of Region 4 Director of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services from President Trump. Although she was disappointed she missed the first part of this historic convention, she says she was determined to be there for the remainder.
Weaver says she was never uneasy attending the historic RNC conference just days after the assassination attempt on President Trump‘s life. “I have never seen so much security, “said Weaver. She said it was obvious they had stepped up security around him and kept a buffer between him and attendees. “There were law enforcement officers from many states in addition to Secret Service. There were different levels of security within the secure perimeter. Although we did experience protesters, the interaction was maintained very well.”
On Day 2 of the RNC, Weaver was spotted on Fox News as RNC co-chair Lara Trump spoke. On Day 3, she was in attendance as J.D. Vance introduced himself as Trump’s VP choice and running mate. However, she says the most exciting thing about attending the RNC was being present on Day 4 as President Trump gave a moving speech accepting the Republican Presidential Nomination. She was again spotted in the audience as President Trump gave his remarks.
President Trump recounted the failed assassination attempt. “To hear the President give his account of the assassination attempt was incredible,” stated Weaver. “He sustained a gunshot wound to the right ear that came less than a quarter of an inch from entering his head. He showed an immigration PowerPoint slide and told the crowd the reason he had turned his head was to get a better look at that slide just seconds before he was shot. He described the event moment by moment, and told the crowd he was protected by God. The energy in the area a was unlike anything I have ever seen.“ Former first lady Melania Trump has also released the letter for national unity after the assassination attempt.
Weaver continued to comment about the energy from supporters in the arena. She believes it is directly attributed to the millions of Americans fighting to keep our country free. She believes that the message of bringing our country back has resonated among voters. This event was extremely patriotic. We heard from a WWII veteran, military families whose loved ones have been killed in the line of duty, families of loved ones who have been killed by illegal immigrants, and in general every day Americans from various backgrounds from all across the nation who shared their concerns about the current state of our country. We talked about supporting our military and supporting our police officers. People were waving American flags and chanting “USA”. Being in the audience just made you proud to be an American. At this convention you saw people coming on board to support the Trump Vance ticket that would have never been there four years ago. After four years of failed policy from the Biden Harris administration related to inflation, immigration, national security, the national debt and so many other issues, people are realizing just how much our country is on the wrong path and how we must do everything we can as Americans to take it back.
After pledging her support for Donald Trump, Weaver returned to Birmingham where she is improving and continues to receive treatment for her injuries in an outpatient setting. On her way home Weaver was victimized by the cybersecurity problem that interfered with national transportation, including airlines. She said it took her 17 hours to get home safely.
