5 takeaways from Donald Trump’s Republican convention acceptance speech

Noah Bierman | (TNS) Los Angeles Times

WASHINGTON — Former President Donald Trump delivered his formal acceptance speech for the Republican presidential nomination on Thursday, another step in an unprecedented campaign.

Here is what was notable from his remarks at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee:

—A brief tonal shift

Trump began his speech with a subdued tone, reading from a teleprompter, something he once said should be illegal for presidential candidates. It made a difference at first. The divisive Trump from his rallies and news conferences was replaced, early in his speech, by a uniter.

“I am running to be president for all of America, not half of America, because there is no victory in winning for half of America,” he said.

“Whether you’re young or old, man or woman, Democrat, Republican or independent, Black or white, Asian or Hispanic, I extend to you a hand of loyalty and of friendship,” he said at another point.

It didn’t last.

Trump entered politics with false claims about former President Barack Obama’s birthplace — alleging the first Black president was born overseas — and rallied supporters in the 2016 campaign with chants of “lock her up!” against former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

As president, Trump almost always governed with his base in mind, while castigating “haters and losers,” even in holiday tweets. His 2017 inaugural speech painted a dark portrait of “American carnage.”

As a candidate, he has continued to use coarse language, calling migrants “vermin” who are “poisoning” American blood, warning of a “bloodbath” for the auto industry if he is not elected.

As Thursday’s speech wore on, the gentle tone melted away and he accused his opponents of cheating in elections — an unfounded claim — said that other countries were “sending their murderers to the United States of America,” and said his opponents were creating “a planet of war.”

—‘It’s actually too painful to tell’

Trump spoke for the first and what he said would be the only time about what happened when “the assassin’s bullet came within a quarter of an inch of taking my life” at last weekend’s rally in Pennsylvania.

He was “very lucky” because he was starting to turn his head and paused before he heard “a loud whizzing sound and felt something hit me really, really hard on my right ear.”

“I said to myself, ‘Wow, what was that? It can only be a bullet.’ And moved my right hand to my ear, brought it down. My hand was covered with blood,” he said.

Trump praised the crowd for not fleeing the scene and the Secret Service agents, who have come under scrutiny for security lapses, for protecting him and killing the assassin.

Crediting God for saving him, he said, “I’m not supposed to be here tonight.”

“Yes, you are!” the crowd chanted back.

Trump then walked across the stage to the uniform and helmet of Corey Comperatore, a volunteer firefighter killed in the attack, to pay his respects.

The moment was powerful and also a reminder of how large a role the events are now playing in Trump’s campaign. Speakers talked about the tragedy throughout the four-day convention, often speaking about Trump’s survival as an act of divine intervention.

—Turning the tables on the democracy concerns