During the final day of the Republican National Convention, attendees, viewers at home, and even those who oppose him were prepared to watch the first public comments of former President Donald Trump — tabbed as the party’s presidential nominee — since being shot at Pennsylvania rally last Saturday.
The Republican party nominee spoke of his newfound appreciation for life after taking a bullet to the ear from a would-be assassin last week.
“I stand before you this evening with a message of confidence, strength, and hope,” Trump said in the early portion of his speech. “Together, we will launch a new era of safety, prosperity and freedom for citizens of every race, religion, color, and creed … “The discord and division in our society must be healed. As Americans, we are bound together by a single fate and a shared destiny. We rise together. Or we fall apart.”
““None of us knows God’s plan, or where life’s adventure will take us. But if the events of last Saturday make anything clear, it is that every single moment we have on Earth is a gift from God. We have to make the most of every day for the people and country we love,” Trump later added.
As expected, the comments from Trump drew rave reviews from conservative media members.
Donald Trump spoke for just over 90 minutes at Thursday’s convention. Several media members had jokes about the length of the speech, and also the customary balloon drop at the conclusion of the convention.
One balloon for every minute of his speech.
— Jason Rantz on KTTH Radio (@jasonrantz) July 19, 2024
In addition to former President Donald Trump speaking at the Republican National Convention Thursday evening, the party welcomed Hulk Hogan, five-time WWF Champion and WWE Hall of Famer, to the stage to stump for the nominee.
Hogan told Fox News anchor Bret Baier he had considered a run for politics in his own right, but was always afraid to speak out on issues. However, the assassination attempt — he said — gave him the courage to reveal his support for the former President.
During his speech, he took off his suit jacket, and ripped his cut-off t-shirt — a trademark of his professional wrestling days — to reveal a Trump/Vance 2024 garment.
Additionally, former Fox News host Tucker Carlson took the main stage on Thursday evening. Interestingly, his former cable news home aired his speech, while both CNN and MSNBC cut away from his 12-minute remarks in favor of other content.
During his speech, Carlson took the opportunity to praise Donald Trump for taking the high road after the assassination attempt last week. “He turned down the most obvious opportunity in politics to inflame the nation after being shot,” Carlson said. “In the moment, he did his best to bring the country together.” He later added that people questioning whether or not there is a God “are starting to wonder: maybe there’s something to this.”
After his speech concluded, Jesse Watters — who took over Carlson’s previous 8 PM ET timeslot on Fox News — joked “That was Tucker Carlson. You may remember him from the eight o’clock hour here.”
As the Republican National Convention concluded Thursday, the overarching feeling in conservative media circles was that the event was a unifying moment for the party, with even CNN analyst Van Jones — who often catches the ire of conservative pundits — stating “The last time I was at a convention that felt like this was Obama in 2008. There’s something happening.”
