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Donald J. Trump is different. His brush with death last Saturday has changed him. As he walked into the Finserv Forum on Monday night, the first night of the Republican convention in Milwaukee, the former president was clearly moved by the roar of the crowd; he seemed close to tears. When he watched his granddaughter Kai speak on Wednesday, he was beaming from ear to ear, clearly proud as a peacock that this beautiful young woman had asked him if he could tell the truth about her grandfather: what a caring, engaged person he was, and how much she loved him.
And on Thursday, the final night of the convention, Trump was smiling like a child as Hulk Hogan roared and bellowed, and again when a small granddaughter came to sit on his lap. This is a Donald Trump we’ve never seen before. His guard was down; he was genuinely having fun, perhaps grateful to be alive.
Nothing could be more important for candidate Trump, who has been vilified by the media for years as a macabre, cartoonish villain. Trump emerged from the Republican convention as a relatable human being, perhaps for the first time.
DONALD TRUMP OFFICIALLY ACCEPTS THE REPUBLICAN NOMINATION FOR PRESIDENT AND REPORTED HIS ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT
At the end of four enthusiastic, emotional and sometimes electrifying days, Republican Party attendees gathered to embrace their nominee and now officially their candidate for President of the United States. The crowd enthusiastically greeted the arrival of former First Lady Melania Trump and also the speakers who gave the prelude, chanting “four more years” with Eric Trump, rocking out with Kid Rock, praying with Franklin Graham and pumping their fists with Hulk Hogan.
But the highlight of the evening was finally hearing from Donald Trump, who just days earlier had nearly been killed by a young man armed with a rifle, thank God for saving him from that accident. In the hours after the shooting, the former president said he had scrapped the “very tough” speech he had intended to give and would instead address the nation about the importance of uniting the country.
At first, he did. His prepared remarks were perfect for the moment. He spoke of what he experienced at the protest in Butler, Pennsylvania, where he was nearly killed, and asked for a moment of silence for Corey Comperatore, the volunteer fire chief who tragically died while shielding his family from bullets.
TRUMP DID SOMETHING HE HAD NEVER DONE BEFORE WITH HIS SPEECH AT THE NATIONAL REPUBLIC. NOW, THE ELECTIONS MAY ALREADY BE OVER
He brought, he said, “a message of confidence, strength and hope.” He promised the crowd that “in four months, we will have an incredible victory and begin the greatest four years in the history of our country.”
He also told his fellow Republicans, “I’m running to be president of ALL of America, not half of America, because there is no winning in winning for half of America.” At a time when our country seems hopelessly divided and when the nation’s political rhetoric has become dangerously heated, it’s a message voters want to hear. That was also true four years ago, when Joe Biden promised to unite the country. The fact that he hasn’t kept that promise makes Trump’s promise all the more significant.
Trump promised to resurrect the American dream and restore common sense. On day one of his administration, he promised to rebuild our energy independence and secure our border. He declared that he would end the promotion of electric vehicles and criticized UAW leaders for adopting policies that could harm their workers. He promised prosperity for the middle class. He spoke about the future with enthusiasm and optimism.
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But, as he often does, he went far beyond his teleprompter remarks… far beyond. One joker tweeted: When they said “four more years,” Trump misunderstood.
He couldn't help himself. In addition to praising the many achievements of his presidency, he attacked the numerous failures and general incompetence of the current “administration.” He had promised he wouldn't mention the current president by name, but he slipped up by saying the damage caused by Joe Biden was “unthinkable.” He talked too much, went over the same themes too many times, and left his message of “unity” hanging in the balance.
My opinion: He deserved to do whatever he wanted. This was his moment and it was his prerogative. Donald Trump has been through a lot in the last few years: the dishonest farce that Russia paid him to do it, the impeachments, the legal farce, the accusations and the constant and relentless attacks from the establishment, the media and his political opponents. If he wanted to ramble on for another twenty minutes, who cares?
Convention attendees didn't care. They were with him every step of the way, happy to remember and celebrate the years when he was in the Oval Office and inflation was low, the border was secure, the world was at peace, we achieved energy independence and the economy was strong.
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Overall, it was a Republican convention for the ages: inspiring, moving and well-organized. The many Republican speakers revealed a strong Republican bench with promise for the future. Ordinary Americans who shared their life stories, their tragedies and their victories touched everyone who heard them.
If the campaign is managed as smartly as the convention, Donald Trump could well become our next president.
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