His message was clear: God, love and unity. Donald Trump is often mocked for his less-than-coherent improvisations during long-winded speeches. Yet the way the former president reacted to the assassination attempt against him on Saturday, July 13, at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, testified to an exceptional political instinct.
Hit in the right ear by a 20-year-old gunman who was lying on a roof near the secure perimeter, Trump had the presence of mind to think about the imagery of the moment. Despite the chaos and the agents urging him to evacuate, he gave his supporters a sign of vitality and determination. He raised his fist to the sky, articulating the word "fight!" while blood streaked down his right cheek. The now iconic photo of this moment is of rare power. Then, from Sunday onwards, Trump focused on what was to come: the Republican National Convention (RNC), which is set to confirm his nomination in the race for the White House, opened on Monday, July 15, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
In a message published on his Truth Social media network, the former president adopted an unusual tone. He spoke of "faith," "prayer" and "God," paying tribute to the shooter's three victims (one dead and two seriously injured). "In this moment, it's more important than ever that we stand united, and show our true character as Americans, remaining strong and determined, and not allowing evil to win." It was a call for national unity from the divider-in-chief. It's the latest chapter – of highly uncertain length – in an incomparable and unpredictable presidential campaign that has put the United States under extreme tension.
Trump also confirmed that he would be speaking at the convention in Milwaukee, where he landed late this afternoon. It was to be a euphoric celebration, in an extremely favorable context for the candidate. Gone were the divisions and tempers within the Republican Party. The ideological and authoritarian drift has been accepted. Now unrecognizable to its veterans, the Grand Old Party (GOP) is moving forward with the discipline of a Roman legion.
The Republican National Convention, scheduled to run until July 18, will mark the crowning of a man and a strategy. The MAGA ("Make America Great Again") movement is up and running. It has absorbed the Republican Party, its organizational chart and its finances. Trump, meanwhile, is enjoying a period of political bliss unprecedented since his election in 2016. In his third bid for the White House, one good news story follows another, much to the despair of the Democrats. There's a premature feeling in the air that his victory is a foregone conclusion.
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