On Thursday, Donald Trump officially accepted the Republican Party’s nomination for president, days after surviving an assassination attempt at a campaign rally.
“We will have an incredible victory, and we will begin the four greatest years in the history of our country,” Trump declared at the Republican convention in Milwaukee.
This speech was his first since a 20-year-old man fired a shot at him, causing a minor injury to his ear and killing a bystander, during a rally the previous weekend.
“I am running to be president for all of America, not half of America, because there is no victory in winning for half of America,” Trump stated, still wearing a bandage over his ear.
Addressing the crowd, who chanted “USA,” Trump was expected to speak for around 90 minutes. The event featured warm-up acts like 1980s wrestling icon Hulk Hogan and far-right media figure Tucker Carlson, who described Trump’s survival as historic.
During the assassination attempt, Trump became “leader of a nation,” Carlson remarked.
Despite numerous scandals, an unprecedented attempt to overturn his 2020 election loss to Biden, and 34 felony convictions in May at a New York criminal trial, Trump, 78, is optimistic about a potential return to power. Republicans are now more united behind him than ever.
On Friday, Biden, 81, faced mounting pressure from his own Democratic Party to step aside for Vice President Kamala Harris or another candidate, amid concerns over his physical health and the risk of a November defeat.
Senior Trump advisor Jason Miller told AFP that “nothing fundamentally changes” for Trump if Biden withdraws.
Trump’s family was present, with son Eric rallying the crowd with chants of “fight, fight, fight!” Melania Trump, who has been largely absent throughout the campaign, received applause but did not speak, a notable departure from US political convention at such events.
Supporters praised Trump’s bravery since the weekend attack at a Pennsylvania rally, with appearances from Dana White, CEO of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, and evangelist preacher Franklin Graham, who led a lengthy prayer for Trump.
With Biden still dealing with the fallout from his poor debate performance against Trump last month, polls show Trump gradually gaining an advantage in the previously close race.
The Republican campaign is even eyeing traditionally Democratic states like Minnesota and Virginia, potentially diverting Biden’s resources from defending key “blue wall” states such as Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.
The four-day party convention, which began Monday, followed Trump’s near-complete dominance in state primary contests. The atmosphere of unity contrasted sharply with the 2016 convention’s party divisions and the 2020 event’s pandemic restrictions.
The convention’s schedule was centered around Trump’s “Make America Great Again” slogan, and this week he announced right-wing Senator J.D. Vance of Ohio as his running mate.
Vance, 39, author of “Hillbilly Elegy,” a best-selling memoir about growing up poor in working-class America, was once a Trump critic but has since become a staunch supporter.
Following his 2020 election loss, Trump’s refusal to accept the results, and the Capitol assault by his supporters, he appeared to be a spent force. However, he has since reshaped the Republican Party, installing close allies in key positions and suppressing dissent.
