MILWAUKEE — Donald Trump walked onto the Republican National Convention stage Thursday night a transformed man, imbued with the kind of perspective found only at the edges of life and death. The former president — who, at 78, seems to be campaigning harder than ever — looks to be even more the man on a mission, shaped by a strong sense of providence.
Transformed, yes, but ever Trump.
For those thinking Donald John Trump would come out the other side of a harrowing near-death experience as the next Mahatma Gandhi, the GOP’s three-time presidential nominee’s acceptance speech disabused such a notion. Some undecided Wisconsin voters performing as CNN’s latest political focus group were among the heartbroken.
Trump’s perspective may have changed in the days since a gunman in Pennsylvania came within a half-inch of assassinating him, but the happy warrior’s America First vision remains locked in and in focus.
‘I’m Not Supposed to Be Here’
Still, the vibe of divine intervention that pervaded this week’s convention in downtown Milwaukee clung to Trump like crazy sticks to Joy Reid. The former president opened his 90-minute speech with gratitude and grace.
“So tonight, with faith and devotion, I proudly accept your nomination for president of the United States of America,” Trump said to uproarious applause and the crowd at the packed Fiserv Forum chanting his iconic name.
He was, at times, philosophical, grappling with a very present existential question. Trump recounted in vivid detail being shot, the blood, the fear on the faces of rallygoers, and the Secret Service agents quickly surrounding him and protecting him from further harm. How a turn of the head to glance at a chart was the difference between an ear wound and a dead presidential candidate. He told his fellow Republicans he would only share the story on a campaign stage this one time. It was too painful to tell again, he said.
“I’m not supposed to be here tonight. I’m not supposed to be here,” he somberly said. Someone shouted back, “Yes you are,” a sentiment quickly chanted by thousands in the crowd.
Trump smiled, shook his head, and said, “Thank you, but I’m not.”
“And I’ll tell you, I stand before you in this arena only by the grace of Almighty God,” he said, later explaining that the near-death experience filled him with the sense that God is on his side.
Conservative commentator Tucker Carlson, one of several speakers on the closing night of the convention, mused that “something bigger is going on here.” Even people who don’t believe in God, he said, might well be thinking that “maybe there’s something to this” divine intervention thing.
“You’ll never hear me say, ‘I’m on God’s side,’ or ‘God’s with me,’ or even ‘I’m with God.’ I want to be. Not sure I am,” Carlson said. “But I will say this unequivocally and conclusively: God is among us right now, and I think that’s enough.”
‘Split Screen’
It’s been more than enough for even the most partisan Democrat to concede that the Grand Old Party’s 2024 convention, like Stacy’s mom, had it going on. The energy, the resolve, and the unity were absolutely palpable. Viva la difference between the Republican Party in Milwaukee compared to the pall hanging over the Democrat Party’s death march to Chicago.
“It’s been a remarkable split screen playing out this week. Republicans are gathered in Wisconsin, unified and energized behind former President Trump’s candidacy, while Democrats are in open disagreement over whether President Biden should remain atop the ticket in November,” wrote The Hill’s Brett Samuels.
Even the anticipated army of leftist protesters didn’ bother to show up to cause trouble for Republicans in Milwaukee, as The Atlantic lamented.
Convention week was always going to be about showcasing strength versus weakness in Trump versus Biden. But that showcase became all the more pronounced when the former president paused to raise his fist to supporters after being wounded in an assassination attempt just days before Biden had to cancel a campaign event after reportedly suffering a mild bout of Covid. Trump campaign ads running in swing states and at the convention feature Biden falling down and struggling to perform basic functions — or a retrospective of the Democrat’s presidency thus far.
“When you think about the Joe Biden you saw in the debate, ask yourself a question: Do you think the guy who was defeated by the stairs … got taken down by his bike … lost a fight with his jacket … and regularly gets lost … makes it four more years in the White House?” the 30-second spot asks.
The usual suspects in the corporate media took some solace in insisting that the kinder, gentler Trump was consumed by the old combative Trump as the speech turned into an all-out attack on Biden, the swamp, a rigged election four years ago, and the left in general. Interestingly, Trump only mentioned his opponent’s name a couple of times, treating the name Biden the way Harry Potter’s pals treat Voldemort.
“Trump recounts attempt on his life, then abandons unity theme in marathon convention speech,” Reuters declared in a post-speech headline. What the piece fails to note is that Trump and his supporters have been under attack for the past eight years. The Democrat president, who in his inauguration address claimed that his “whole soul” was in “bringing America together,” has systematically widened the divide. His administration has weaponized U.S. institutions to target their political enemies, they’ve drowned any hope for unity in identity politics, and they’ve worked to silence opposition to their partisan agenda.
“If Democrats want to unify our country, they should drop these partisan witch hunts,” Trump said.
‘Our Resolve Is Unbroken’
While Trump may be looking at things with fresh eyes, he’s not backing off one inch on his promises to secure the border, build the wall, “drill, baby drill,” preserve his historic tax cuts and expand them, fight back against the climate change cult and the administrative state, and keep the U.S. and its military out of foreign entanglements.
While many Democrats may believe Trump is the devil incarnate, they’re not thrilled with their guy. A new poll finds almost two-thirds of Democrat voters want Biden to step aside. Meanwhile, Trump’s lead over Biden continues to widen in the weeks after the president’s disastrous debate performance.
Those of us covering the convention certainly saw a softer side of Donald Trump, a man who seems to have understandably been profoundly moved by his near-death experience and the outpouring of support he says he’s received. He raised his fist in the air for a reason, however. As he mouthed on the Pennsylvania rally stage after surviving the attempt on his life, he intends to “Fight! Fight! Fight!” His supporters appear to be committed to the same purpose.
“Our resolve is unbroken, and our purpose is unchanged — to deliver a government that serves the American people better than ever before,” Trump said.
“Nothing will stop me in this mission because our vision is righteous, and our cause is pure,” the former president added. “No matter what obstacle comes our way, we will not break, we will not bend, we will not back down, and I will never stop fighting for you.”
