“Former U.S. President Donald Trump officially accepted the Republican nomination for the upcoming November presidential election, declaring his third bid for the presidency. The Republican National Convention held this week, which took place shortly after an assassination attempt, was essentially dubbed as ‘Trump’s coronation,’ according to evaluations.
On the last day of the convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on the evening of the 18th local time, Trump announced his acceptance speech as a presidential candidate, stating, “We will rise together, or we will fall. I am running to become the president of all America, not just half. Becoming the president of only half of America is not a victory.”
His speech at the convention held significance as it marked the beginning of Trump’s official nomination as the Republican presidential candidate for his third presidential challenge. Especially significant was the fact that this was his first public address since being shot at during a campaign event in Pennsylvania on the 13th.
Standing on the stage that day, Trump, who sustained unexpected injuries from the shooting, appeared with the firefighting jacket worn by the late Corey Cottrell, a former volunteer fire chief. He also paid tribute by kissing the helmet during his speech, which was seen as part of efforts to emphasize ‘unity’ in the U.S. While his initial acceptance speech was focused on criticizing President Joe Biden and the Democratic Party, it was revised around the theme of ‘unity’ following the shooting incident. Trump emphasized the need for healing the divisions and discord in American society.
Despite his unexpected injuries, Trump showed resilience by attending the convention with bandages around his ear for several days. This stood in stark contrast to his opponent, President Biden, who faced pressure to resign due to his age-related controversies and was in isolation after testing positive for COVID-19 shortly after resuming campaigning.
In opinion polls conducted after the assassination attempt, Trump’s lead was found to have widened even further. According to a survey conducted by CBS News and YouGov from the 16th to the 18th, released on that day, Trump led with 52% support compared to Biden’s 47%, a 5-point lead. This marked an increase from a survey conducted three days earlier where Trump was leading Biden by 2% within the margin of error. In battleground states like Arizona, Georgia, and Michigan, Trump led with 51%, compared to Biden’s 48%. Additionally, 26% of respondents stated that they began supporting Trump after the shooting incident.”