WASHINGTON: The speech began with uplifting sentiments and words around the theme of unity and healing. Then his natural instincts took over and gripes, grievances, and threats flowed.
Recounting his narrow escape from an assassin’s bullet in excruciating detail, former US President Donald Trump
on Thursday initially pledged to launch “a new era of safety, prosperity and freedom for citizens of every race, religion, color and creed” in a 90-minute nomination acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention finale in Milwaukee.
But he reflexively kept revisiting divisive issues, exaggerated threats, and old grievances, including falsehoods about a stolen election in 2020 that he lost by nearly 7 million votes, suggesting that his promise to heal the country is incumbent on being recognized as the victor in 2024 regardless of the outcome.
“The discord and division in our society must be healed. We must heal it quickly. As Americans, we are bound together by a single fate and a shared destiny. We rise together. Or we fall apart,” Trump said in an address that had a few lofty moments amid many meandering digressions.
“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,” he said, adding, “To every citizen, whether you’re a young or old, man or woman, Democrat, Republican or Independent, Black or white, Asian or Hispanic, I extend to you a hand of loyalty and of friendship. Together, we will lead America to new heights of greatness like the world has never seen before.”
But all this was subject to his getting a free pass on any purported misdemeanors and convictions because, he said, the Democratic Party has “weaponized the justice system.” The onus was on Democrats.
“If Democrats want to unify our country, they should drop these partisan witch hunts, which I’ve been going through for approximately eight years. And they should do that without delay and allow an election to proceed that is worthy of our people. We’re going to win it anyway,” Trump, whose supporters have often threatened retribution if he returns to power, said.
In fact, Trump’s address was preceded by an introduction by fake wrestler Hulk Hogan, who warned of what could be in store, screaming, “What you gonna do when Donald Trump and all the Trumpa-maniacs run wild on you, brother?”
It was one of several discordant moments in a Republican fiesta that promised dialed down rhetoric and a message of unity following his providential escape from being assassinated, but ended up as a carnival to deify Donald Trump and deliver retribution if he returned to power.
Speaker after speaker, steeped in opportunism and servility, delivered simpering speeches praising him, often invoking god for the fortuitous turn that they see as virtually sealing the November 2024 election in his favor.
Illustrative of the imminence of Trump’s return to power, he spoke against the backdrop of a White House visual. His wife Melania, daughter Ivanka and rest of the family, all scarcely seen with him over the past several months, returned to flank him. Two of his grandchildren sat on his lap and next to him, projecting a soft image of him as a doting grandfather.
Trump began his speech with a degree of discipline but then wildly off-script close to the midnight hour, throwing in references to Hannibal Lecter in Silence of the Lambs while talking about illegal immigration, and suggesting crime is down in Venezuela and El Salvador (and up in the US) because they are sending all their criminals to America.
The reckless rhetoric at the RNC aside, polls and pundits are indicating a decisive win for Trump, perhaps a landslide powered in part by the heroic in the way he come out of the assassination bid. The Republican surge is even more stark coming amid disarray in the Democratic party which is on the verge of dumping a nominee who was on the verge of being nominated.
It was Trump who was shot but it is Biden who has fallen.
Recounting his narrow escape from an assassin’s bullet in excruciating detail, former US President Donald Trump
on Thursday initially pledged to launch “a new era of safety, prosperity and freedom for citizens of every race, religion, color and creed” in a 90-minute nomination acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention finale in Milwaukee.
But he reflexively kept revisiting divisive issues, exaggerated threats, and old grievances, including falsehoods about a stolen election in 2020 that he lost by nearly 7 million votes, suggesting that his promise to heal the country is incumbent on being recognized as the victor in 2024 regardless of the outcome.
“The discord and division in our society must be healed. We must heal it quickly. As Americans, we are bound together by a single fate and a shared destiny. We rise together. Or we fall apart,” Trump said in an address that had a few lofty moments amid many meandering digressions.
“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,” he said, adding, “To every citizen, whether you’re a young or old, man or woman, Democrat, Republican or Independent, Black or white, Asian or Hispanic, I extend to you a hand of loyalty and of friendship. Together, we will lead America to new heights of greatness like the world has never seen before.”
But all this was subject to his getting a free pass on any purported misdemeanors and convictions because, he said, the Democratic Party has “weaponized the justice system.” The onus was on Democrats.
“If Democrats want to unify our country, they should drop these partisan witch hunts, which I’ve been going through for approximately eight years. And they should do that without delay and allow an election to proceed that is worthy of our people. We’re going to win it anyway,” Trump, whose supporters have often threatened retribution if he returns to power, said.
In fact, Trump’s address was preceded by an introduction by fake wrestler Hulk Hogan, who warned of what could be in store, screaming, “What you gonna do when Donald Trump and all the Trumpa-maniacs run wild on you, brother?”
It was one of several discordant moments in a Republican fiesta that promised dialed down rhetoric and a message of unity following his providential escape from being assassinated, but ended up as a carnival to deify Donald Trump and deliver retribution if he returned to power.
Speaker after speaker, steeped in opportunism and servility, delivered simpering speeches praising him, often invoking god for the fortuitous turn that they see as virtually sealing the November 2024 election in his favor.
Illustrative of the imminence of Trump’s return to power, he spoke against the backdrop of a White House visual. His wife Melania, daughter Ivanka and rest of the family, all scarcely seen with him over the past several months, returned to flank him. Two of his grandchildren sat on his lap and next to him, projecting a soft image of him as a doting grandfather.
Trump began his speech with a degree of discipline but then wildly off-script close to the midnight hour, throwing in references to Hannibal Lecter in Silence of the Lambs while talking about illegal immigration, and suggesting crime is down in Venezuela and El Salvador (and up in the US) because they are sending all their criminals to America.
The reckless rhetoric at the RNC aside, polls and pundits are indicating a decisive win for Trump, perhaps a landslide powered in part by the heroic in the way he come out of the assassination bid. The Republican surge is even more stark coming amid disarray in the Democratic party which is on the verge of dumping a nominee who was on the verge of being nominated.
It was Trump who was shot but it is Biden who has fallen.