Donald Trump took the stage to his traditional “God Bless the U.S.A.” campaign song, with a bandage still on his right ear. The exultant crowd sang along and waved their phone flashlights.
Trump then began a speech that lasted at least an hour and 20 minutes, breaking his own record for the longest Republican National Convention speech.
The audience was initially captivated, with Trump using visual elements early on. He projected an image of the White House behind him, followed by images of his bloodied face and raised fist after the attempted assassination on Saturday. At one point, he stood by the uniform of fire chief Corey Comperatore, who was killed at the Pennsylvania rally shooting. Later, he showed a chart about illegal immigration, calling it the chart that had saved his life, as he had turned to look at it when the gunman fired.
The crowd was silent as Trump recounted the events in Pennsylvania, but they reacted when he mentioned how doctors told him the ears were the bloodiest part of the human body. “So we learned something,” he said, before adding, “I’m not supposed to be here tonight.” The audience erupted into chants of “Yes you are!”
One of the biggest cheers of the night came when Trump introduced his wife Melania, who hasn’t appeared with him at political events since his presidential bid announcement. The crowd stood up when Trump introduced Ohio Sen. JD Vance, his newly chosen running mate. “JD, you’re going to be doing this for a long time,” Trump said. “Enjoy the ride.”
Despite prior statements that Trump wouldn’t mention Biden, he acknowledged in his speech that he wasn’t supposed to say the name and only planned to use it once, before saying it twice.
The crowd cheered loudly when Trump referred to Covid as the “China virus” and when he promised to eliminate taxes on tips.
However, by the end, the crowd grew restless. Trump continued speaking for 40 more minutes after his family exited their private box, indicating the planned end of the speech. He went off script, sounding similar to his rally speeches. Audience members started checking their phones, stretching, and some even fell asleep. A few giggled when Trump said, “So to conclude,” then spoke for another 10 minutes.
As Trump wrapped up with a “Make America Great Again” chant, the Trump family returned to the stage and balloons dropped. It was clear: this truly is Trump’s party, and the people are sticking around no matter how long he speaks.
