What if Trump really becomes presidential now?
Surprisingly, Donald Trump, whose political career is built on division and hate, announces he wants to "heal" the USA. This is not about a new policy, but merely a different tone. Trump himself has never stuck to this.
After the attack, Trump announced a different tone for his speech at the Republican National Convention. "I had a very harsh speech ready, really good, about the corrupt, terrible government," he told the "New York Post," only to add: "But I threw it away." The Republican National Convention, which begins today in Milwaukee, will officially make Trump the Republican presidential candidate.
Will Trump now no longer be Trump? A new speech is in the works, according to the tabloid, as he says: "I will try to bring our country together." He admits, however, that this may not be possible; the country is "very divided."
A Trump who tries to pacify the USA in the coming days would indeed be surprising. For one thing, it goes against the grain of nomination conventions. They are traditionally about something else. They mark the start of the heated campaign phase, during which it's mostly about attacks on the political opponent - differences, not commonalities.
The country is rarely placated at these conventions. Instead, it's the party that is insulated. After months of primary battles, in which candidates have fought against each other for the presidential nomination, this is a show of unity. Part of the show includes defeated candidates releasing their delegates to vote for the nominee. Former Trump rival Nikki Haley did this a few days ago. In February, she called Trump "crazy" and "less capable" than in 2016. Now she says: "The nomination convention is a time for Republican unity." This unity is directed against the common enemy: Joe Biden is "not capable" of a second term, Kamala Harris "would be a disaster for America," according to Haley.
"So presidential, you'll be bored"
If such attacks are absent at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, that would be most unusual, as they are simply part of the package. But it's also - the second reason - not Trump's style. Since he announced his first presidential campaign for the Republicans in 2015, it has been said that it would be better for him to tone it down. "My wife always says: 'Honey, be more presidential.' I don't know if I really want to do that," Trump said during the 2016 primaries. "I'll be so presidential that you'll be bored."
This has not happened yet. Even the best opportunity for a reconciliatory appearance was left unused by Trump. In his inaugural address in January 2017, he did take the oath "for all Americans." But he closed the speech with his slogan: "We will make America great again." It was a campaign speech, even though Trump had already become President and could have stopped fighting.
This time it's supposed to be different? The "New York Post" reported that Trump spoke on the flight to Milwaukee about the campaign becoming "civil." The newspaper, which is politically close to Trump, did not provide details, raising doubts. At the same time, the article's author described Trump as looking disturbed when he saw the video of the attack for the first time during the interview. "He shook his head more than once, looking unsettled at how close he had come to death," the article states.
Trump wants to "unite the whole country, even the whole world"
During the conversation on the plane to Milwaukee, there was also a journalist from the "Washington Examiner," another conservative paper. "The speech I was going to give on Thursday was sharp," Trump is quoted as saying there. It would have been "one of the most incredible speeches" and would have primarily targeted Biden. Now, however, he has the opportunity to "unite the whole country, even the whole world." At the same time, Trump made it clear that it's only about the tone and not about political content. He doesn't want to make compromises. There are "good people on the other side," he claimed, or those who "want to see men play in women's sports," or those who want "open borders."
Even in the announcement of the new speech, Trump hinted at how "corrupt and decayed" the Democrats are. He threw away the old speech, Trump said: "I think it would be very bad if I stood up and ranted about how terrible they all are and how corrupt and decayed, even if it's true." It sounds through that Trump, in fact, enjoys ranting, as he has been doing for years. His first speech as a politician in June 2015 was full of hate speech against Mexicans and "these politicians." Trump has never calmed down since then.
It's tactically smart for Trump to retreat now. Only with the help of moderate voters can he win the presidential election in November; his radical fans are already with him. According to the "Washington Examiner," Trump has already received such advice from politics and the economy. Given the last eight years, this idea is extremely unlikely, the newspaper notes skeptically. "But an attempted murder is a very big deal."
The announcement of a more conciliatory tone from Donald Trump during the 2020 US Presidential Election campaign was unexpected, given his history of divisive rhetoric. Even in the past, Trump had mentioned his wife's advice to be more presidential, but his speeches often reflected his usual fiery style.
In the 2016 US Presidency Election, Trump's inaugural address was still a campaign speech, focusing on his slogan to "make America great again," despite him already being the President. This indicated a reluctance to move away from his polarizing tactics, even after his election victory.
Looking towards the 2024 US Presidency Election, Nikki Haley, a former Trump rival, called for Republican unity in the face of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, suggesting a continued divisions-focused approach within politics. This shows that Trump's call for unity might be an anomaly in the context of nomination conventions and political campaigns.
