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!”
