MILWAUKEE — Former President Donald Trump took the stage in the final hour of the Republican National Convention Thursday and delivered a deeply heartfelt, and harrowing, address just days after he miraculously survived an assassin’s bullet — vowing to heal and unite the country.
The powerful speech, which he wrote after his terrifying near-death experience, was a departure from his usual bombastic and brazen rhetoric. He only referred to his political foe, President Biden, by name once — but avoided any of the sneering nicknames he has used to denounce the president in the past, such as “Crooked Joe.”
Instead, he spoke to the nation about the need for “unity” and recounted how Saturday’s events impacted him as he laid out a path forward for America. It was his first public address since surviving the assassination attempt at a rally in Pennsylvania last Saturday.
“I stand before you this evening with a message of confidence, strength, and hope,” Trump began. “Together, we will launch a new era of safety, prosperity and freedom for citizens of every race, religion, color, and creed.”
“The discord and division in our society must be healed. As Americans, we are bound together by a single fate and a shared destiny. We rise together. Or we fall apart,” he said, noting that he’s running for “all” of America in his unification call.
His entrance onto the stage was marked with rapturous applause from the RNC delegates, who were packed in tight into the convention hall.
He recalled in chilling detail the moment he was shot on Saturday, describing how he heard the “loud whizzing” of the bullet and how “blood was pouring everywhere.”
“The amazing thing is that prior to the shot, if I had not moved my head at that very last instant, the assassin’s bullet would have perfectly hit its mark, and I would not be here tonight,” he said.
“None of us knows God’s plan, or where life’s adventure will take us. But if the events of last Saturday make anything clear, it is that every single moment we have on earth is a gift from God. We have to make the most of every day for the people and country we love,” he continued.
In a surprise, touching moment, Trump kissed the helmet of former fire chief Corey Comperatore, who was tragically killed by a stray bullet fired by the gunman, Thomas Crooks, at the rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
The former president’s family — including his wife Melania and his daughter Ivanka — supported him from the VIP box to see him officially accept the GOP nomination in front of the thousands of voters packed into the Milwaukee arena.
Trump had watched the earlier speeches from the box sitting next to country music star Jason Aldean, who headlined a concert after the conclusion of the GOP fest.
“I am deeply honored to be joined by my amazing wife, Melania. Thank you, Melania, and thank you also for your beautiful letter to America calling for national unity,” Trump said, before lovingly thanking the rest of his family.
The 45th president had “tore up” the prepared speech he had after being shot on Saturday at his rally, his spokesperson told reporters Thursday morning. The new speech was much more “personal” and was written by Trump himself.
The RNC crowd also showed their support for Trump all week, wearing white bandages on their ears in a sign of solidarity for the former president, whose right ear has been wrapped tightly in gauze.
During his speech, the thousands of delegates were attentive and enthusiactic, cheering and chanting throughout.
Trump vowed to end Russia’s war on Ukraine, end inflation, end “every single international crisis that the current administration has created.”
He also vowed to end the “illegal immigration crisis.”
He said another Trump presidency would unleash a “Golden Age” in the US that would include a new “Iron Dome Missile Defense System to ensure that no enemy can strike our homeland,” clean cities and American innovation so great the country would “soon be on the verge of finding the cures to cancer, Alzheimer’s, and many other diseases.”
The promised to “bring back the American Dream.”
“With great humility, I am asking you to be excited about the future of our country,” Trump pleaded.
And in a final argument, Trump turned to the need for unity once more.
“We are Americans. Ambition is our heritage. Greatness is our birthright,” Trump said. “But as long as our energies are spent fighting each other, our destiny will remain out of reach. We must instead take that energy and use it to realize our country’s true potential—and write our own thrilling chapter of the American Story.
“Tonight, I ask for your partnership, for your support, and I am humbly asking for your vote. Every day, I will strive to honor the trust you have placed in me, and I will never let you down.”
The night, themed around “Make America Great Again,” also took a personal tone, as it featured a slate of speakers who are close to the former president, with many of them knowing him personally.
The list of speakers included Trump’s longtime friends Steven and Zach Witkoff, his former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and his son Eric Trump. Many speeches mentioned Trump’s golf game.
Steven Witkoff, a New York City-based real estate investor, painted Trump as “a kind and compassionate man” and described all the times the former president was there was his family even when he “has everything to lose and nothing to gain.”
Other speakers included media personality Tucker Carlson, professional wrestler Hulk Hogan and Trump’s lawyer Alina Habba. Kid Rock had a musical number with a Trump theme.
Habba’s voice broke when she described Trump as “her friend” in her emotion-laden speech about her close relationship with her client and his love for music and people.
Melania’s presence was especially notable, as she hasn’t been with Trump throughout the 2024 campaign and has mostly stayed out of the public eye.
Following the conclusion of the convention, Trump and Vance will head to their first rally together on Saturday, addressing voters in Michigan, before going to Middletown, Ohio, on Monday — the senator’s hometown.
Trump’s team hopes to leverage Vance’s Ohio Rust Belt background to win over swing states and traditionally Democrat voters across the Midwest.