10
Loading video...
By Daniel Bush
White House Correspondent
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
Republicans rallied around former President Donald Trump two days after his assassination attempt and attacked President Joe Biden's policies and fitness for office Monday on the opening day of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.
Trump and his newly announced running mate, Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio, officially became the Republican presidential and vice presidential nominees, cementing the party's 2024 ticket.
For Trump, the nomination represents his third consecutive election atop the GOP presidential ticket—an unprecedented accomplishment that reflects his political staying power and grip over a party that he has transformed since his first run for the White House in 2016.
Read More on U.S.
...
For Vance, Monday's festivities represented his first big step onto the national stage. Vance is scheduled to accept the vice presidential nomination later in the week, teeing up Trump's acceptance speech Thursday night.
Here are key takeaways from Day 1 of the RNC.
Trump Steals the Show With Dramatic Appearance
Trump dominated proceedings even before he made a surprise appearance toward the end of the program, with speakers portraying his presidency as a period of record economic growth and stability that was lost under Biden.
In the most dramatic moment of the night, Trump received a raucous standing ovation when he entered Fiserv Forum wearing a white bandage over his right ear, covering the gunshot wound he sustained in the attack last Saturday. Trump watched the final hour of speeches from a VIP section alongside Vance, House Speaker Mike Johnson, former Fox News host Tucker Carlson and members of his family.
Various Republicans Monday used the assassination attempt to portray Trump as an American hero, bolstering the fighter persona he's cultivated with supporters over the years.
...
Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina called Trump "an American lion." Rep. Wesley Hunt of Texas said the attack against Trump proved he was "putting it all on the line." North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, who is running for governor, referred to Trump as the "braveheart of our time."
Trump didn't speak Monday night. It remains to be seen how he'll address the attack in his speech on Thursday.
The MAGA Takeover
Fiserv Forum was awash in red Make America Great Again hats and other MAGA gear Monday, lending the arena the feel of a Trump campaign rally as much as a party nominating convention. The presidential nominee is always the star, of course. But Trump's presence could be felt everywhere, underscoring his takeover of the party in the past decade.
Trump's influence could be seen in the lineup of speakers, which included several conservative firebrands who have styled themselves in Trump's image. The most prominent in this group was Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, a far-right Republican and outspoken Trump backer.
...
"Today is a celebration" of Trump, Greene said at the start of her speech Monday night, before referring to the former president as the "founding father of the America First movement."
Greene went on to denounce transgender rights, claimed Democrats under Biden created an economy that was "of, by and for illegal aliens," and criticized the U.S. for spending billions to aid Ukraine in its war against Russia.
Greene's speech and similar remarks Monday night by other Republicans encapsulated views that are widely popular among Trump's base and with a growing number of conservatives in Congress. They fired up the convention crowd—and could energize supporters to turn out for Trump in November.
But the convention's de facto MAGA branding may also play into Biden's hand. Biden has sought to tie Trump to what he often calls the extreme MAGA Republican Party, a line of attack meant to appeal to moderate and independent voters. Trump may have moderated his stance on abortion ahead of the convention and distanced himself from the controversial Project 2025 group. But the RNC will give Biden plenty of fodder to paint Trump and his political movement as being outside the political mainstream.
Biden's Age Under the Microscope
Questions about Biden's age and mental acuity were dominating the 2024 election cycle before being sidelined by the assassination attempt on Trump. On Monday, Republicans made sure to move Biden's age to the forefront again.
Biden, at 81, is the oldest president in U.S. history. Trump, at 78, would be the second oldest if elected to a second term. Biden has faced growing pressure from Democrats to drop out of the race after a disastrous debate performance last month where he looked weak and often lost his train of thought.
"Joe Biden is asleep at the wheel and we're headed over a cliff," Scott said in his speech, trying out an indirect line of attack. Sen. Katie Britt of Alabama was more blunt. "We know the current president is not capable of turning things around. His weakness is costing us," Britt said.
At another point in the evening, a video played on giant screens inside the arena didn't mince words. "He can't even walk up steps or put on his own coat," a narrator intoned, speaking over grainy images of Biden struggling to put on a suit jacket.
The different approaches highlighted the challenges the party faces in going after Biden on an issue that's also something of a liability for Trump. But most polls show public concern is greater about Biden's age than Trump's, and Republicans clearly view it as a winning issue at the end of the day. If Monday is any indication, the attacks on Biden's age will be a central theme at the RNC.
A Return to Pre-Pandemic Normal
The pandemic upended the Republican and Democratic national conventions in 2020, forcing both parties to come up with alternative versions of the traditional weeklong political party.
Republicans opted for a hybrid virtual and in-person RNC, with speeches at a mostly empty hall leading up to a large, campaign-style rally featuring Trump at the White House that was widely criticized as a superspreader event. Democrats also staged several days of virtual events, but Biden gave his acceptance speech to a mostly empty room. The stark contrast reminded voters of the different ways Trump and Biden responded to the pandemic.
On Monday the Republican National Convention looked much like it did in 2016, when Trump accepted the party's nomination after an unexpected romp through the GOP primary field. The Democratic National Convention in August will no doubt also have the traditional look and feel of conventions past.
With fewer obvious stylistic differences this time around, viewers at home will have to work harder to parse the rhetoric and policies coming from both parties at the 2024 conventions. And with polls showing voter frustration with their choices for president, it's an open question whether the RNC—and the DNC next month—can still attract a large audience.
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines