The Republican National Convention has kicked off this week. It’s set to be one of the biggest conventions in modern-day politics.
And this massive RNC announcement could completely flip the 2024 election on its head.
In light of the shocking assassination attempt against him on Saturday, former President Donald Trump has completely rewritten his convention speech and will call for a renewed effort at national unity in his address on Thursday.
In an exclusive interview with the Washington Examiner, conducted just a day after a sniper’s bullet struck him, Trump expressed his desire to use this historic moment to bring the country together.
“The speech I was going to give on Thursday was going to be a humdinger,” Trump said. “Had this not happened, this would’ve been one of the most incredible speeches.” The speech was going to take aim at the horrible policies of President Joe Biden.
“Honestly, it’s going to be a whole different speech now,” Trump added.
The attack has prompted Trump to shift his focus from energizing his voter base to addressing the broader implications of the incident on the election campaign. Both Republicans and Democrats have acknowledged the significant impact of Saturday’s shocking event.
Trump recounted the overwhelming support he received from people across the nation, regardless of their political affiliations. He attributed his survival to a momentary decision to look away from the crowd and glance at a screen displaying data for his speech.
“That reality is just setting in,” he remarked. “I rarely look away from the crowd. Had I not done that in that moment, well, we would not be talking today, would we?”
Speaking as he boarded his plane in Bedminster, New Jersey, en route to Milwaukee for the Republican National Convention, Trump emphasized that his speech would rise to the occasion that history now demands. “It is a chance to bring the country together. I was given that chance.”
Early Sunday morning, Trump posted on Truth Social, attributing his survival to divine intervention, stating it was “God alone who prevented the unthinkable from happening” and that he would “fear not.”
He reiterated this sentiment during his interview with the Washington Examiner, invoking “God” for his deliverance.
“This is a chance to bring the whole country, even the whole world, together. The speech will be a lot different, a lot different than it would’ve been two days ago,” he said.
Originally, the Washington Examiner’s interview with Trump was scheduled to take place on his airplane during the return flight from the rally to Bedminster. This proximity placed the reporter mere feet from Trump when the shooting occurred.
Trump paid tribute to Corey Comperatore, the former fire chief who was fatally shot at the rally, and acknowledged the bravery of two other supporters, David Dutch and James Copenhaver, who were wounded and are recovering in stable condition at a local hospital.
Describing his decision to raise his hand as the Secret Service led him off stage, Trump said he wanted to reassure the crowd that he was OK and convey a message of resilience. “And that America goes on, we go forward, that we are strong,” he stated.
The photograph capturing Trump with his fist raised, blood streaming across his face as agents surrounded him, has quickly become an iconic image of the 2024 election.
If Trump’s speech in Milwaukee centers on uniting the country, it will echo the strength projected by President Ronald Reagan in 1981, as he recovered from his own wounds inflicted by a would-be assassin in Washington, D.C.
Reflecting on the immediate aftermath of the attack, Trump said, “The energy coming from the people there in that moment, they just stood there; it’s hard to describe what that felt like, but I knew the world was looking. I knew that history would judge this, and I knew I had to let them know we are OK.”
Stay tuned to The Federalist Wire.
