Former President Trump announced Sunday that he rewrote his speech for the upcoming Republican National Convention to emphasize unity following the assassination attempt on his life over the weekend. “The speech I was going to give on Thursday was going to be a humdinger,” Trump told the Washington Examiner.
“Had this not happened, this would’ve been one of the most incredible speeches,” primarily targeting President Biden’s policies. “Honestly, it’s going to be a whole different speech now,” he added.
Trump’s aides confirmed he would still attend the convention, and Trump expressed his eagerness to speak to the nation.
Initially intended to rally his voter base, Trump said the revised speech would address how the attack has reshaped his campaign. “This is a chance to bring the whole country, even the whole world, together. The speech will be a lot different, a lot different than it would’ve been two days ago,” he stated.
Trump arrived in Milwaukee for the convention on Sunday, just one day after the attempted assassination at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, where a bullet grazed his ear. The attack left one attendee dead, two others injured, and the shooter, identified as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, killed by Secret Service agents.
Despite the incident, Trump’s aides confirmed he would still attend the convention, and Trump expressed his eagerness to speak to the nation. He emphasized that he wouldn’t let the shooter disrupt his plans, stating, “I cannot allow a ‘shooter,’ or potential assassin, to force change to scheduling, or anything else.”
Trump is expected to formally accept the GOP nomination on Thursday night and is likely to announce his running mate on Monday. Law enforcement continues to investigate Crooks, who was found with bomb-making materials in his vehicle and home.
In a prime-time address, President Biden urged for a reduction in political tensions, stating, “The political rhetoric in this country has gotten very heated. It’s time to cool it down. This places an added burden on all of us that no matter how strong our convictions, we must never descend into violence.”
