The gunman was killed by a law enforcement sniper moments after he shot at the former president. Trump noted the seemingly miraculous nature of his survival.
“The amazing thing is that prior to the shot, if I had not moved my head at that very last instant, the assassin’s bullet would have perfectly hit its mark and I would not be here tonight. … I stand before you in this arena only by the grace of almighty God. And watching the reports over the last few days, many people say it was a providential moment. Probably was.”
Trump later asked for a moment of silence for Corey Comperatore, the retired fire chief who was killed after being struck by a bullet during the assassination attempt, and noted the two others wounded during the attack were doing much better.
The full acceptance speech lasted 93 minutes, which broke Trump’s previous record for longest speech at the Republican Convention, which he set with his 2016 address.
Among the topics Trump’s speech covered was welcoming his new vice presidential candidate J.D. Vanc
The 16-page platform references abortion in just one paragraph, celebrating the overturning of Roe v. Wade, opposing late-term abortion and vowing to “protect and defend a vote of the people, from within the states, on the issue of life.”
The apparent retreat from pro-life issues drew criticism from Southern Baptists as well as former vice president Mike Pence, who called the platform “a profound disappointment to the millions of pro-life Republicans.”
The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) had previously urged the Republican party not to retreat on its historic pro-life stance.
It is the first time since 1984 that the party’s platform did not include a refence to biblical marriage between one man and one woman.
Despite several references to God in the speeches by Trump and Vance, He drew just one mention in this year’s Republican party platform. God was mentioned 15 times in the 2016 party platform.
Conservative LGBTQ+ advocates also celebrated what they called the omission of “anti-LGBT language.”
The lack of language regarding LGBTQ+ topics in the platform is a reflection of a public policy shift across the nation regarding the issue.
Another sign of the GOP’s shift – “big-tent” party as Vance described it – is the speakers chosen for the convention.
The speaker lineup, heavily influenced by Trump, featured political commentator Tucker Carlson, wrestling superstar Hulk Hogan, UFC CEO
Leave a Reply