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Donald Trump’s performance in Milwaukee on Thursday night, which may well have sealed the outcome of the 2024 election, is largely unparalleled in recent American political history.
The former president has avoided the polarization and division that characterized much of his past rhetoric. In his speech formally accepting the Republican nomination, there were only a few mentions of the 2020 election. Trump was able to hit key messages in a convincing way when talking about topics like inflation and especially immigration, and arguably responded to fundamental concerns of Americans.
I don’t say this to exaggerate, because I have never been — and still am not — a Trump supporter. But as a political analyst, you have to acknowledge reality. The facts of this speech are simple: Trump talked about the American dream, he talked about bringing people together, he talked about helping African Americans, Hispanics, and those who have been left behind.
In short, Trump did something he has almost never done before: spoke to all of the American people. As he said, he didn’t want to address 50% of the American people, but 100% of the American people.
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Trump also understands that now is not the time to attack President Biden personally or even by name. His one mention of Biden was meant to give people in Milwaukee and across the country a sense of his thinking at a time when the current president is still reeling from a poor debate performance and the coronavirus pandemic, rather than making him appear like a victim. Same. Instead, Trump was able to convincingly crystallize the challenges the American people faced with the current administration and provide some assurance that things would be different under his leadership.
To be sure, Trump made no specific policy proposals in his speech other than closing borders and cutting taxes. Instead, his remarks exuded a level of optimism and confidence that has been conspicuously lacking in the darker and more pessimistic speeches the 45th president of the United States has delivered over the years.
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He also recounted in a tasteful and compassionate manner what happened to him last Saturday in Butler Township, Pennsylvania. Even though I know the story well and have watched the video many times.
In other words, the entire speech and its production made Trump more likable and compassionate than ever before.
To be sure, getting to this point has helped the former president, no matter how difficult and challenging the situation. But regardless, he stepped up and offered the American people something profound that the current administration is missing: hope, strength, and a sense that our country’s best is yet to come.
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I fully expect Trump’s poll results this week to boost his approval ratings. I say that not just because of his speech Thursday night, but because of the conference as a whole. This is one of the best choreographed and produced programs I have ever seen in my 50 years of watching American political conventions.
The Republican Party’s focus on appealing to working people and those who enjoy sports like professional wrestling and the UFC signals the party’s desire to expand its constituency and solidify its status as the party of working-class Americans.
I also believe, if I’m right, and Trump does rise in post-Republican convention polls, that support for Joe Biden has been buoyant since his poor debate performance three weeks ago. Steadily declining, that support will only grow, and so will the pressure on Trump. In fact, it now seems inevitable.
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It’s hard to see how Joe Biden, Kamala Harris or any of the Democratic nominees will compete with this speech and this week’s events. I fully expect that divisions within the Democratic Party will only be exacerbated by the success of the Republican National Convention.
As an American, I’m pleased, even proud, that Republicans are clearly, I think for the first time, seeking to unify the country and put aside the bitterness and resentment that is so often evident.
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As a Democrat, I’m not sure how my party will respond to Trump’s candidacy in a month or so. For now, it’s fair to say that the challenges it faces are only getting bigger and more substantial, following what can only be described as an unqualified success this week in speeches and conferences. The Milwaukee event and speech will withstand any attempt by the mainstream media to discredit Trump and his speech. (They have already started.)
Some might say Trump’s speech Thursday night was too long. This may be true. But unlike political commentators, the American people just turn off the TV, and they don’t take points off candidates for being verbose.
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