Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
It was long. It was rambling. It didn’t contain anything he hadn’t said many times before.
But Republicans loved every minute of it … and they departed their quadrennial meeting hall more galvanized than ever to take on a badly divided Democratic party in a little more than 100 days.
Once and perhaps future president Donald Trump wrapped up a tightly scripted, carefully choreographed, four-day love fest known as the Republican National Convention late Thursday night. It was his third consecutive presidential nomination acceptance speech, and the clock was pushing midnight eastern by the time he finally said “to conclude …” thus wrapping up a 93-minute talkathon, the longest such speech in TV history.
To watch the full fourth day of the convention (including Trump’s speech), click here.
Trump started strong by getting down to the thing most Americans wanted to hear about most of all: Last Saturday’s shocking attempt to take his life. It was the first time he had publicly spoken about it at length, and at times, his account was gripping.
“I’m not supposed to be here tonight,” he said, standing before a backdrop of the White House as thousands of convention delegates and alternates hung on every word. (“Yes, you are! Yes, you are!” the crowd chanted.) “There was blood pouring everywhere. Yet, in a certain way, I felt very safe because I had God on my side.”

***
Trump’s tone in that section of the speech was more subdued than usual. Gone was the bombast that has become his trademark. In its place was a softer side, the words of someone who realized how very closely he came to not seeing that night – or another night on earth.
There was also a touching moment when the firefighter’s jacket and helmet of Corey Comperatore, the retired fire chief who was killed at the rally, was brought onstage.
Trump tried to struck a conciliatory tone at first. “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.
He also made a point of saying he would only mention the name of his presumed opponent, Joe Biden, just once.
And then, after the strong start, Trump morphed back into “rally candidate.” He ad-libbed, spoke off the cuff and meandered from one topic to another in his usual style that’s more appropriate for a state fairground gathering than a formal address.
Where is he going with this, many wondered?
***

But just when it appeared there was no end in sight – and Trump might still be speaking into the morning hours – he returned to the script for a strong conclusion. Echoing his shouts of “Fight! Fight! Fight!” as he was led offstage by Secret Service agents last Saturday afternoon, Trump issued an emphatic declaration.
“Nothing will sway us,” he said. “Nothing will slow us. And no one will ever stop us.”
While many folks watching at home might have been wondering “is this ever going to end?” delegates in the convention hall were hanging on every word. They cheered every built-in applause line … and even cheered a few others just for good measure. They were in a mood to cheer, too, because the sweet aroma of victory wafted in the air along with every syllable of Trump’s lengthy address.
Republicans are roaring out of Milwaukee more united and fired up than they have been in a long, long time. And they were willing to go to extraordinary lengths to keep peace in the family. They brushed aside issues that had divided them in years past. (Abortion? LGBT rights? Out of sight, out of mind) and stayed focused on the mission ahead of them — winning in November.
Even Trump’s harshest critics within the GOP have fallen in line …
***
You don’t have to agree with Trump 100% of the time to vote for him.
— Nikki Haley (@NikkiHaley) July 18, 2024
Take it from me. I haven’t always agreed with President Trump. But we agree far more often than we disagree.
We agree on keeping America strong.
We agree on keeping America safe.
And we agree… pic.twitter.com/fGxJIjY5V2
***
It’s not just that the GOP is now the party of Trump (it is.) It’s not that a number of Republicans suddenly find themselves feeling affection for their 78-year-old candidate after last week’s assassination attempt (they do). Something deeper than all that is motivating them this time around.
They want to win. They really, really, really want to win.
Losing the White House in 2020 stung. Watching in shock on Election Night 2022 when an expected Red Wave failed to materialize was infuriating. Now they’re out to even the score once and for all. They want to defeat Joe Biden as much or even more than they want to elect Donald Trump.
There’s a critical caveat to that, though. As this reporter noted yesterday, it’s becoming increasingly apparent Biden won’t be the Democratic opponent come November 5, 2024. Hell, he may not be the opponent next week. But whatever – and whoever – eventually comes their way, Republicans projected the belief that they’re ready.
In a way, Thursday night also carried a strongly nostalgic undercurrent. Whatever happens in November, after three consecutive nominations – it’s all but assured this was Trump’s final convention as the GOP standard-bearer. For better or worse, Trump and party loyalists have been through a lot together – giving the evening a kind of “Last Hurrah” vibe. It almost felt like high schoolers going out for one last beer bash the night before graduation day, each silently aware that whatever the future holds, things will never be exactly like this ever again.
And so it was as the curtain came down on the 43rd Republican National Convention.
Up next: The Democratic National Convention kicks off in Chicago on August 19, 2024.
***
ABOUT THE AUTHOR …
J. Mark Powell is an award-winning former TV journalist, government communications veteran, and a political consultant. He is also an author and an avid Civil War enthusiast. Got a tip or a story idea for Mark? Email him at mark@fitsnews.com.
***
WANNA SOUND OFF?
Got something you’d like to say in response to one of our articles? Or an issue you’d like to address proactively? We have an open microphone policy! Submit your letter to the editor (or guest column) via email HERE. Got a tip for a story? CLICK HERE. Got a technical question or a glitch to report? CLICK HERE.
13 comments
“While many folks watching at home might have been wondering “is this ever going to end?” delegates in the convention hall were hanging on every word.”
Yes nevermind the numerous reports of people tuning out and many leaving early as his meandering rally speech went on and on.
Give those “grown adults” a break!
They were all worn out from cheering and screaming for Hulk Hogan, like 7 year old children from 1984.
That shit was hilariously sad. Almost as sad as low-energy and incoherent Trump’s dud of a speech. At least it was super long?
Well I guess the DNC convention will be more exciting… 4000 people running around in full blown panic for four days. Will Cher and Big Nose Babs make appearances?
Weak ;-)
You are confusing “exciting” with “a massive embarrassment and international joke”.
It’s OK. You’re MAGA.
Being dumb and confused is a given.
Well, the MAGA convention (what was the GOP is clearly dead and gone) made the movie Idiocracy come to real life last night.
Pathological liar and admitted racist (all on tape. Look it up), Hulk Hogan, cut his normal 40 year old wrestling promo, while giving the cultists a new name, Trumpites.
Dana White, who literally slaps his Wife around in public (there’s easy to find video) introduces the tired old goof. Did I mention Kid Rock and Vanilla Ice? lol
Throughout the week, Speaker after speaker just stood up on the stage and lied and lied.
The attendees wore maxi-pads on their ears? (I guess it’s better than the diapers they have been wearing to Trump rallies?)
The entire thing was an incredible shitshow, full of cringe. Thankfully, they televised the whole catastrophe, so normal Americans can see how completely unhinged and insane the MAGA party is. Bizarre and pathetic.
““I’m not supposed to be here tonight,” he said,”
That’s right, he should be in prison.
“There was also a touching moment when the firefighter’s jacket and helmet of Corey Comperatore”
Touching that they misspelled his name on the jacket…
“He ad-libbed, spoke off the cuff and meandered from one topic to another”
If Biden had delivered that mess of a speech people would be calling for him to be hospitalized. Trump’s brain can only be controlled for a few minutes, then it’s off to dozens of lies that he’s told so often he probably believes them.
Lies that the braintrust of this blahg choose to ignore.
You do realize that was his fire coat, just look at the pictures of it hanging outside the fire station. Spelling is the same way.
If it had been Biden who was shot in the ear we’d be getting daily updates of his condition in Walter Reed ICU.
But instead it was Trump, so we get grown men wearing maxi- pads on their ears as a show of support.
Do you wear the maxi-pads with wings or just plain old ones when you are gearing up to support your diaper wearing leader….lol…Squishy123 (how obese do you have to be to give yourself that nickname? Did the other incels give it to you?)
I loved the RNC. Wish I could have been there. It was a breath of fresh air to seen a crowd of America loving patriots.
Thanks, Brother! I haven’t been able to get stupid marks that worked up since 1985!
MAGA is like small children at a pro wrestling show! They’ll believe anything you tell them, Brother!!
I’ve been saying that the Republican Party died in 2016. It has become the Trump Party. Should the be called Trumpers or Trumpians?
For some reason, the former Republicans are fearful of Trump. Perhaps, Trump still has members of the New York Mafia on speed dial.
After the attempted coup d’état, on January 6, 2021, Senator Lindsey Graham (T-SC), said “I’m done with Trump.” After the attempted assassination attempt, on Sunday’s Meet the Press, Graham said that he had planned to play golf with Trump.
I don’t understand this idolatry of Trump. Trump is a cult,