Tireless Trump Closes Out the RNC
On the final day of a convention that unified the Republican Party, the former president spoke of many things and for many minutes.
The honor of introducing Donald Trump last night on the fourth and final day of the Republican National Convention went to an old friend of his: UFC President Dana White, a man who has known Trump for a quarter-century.
“Nobody in the Trump campaign has ever told me what to say,” said White while wagging his finger at the crowd. “Nobody tells me what to say, and I’m nobody’s puppet. … I’m in the tough guy business, and this man is the toughest, most resilient human being that I’ve ever met in my life.” He continued:
President Reagan once said, “Government’s first duty is to protect the American people, not run their lives. And if you’re buried in government red tape, how will you ever start your own business? If you’re struggling to pay your bills, how can you ever afford to start a family? And if you don’t feel safe in your own town, why would you ever buy a house? I know that President Trump is fighting to save the American Dream. And that’s what’s at stake in this election. …
In my mind, the choice is clear. But this election? We all get to choose. I know I’m gonna choose strength and security. I know I’m gonna choose opportunity and prosperity. I know I’m gonna choose real American leadership and a real American badass. And I’m not telling you what choice to make, and I’m not telling you what to think. I’m telling you what I know. I know America needs a strong leader, and the world needs a strong America. I know Donald J. Trump is the best choice for president of the United States. My fellow Americans, it is my honor to introduce the 45th and soon-to-be 47th president of the United States, Donald J. Trump!
UFC President and CEO Dana White introduces President Donald Trump at the Republican National Convention.
— AFeldmanMMA (@afeldMMA) July 19, 2024
"I’m in the tough guy business and this guy is the toughest, most resilient human being that I’ve ever met in my life.”
(🎥: Fox YouTube ) pic.twitter.com/Bm8KJcJPC4
I’ve never heard a more rousing introduction for a politician. But then, White is a showman. And Trump is no ordinary politician.
“Friends, delegates, fellow citizens,” said the former president, decked in his trademark navy blue suit, white shirt, and red tie. “I stand before you this evening with a message of confidence, strength, and hope. Four months from now, we will have an incredible victory, and we will begin the four greatest years in the history of our country. Together, we will launch a new era of safety, prosperity, and freedom for citizens of every race, religion, color, and creed.”
So began Trump’s acceptance speech — a speech that wasn’t without the occasional stiff punch but was nonetheless more reserved than usual.
“The discord and division of our society must be healed,” Trump continued. “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. 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. So tonight, with faith and devotion, I proudly accept your nomination for president of the United States. Thank you.”
Were Donald Trump Calvin Coolidge, that might’ve been it. Having been stirringly introduced and having conducted the essential business, he might’ve concluded the convention at that moment and told everyone to drive safely. Instead, Trump went on for another 90 minutes.
Trump acknowledged last Saturday’s assassination attempt on his life, and he recounted those events with a caveat: “You’ll never hear it from me a second time because it’s too painful to tell.”
It was a more somber, more subdued, more reflective Donald Trump — and for good reason. Near-death experiences will do that to a man. And the tone of his speech was in marked contrast to the earlier efforts of Hulk Hogan, Tucker Carlson, and Kid Rock, all of which gave the Fiserv Forum the air of a rock concert.
“The amazing thing,” he said, “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. We would not be together.” He continued:
Behind me and to the right was a large screen that was displaying a chart of border crossings under my leadership. In order to see the chart, I started to, like this, turn to my right, and was ready to begin a little bit further turn, which I’m very lucky I didn’t do, when I heard a loud whizzing sound and felt something hit me really, really hard, on my right ear. I said to myself, ‘Wow, what was that? It can only be a bullet,’ and moved my right hand to my ear, brought it down. My hand was covered with blood. … I immediately knew it was very serious, that we were under attack, and in one movement, proceeded to drop to the ground. Bullets were continuing to fly as very brave Secret Service agents rushed to the stage. … Those are great people, at great risk, I will tell you, and pounced on top of me so that I would be protected. There was blood pouring everywhere, and yet, in a certain way, I felt very safe because I had God on my side. I felt that.
“I’m not supposed to be here tonight,” he said. “Not supposed to be here.”
“Yes, you are! Yes, you are! Yes, you are!” came the chants from those in the audience.
“Thank you. But I’m not. And I’ll tell you, I stand before you in this arena only by the grace of almighty God.”
Trump then paid tribute to and held a moment of silence for Corey Comperatore, the 50-year-old former fire chief who died a hero when he was mortally wounded while shielding his wife and daughter from the assassin’s bullets. “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for others,” he said. “This is the spirit that forged America in her darkest hours, and this is the love that will lead America back to the summit of human achievement and greatness.”
Trump went on to reintroduce his running mate: “I am thrilled to have a new friend and partner fighting by my side: the next Vice President of the United States, the current Senator from Ohio, J.D. Vance, and his incredible wife, Usha,” he said.
He promised to close the border and to drill, drill, drill on Day One. He promised a massive deportation program. He promised an Iron Dome all across the United States. He promised no taxes on tips. And, at the end of it all, Trump told the American people to set a higher bar:
For too long, our nation has settled for too little. We settled for too little. We’ve given everything to other nations, to other people. You have been told to lower your expectations and to accept less for your families. I am here tonight with the opposite message: Your expectations are not big enough. They’re not big enough. It is time to start expecting and demanding the best leadership in the world, leadership that is bold, dynamic, relentless, and fearless. We can do that.
Trump spoke of unity throughout his speech, but that’s a tall order, a bridge too far, I’m afraid. Our country is deeply divided, and Trump himself is its most polarizing figure. Still, as the poet once put it, a man’s reach should exceed his grasp.
Donald Trump was our nation’s 45th president, and he aims to be its 47th. If he’s successful, he’ll have done something that hasn’t been done in 132 years, and he’ll have completed the most improbable comeback in American political history. Along the way, he’s taken more slings and arrows than any other American politician. Ever. And yet he keeps coming.
Indeed, as his former campaign manager, Kellyanne Conway, admiringly said afterward, “He’s not an indoor cat.”
