To close the Republican National Convention Thursday, the former President Donald Trump swore that he will continue to fight for a unified America.
“As Americans we are gathered by a single faith and a shared destiny,” Trump opened. “I am running to be president of all of America, not half of America.”
He also took the opportunity to share his personal experience of the Saturday attempt on his life in Butler, Pennsylvania.
“There was blood pouring over me, but in a way, I felt very safe, as I had God on my side,” he said. “Bullets were flying over us, but I felt serene.”
“[The crowd] knew I was in very serious trouble…. They thought, most did, that I was dead,” Trump said.
“I’m not supposed to be here tonight,” said Trump. “Yes you are!” the crowd chanted in response.
Trump described how he knew in the moment he needed to show strength to his supporters who believed he was gone. “I raised my right arm, looked at the thousands and thousands of people who were desperately waiting, and said ‘Fight, Fight, Fight!’” The crowd echoed the chant.
Trump also called upon the crowd to remember Corey Comperatore, who died protecting his family at the rally. He acknowledged Corey’s sacrifice with a moment of silence, while the departed firefighter’s jacket and helmet were displayed on-stage. The former president walked over to the gear and kissed the helmet.
“This election should be about the issues facing our country,” he continued. “Now is the time to remember we are all fellow citizens, one nation under God with liberty and justice for all.”
“If Democrats want to unify our country, they should drop these partisan witch hunts,” he declared.
He segued into a classically Trumpian discussion of policies and issues that are facing the country: immigration, the economy, inflation, new wars abroad, growing threats in the Middle East, energy independence, infrastructure, and more. “Our planet is teetering on the edge of World War Three,” he said.
He focused on illegal immigration for much of the speech, displaying the “beautiful chart” touting the success of his administration in mitigating the border crisis that he had at his Butler rally. “I never got to see it that day,” he joked.
Trump called for his supporters to “be excited” for the future. “We will not break, we will not back down, and I will never stop fighting for you, and your family, and our magnificent country.”
“The movement has never been about me. It has always been about you,” Trump emphasized. “America is on the cusp of a new golden age.”
November “can’t come fast enough,” he said. “Success is going to bring us together.”
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