Former President Donald Trump arrived Thursday at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, where he’s set to accept the Republican nomination for president for a third time, closing out the Republican National Convention with what’s expected to be a personal speech rewritten in the wake of the assassination attempt against him to focus on “unity,” according to multiple reports.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump arrives on the fourth day of the Republican National Convention ... [+]
Trump entered the arena to AC/DC’s “Back in Black” just before 8 p.m. EDT, ahead of his 10 p.m. speech.
Former First Lady Melania Trump is expected to appear at the convention for the first time Thursday to hear her husband’s speech, one of her first official appearances on the campaign trail during her husband’s third run for president.
The speech will mark the first time Trump has spoken publicly since he was shot at his rally Saturday in Pennsylvania (he spoke at a private event in Milwaukee on Wednesday, telling supporters “God was with me.”)
Trump has attended the prime-time speeches during the previous three days of the convention, with a bandage covering the bullet wound to his right ear; he appeared visibly emotional as he entered the arena Monday, marking his first major public appearance since the assassination attempt.
Former Fox News personality Tucker Carlson, retired wrestler Hulk Hogan and Ultimate Fighting Championship President Dana White are among the speakers scheduled for prime-time addresses before Trump takes the stage.
Trump rewrote his speech in the wake of the assassination attempt to focus less on attacking President Joe Biden and more on a message of unity, he told The Washington Examiner over the weekend. “This is a chance to bring the whole country, even the whole world, together,” Trump said.
Trump’s speech comes as the presidential race could undergo another drastic change in the coming days as some top Democrats expect President Joe Biden will end his reelection bid following the backlash from his June 27 debate performance, Axios reported. Trump will accept the nomination Thursday as he has widened his lead over Biden to three points—a 1.5-point increase since the June 27 debate, according to RealClearPolitics’ polling average.
Trump’s speech comes after Ohio Sen. JD Vance made his national debut as Trump’s running mate at the convention Wednesday, delivering a speech that leaned heavily on his Rust Belt roots in an appeal to Midwestern voters. Tuesday’s convention line-up featured several ex-Trump foes, including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who endorsed Trump for the first time since she ran against him in this year’s GOP primary.
JD Vance Highlights ‘Hillbilly Elegy’ Roots—And Praises Trump—In Debut RNC Speech (Forbes)
Nikki Haley Endorses Donald Trump At Day 2 Of Republican Convention (Forbes)