Trump accepts Republican nomination
MILWAUKEE—Donald Trump described on Thursday how he narrowly survived an attempt on his life, telling a rapt audience at the Republican National Convention in his first speech since the attack that he was only there “by the grace of Almighty God.”
The former president struck an unusually conciliatory tone during the speech’s opening moments, when he formally accepted the Republican presidential nomination for the Nov. 5 election.
“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.
But he swiftly pivoted to well-worn attacks on the Biden administration, which he said was “destroying” the country. He claimed without evidence that his criminal indictments were part of a Democratic conspiracy, predicted President Joe Biden, his Democratic rival, would usher in “World War Three,” and described what he called an “invasion” of migrants over the southern border.
‘Soul-searching’
In the meandering remarks that followed—at 90-plus minutes the longest convention speech in history —Trump abandoned the message of unity he had promised to embrace in favor of his usual mixture of bombast and grievance, repeating his false claim that Democrats stole the 2020 election.
Biden campaign chair Jen O’Malley Dillon said Trump had presented only problems, not solutions.
“It was Donald Trump who destroyed our economy, ripped away rights and failed middle class families,” she said. “Now he pursues the presidency with an even more extreme vision for where he wants to take this country.”
Biden was meanwhile “soul searching” about whether to drop out of the race, one source said, after senior party figures, congressional allies and major donors warned him he could not win following a halting debate performance on June 27.
Biden, 81, was isolating at his Delaware home after contracting COVID-19. His doctor said he was experiencing mild symptoms.
‘Enjoy the ride’
After Trump concluded, his family and that of his running mate, Senator J.D. Vance, walked onto the stage as balloons dropped from the ceiling. His wife Melania Trump, who is rarely seen on the campaign trail, joined him on Thursday for the first time this week.
Vance, at 39 half Trump’s age, is widely seen as the ideological heir to Trump’s Make America Great Movement.
“J.D., you’re gonna be doing this for a long time,” Trump said. “Enjoy the ride.”
