Emotional Donald Trump accepts the Republican nomination for president and describes the assassination attempt in harrowing detail in historic convention speech
Days after an assassin’s bullet tore through his ear, Donald Trump delivered a message of strength and confidence when he accepted the nomination to become the Republican nominee in November’s election.
“The discord and division in our society must be healed. As Americans, we are bound by a single fate and a shared destiny. We rise together. Or we fall apart,” he said.
“I’m running for president for all of America, not for half of America. Because winning for half of America is not a victory.”
His family, aides and lawmakers say he is a changed man after surviving last weekend’s attack.
And his voice broke with emotion as he thanked the nation for its support.
Donald Trump expressed gratitude for the outpouring of love after he was wounded by an assassin’s bullet while addressing the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee
“I want to begin tonight by expressing my gratitude to the American people for the overwhelming amount of love and support they have shown following the assassination attempt at my rally on Saturday,” he said.
“As you already know, the assassin’s bullet came within a quarter of an inch of my life. So many people have asked me what happened, and so I will tell you what happened, and you will never hear it from me again, because it is too painful to tell.”
But the evening was still dominated by Trump, in case anyone thought this could still be Mitt Romney’s subdued Republican Party of 2012.
Hulk Hogan ripped his shirt off, three speakers praised the former president’s golf skills and Kid Rock added a “fight, fight” chant and a line about “No Show Joe” to his classic hit “American Bad Ass.”
Once again, it offered a stunning split-screen overview of American politics.
While the 78-year-old former president basked in the adulation of his supporters, his 81-year-old rival Joe Biden was cooped up in his beachside Delaware home with COVID-19, fighting for his political life as his party tried to move on and find a better candidate to run.
Donald Trump arrived for the final night of the Republican convention in Milwaukee with an iron grip on the party, just days after an assassin’s bullet tore through his ear
Trump once again holds the Republican Party in the palm of his hand.
Still, that was far from certain when he announced in 2022 that he would run for the White House again.
He had lost the 2020 elections and alienated his allies in his desperate bid to cling to power.
Days before he began campaigning, the Republican Party’s “red wave” in the midterm elections had already evaporated. Strategists blamed the disappointing results on Trump’s hardline policies and role in overturning constitutional protections for abortion rights.
Four criminal charges and a conviction in a New York court followed.
Yet his grip on his party is now stronger than Biden’s. And Saturday’s shooting helped enlist even skeptics like Nikki Haley, who called him “unhinged” during their bitter primary battle.
John Fredericks, a radio host and Trump confidant, said the party changed after the assassination attempt, just as its leader changed.
“You can’t go through a near-death experience, barely surviving death by turning your head toward God’s hand, and not change your perspective on a whole bunch of different things,” he said.
In two weeks, he said, the cries of “lock him up” and calls for retaliation would be a thing of the past.
Republican presidential candidate and former US President Donald Trump, Lara Trump, Eric Luke Trump and Carolina Dorothy Trump look on
A supporter wears an earband in solidarity with former President Donald Trump
According to House Speaker Mike Johnson, it was never up for discussion.
“He’s a strong leader at a dangerous time for the country, and we need that kind of leadership,” he said, as he patrolled the convention floor, stopping for selfies. “I think that’s what energized everyone.”
‘After the assassination attempt, the emotions behind him and the support are even stronger.’
Thursday was Presidents Day. Trump’s fingerprints were all over the program, with three employees and a son on the program.
Speakers described as “ordinary Americans” included John Nieporte, the head pro at his West Palm Beach golf club, who praised his “perfect swing.”
His attorney, Alina Habba, had a lock (“a great golf swing”) and a speaking engagement, as did one of his best friends, Steve Witkoff, a real estate magnate.