Former President Donald Trump will formally accept the GOP presidential nomination Thursday night and deliver his first speech since Saturday’s assassination attempt.
Former President Donald Trump will formally accept the GOP presidential nomination Thursday night and deliver his first speech since Saturday’s assassination attempt, capping off an ebullient Republican convention at a time of heightened political uncertainty.
Trump will give the keynote remarks at a time when he is pushing for a more unifying message after last weekend’s shooting and as he rides political tailwinds into the summer and fall, fueled in part by President Joe Biden’s calamitous June debate and subsequent Democratic angst.
Such a tone would mark a departure both for Trump individually and for American politics writ large, though operatives and conventiongoers alike predicted a more subdued speech focused on uniting the country, with the nation captivated by news of the attempt on the former president’s life in Butler, Pennsylvania.
„I think he’s a changed man. Anytime you come within millimeters of your life, that has an effect. I think, from his standpoint, he doesn’t want to be a divisive figure. He wants to be a unifying figure at a time that the country is desperately seeking unity and needs unity“, said Bryan Lanza, a former Trump campaign official who remains in touch with his current team.
„It’s just not a moment for him, and it’s just not a moment for the Republican Party. It’s a moment for the country“, he added. „We experienced a shock. We could literally be at a funeral today.“
Trump said he revised his remarks after Saturday’s shooting, saying it initially was set to be a „humdinger“ but that now it will be „more of a unity speech.“
In an era when few thinks punch through the political noise, particularly in a race between a current and former president with virtually universal name recognition, the speech marks a rare moment where Trump can hold the stage at a pivot point in the race, even as it’s unclear precisely how much the election’s dynamics have changed.
„When you’re at this level, there’s just certain speeches that the world stops and listens to, and your nominating speech is one“, said veteran GOP strategist Chip Saltsman.
