Former President Donald Trump will officially accept the GOP presidential nomination Thursday night and deliver his first speech since his assassination attempt on Saturday, capping a spectacular Republican convention at a time of political uncertainty.
Trump will make his key comments at a time when he is pushing for a more unified message after taking office last weekend and as he rides the political winds of the summer and fall, fueled by President Joe Biden’s June debate and subsequent Democratic angst.
Such a tone would mark a shift for Trump personally and for American politics at large, although operators and conventioneers had predicted a quieter speech focused on unifying the country, with the nation enthralled by news of the former’s attempted life. president at Butler. , Pennsylvania.
“I think he is a changed person. Any time you come to a millimeter of your life, that has an impact. I think, from his point of view, he does not want to be a figure that can be separated. that the country is desperate for unity and needs unity,” said Bryan Lanza, a former Trump campaign official who remains in touch with the team today.
“It’s just not the time for the people, and it’s just not the time for the Republican Party. It’s the time for the country,” he added. “We’re in for a surprise. We might be at the funeral today.”
Trump said he changed his speech after Saturday’s shooting, saying it was initially set to be a “humdinger” but would now be “more of a unity speech.”
In an era when few people are considering political disruption, especially in races between current and former presidents with near-universal name recognition, the speech marked a rare moment in which Trump could hold the stage at a pivotal point in the race, although it’s unclear exactly how the dynamic has changed. election.
“When you’re at this level, there are only certain speeches that the world stops and listens to, and your nomination speech is one,” said veteran GOP strategist Chip Saltsman.
“Unity” has been a buzz word since Saturday, with leaders of both parties lamenting the violence and calling for a new civility in the country’s politics.
However, such a tone could also help Trump politically, operators predict.
While in office, Trump garnered support from suburban voters — enough to cost him re-election in 2020. The defections were more about tone than disapproval of policy, and now, with polls showing Biden with disapproval ratings , more evenly. The approach of Trump can help win some voters back to the side, including in detail immediately after the shooting, strategic said.
“How do you get a Republican who doesn’t like you? How do you get an unbiased, independent decision? And how do you get a Democrat who doesn’t like Joe Biden? Obviously, this is mostly a problem-type conversation. , but I think in this case they can do it emotionally,” Saltsman said.
Republican presidential candidate, former President Donald Trump walks on stage before the start of the third day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum, on July 17, 2024, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Leon Neal/Getty Images
Of course, Trump is still expected to follow Biden’s record, demanding a kind of contrast to the policies he has pursued since the election began.
“I look forward to hearing about the Afghanistan withdrawal and the economy and the border and the big picture issues that are shaping up in this campaign,” said a former senior Trump administration official. “A lot of things I think he covers regularly in rallies, but it’s going to be more surgical, if Trump can be surgical.”
“I think you’re going to see Kamala add a good amount to Biden’s criticism. I think that the news today makes it clear that he’s still pushing for that, and President Trump really wants this to be an option for him,” the person added, referring to the conversation. which is growing in support of Democratic calls for Biden to drop out of the race.
And it’s still unclear exactly how long the veneer of unity can last. Politics has morphed into a blood sport in the US, and those who work for both candidates may be more willing to push the envelope when going after their opponents.
“I’ll be honest, it won’t be the tone you hear from the rest of us, we are experienced operatives. We fight, and that’s how we gain our position by fighting,” said Lanza.
Interviews with conventioneers reveal Trump’s signature appetite for unity and punch.
“Peace and unity because right now we are a very divided country,” said Awet Gebremariam, a delegate from California, when asked what he wanted to hear from Trump. “He almost lost his life. And I think he’s very subdued and he’s very reserved and he’s very weak now. And I think he’s going to give a very good speech, maybe very different from his previous speech.”
Others, like Daniel Bobay, alternate delegate from Texas, want more of a mix, arguing that “you can fight well.”
“I hope so,” said Elizabeth Hines-Ferrick, a delegate from Massachusetts, when asked if she wanted the rhetoric to tone down. “But at least I still expect him to be a fighter, because he speaks straight from the heart.”
Politically, Democrats acknowledge Trump’s more unified tone could make it harder to defeat him as a threat to democracy, especially after the shooting, though they doubt he can stick around long after the GOP convention.
“I think there was an early concern that if Trump could play it the right way, he could look like a unifier and go off brand,” one Democratic strategist said. “But at the same time, I would say that no one is sure that he can continue to play the straight man.”
But until Thursday, Trump was almost guaranteed a hero’s welcome, no matter what he said.
“I think it’s going to be epic,” said a former senior administration official. “Everyone in the hall loves the man, and he speaks to them for the first time since Saturday will have a very noisy atmosphere. I imagine it will be emotional. You will see teary-eyed delegates and hooting and hollering.”
ABC News’ Jonathan Karl contributed to this report.
