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Trump embraces Melania after marathon convention speech reliving 'painful' details of the assassination attempt... then jokes about his ear and hammers Biden in return to rally attacks
Donald Trump was uncharacteristically emotional as he took to the stage last night at the Republican convention in Milwaukee, sharing a tender embrace with his wife Melania as he recounted the experience of being shot.
Friends, aides and his family - many of whom joined him on the stage last night - say the experience changed a former president known for his barnstorming rally speeches and punchy language.
The Republican presidential nominee was seen hugging his loved ones and planting a kiss on his grandson's cheek as he waved to the crowd which greeted them with rapturous applause.
Describing the moment an assassin's bullet sliced through his now heavily bandaged ear, the 78-year-old told his supporters: 'I'm not supposed to be here.'
But the sentiment was met with chants of 'yes you are! Yes you are!' - a response which again invoked clear emotion on the face of the former president as he said: 'Thank you... but I'm not.'
He spent the first 15 minutes of his more than 90-minute-long speech talking about the attempt on his life, declaring the attack had only made him 'more determined than ever' and encouraged the nation to 'unite'.
Trump also kissed the helmet of former fire chief Corey Comperatore, who died in the shooting after diving on top of his family and shielding them from the bullets, and said that he only survived by the grace of God.
Donald Trump was uncharacteristically emotional as he took to the stage last night at the Republican convention in Milwaukee, sharing a tender embrace with his wife Melania
Trump and former First Lady Melania Trump (R), celebrate after he delivered remarks during the last day of the Republican National Convention (RNC) at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA, 18 July 2024
Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump, stands on stage with Melania
Donald Trump hugs one of his grandsons, Melania waves to the Fiserv Forum crowd and Ivanka smiles at the end of the former president's speech
Trump kisses a helmet and firefighter's jacket that belonged to Corey Comperatore, who was fatally shot at a rally where Trump survived an assassination attempt, as he accepts his party's nomination on the last day of the 2024 Republican National Convention
Donald Trump expressed gratitude for an outpouring of love after being wounded by an assassin's bullet when he addressed the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee
Republican presidential nominee, former U.S. President Donald Trump and members of the Trump family
Balloons fall after Republican presidential nominee, former U.S. President Donald Trump officially accepted the Republican presidential nomination on the fourth day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum on July 18, 2024 in Milwaukee
'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,' he said.
Trump went on to say he wanted to be a president for all Americans, including Democrats, and wanted to heal the divided country.
'In an age when our politics too often divide us, now is the time to remember that we are all fellow citizens,' Trump said.
But this new, humbler version of the former president did not last long.
Once the assassination attempt was covered, the Trump more familiar to Americans - the bombastic thrower of insults who revels in demonizing his opponents - re-emerged.
He railed against Joe Biden - describing him as the worst president in US history - praised the fictional psychopath Hannibal Lecter, called Nancy Pelosi 'crazy,' and offered up some of the greatest hits from his rally speeches as he rambled on for 92 minutes.
Once again he falsely claimed Democrats had cheated during the 2020 election he lost, and accused them of launching judicial witch hunts to create a 'planet of war'.
'The Democrat Party should immediately stop weaponizing the justice system and labeling their political opponent as an enemy of democracy, especially since that is not true,' Trump said.
'In fact, I am the one saving democracy for the people of our country,' he said.
His address marked the climax of the four-day Republican convention, during which Trump formally accepted the presidential nomination ahead of November's election.
Republican presidential nominee and former President Donald Trump and former First Lady Melania Trump
Trump has allowed a more emotional side of himself to be seen this week.
And in his convention speech he described the pain he felt in talking about the shooting.
'Let me begin this evening by expressing my gratitude to the American people for your outpouring of love and support following the assassination attempt at my rally on Saturday,' he said.
'As you already know, the assassin's bullet came within a quarter of an inch of taking my life. So many people have asked me what happened, and therefore, I'll tell you what happened, and you'll never hear it from me a second time, because it's too painful to tell.'
He went on to describe in graphic terms how he realized he was under attack.
'I heard a loud whizzing sound and felt something hit me really, really hard on my right ear,' he said in an almost disbelieving tone.
'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.'
Trump speaks after officially accepting the Republican presidential nomination on stage on the fourth day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum on July 18, 2024
Republican presidential nominee Donald J. Trump (L) goes to kiss his wife Melania Trump (R)
Republican presidential candidate and former president, Donald Trump, and Republican vice presidential candidate Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, watch with their families as the balloons fall during the final day of the Republican National Convention Thursday, July 18, 2024
Trump is the master of the big entrance and Thursday was no exception as his name lit up
Former first lady Melania Trump has been absent from the campaign trail so far. But she made a stunning entrance on Thursday and joined her husband on stage when his speech ended
The floor of the arena quieted to silence. Tears streamed down more than one face.
Even the exuberant Wisconsin delegation, who found any excuse to wave their Cheesehead hats, were stilled.
'I felt very safe because I had God on my side,' he said, thanking the Secret Service agents who put their own bodies on the line as more gunshots sounded.
'And then it all stopped,' he continued, marveling at the way the shooter was taken down at distance by a single Secret Service bullet from a sniper's rifle.
For all the new, softer tone, the evening was still very much a red-blooded Trump occasion.
Hulk Hogan ripped off his shirt, three speakers praised the former president's golfing prowess, and Kid Rock added a chant of 'fight, fight' and a line about 'No Show Joe;' to his classic hit 'American Bad Ass.'
And even in his most somber moment Trump managed to lighten the mood with a fact he learned after being wounded.
'If something happens with the ears, they bleed more than any other part of the body, for whatever reason, the doctors told me that,' he said.
'So we learn something.'
Trump has allowed a more emotional side of himself to be seen this week. And in his convention speech he described the pain he felt in talking about the shooting
Members of the Trump family join the Republican candidate and his running mate J.D. Vance and wife Usha to watch the balloon drop
Trump's marathon address marked the climax of the four-day Republican convention
Trump raises his fist to the camera with his 17-year-old granddaughter Kai in the background
Before Trump spoke, Hulk Hogan electrified the crowd by ripping off his shirt to expose hie Trump-Vance campaign vest
Supporters were rapt with attention as Trump described the moment he was shot
There were balloons at the end of the speech, cascading on to the convention floor
The delegates, organized by state on the arena floor, from Hawaii at one end to Delaware at the other, lapped it up with delight.'
There was a shout-out for his wife too, who was watching from the family box.
'On this journey, I am deeply honored to be joined by my amazing wife, Melania,' he said, as she stood and beamed.
'Thank you, Melania, and thank you also for your beautiful letter to America calling for national unity. It captivated so many.'
After describing the shooting, Trump transitioned into one of his rally-style speeches, talking up his administration's achievements, hammering Biden for inflation and promising to deport illegal immigrants.
He tossed off exaggerations and downright misleading statements as he went, railing some of his favorite targets such as electric cars.
'They built eight chargers at a certain location ... eight charges for $9 billion,' he said.
Although only eight charges have been built from a federal fund of billions, most of the rest of the money remains available for more projects.
Former first lady Melania Trump joined her husband on Thursday evening as he signed the paperwork to officially accept the Republican nomination
Donald Trump arrived for the final night of the Republican convention in Milwaukee with an iron grip on the party just days after an assassin's bullet sliced through his ear
Once again it provided a stunning split screen view of American politics.
As the 78-year-old former president basked in the adoration of his supporters, his 81-year-old rival Joe Biden was holed up at his Delaware beach home with COVID-19, fighting for his political life as his party tries to move on and find a better candidate for the election.
Once again, Trump holds the Republican Party in the palm of his hand.
Yet that was far from certain when he announced in 2022 that he was running for the White House again.
He had lost the 2020 election and alienated allies by his desperate attempt to hang on to power.
Days before he launched his election campaign the Republican Party's 'red wave' had evaporated in the midterms. Strategists blamed the disappointing results on Trump's hardline policies and role in overturning constitutional protections on abortion rights.
Four sets of criminal charges followed and a conviction in New York court.
Yet his grip on his party is now stronger than Biden's. And the shooting on Saturday helped bring in even doubters like Nikki Haley, who had called him 'unhinged' during their bitter primary contest.
John Fredericks, radio host and Trump confidant, said the party was changing in the wake of the assassination attempt just as its leader had changed.
'You can't go through a near-death experience, survive death by a millimeter by turning your head by the hand of God and not change your perspective on a lot of different things,' he said.
In two weeks, he said, the 'lock him up' chants and calls for retribution would be history.
Republican presidential nominee and former U.S. President Donald Trump, Lara Trump, Eric Luke Trump, and Carolina Dorothy Trump look on
A supporter wearing an ear bandage in solidarity with former President Donald Trump
Thursday was president's day. Trump's fingerprints were all over the program, with three employees and a son on the schedule.
The speakers described as 'everyday Americans' included his West Palm Beach golf club chief pro John Nieporte, who praised his 'perfect swing.'
His lawyer Alina Habba had a slot ('one heck of a golf swing), had a speaking slot as did his one of his closest friends Steve Witkoff, a real estate mogul.
House Speaker Mike Johnson said Trump was the right man for the times and that his takeover of the party was never in doubt.
'He's a strong leader at a dangerous time for the country and we need that kind of leadership,' he said, as he patrolled the floor of the convention, stopping for selfies. 'I think that's what's energized everyone.
'After the assassination attempt the emotion behind him and the support is even stronger.'