Former President Donald Trump accepted the Republican nomination in Milwaukee on Thursday, vowing to unite the country to solve its biggest challenges while thanking God for saving him from an assassin’s bullet. It was Trump’s first public speech since the assassination attempt on Saturday, when a bullet pierced his earlobe and nearly claimed his life.
“There was blood everywhere, but in a way I felt very safe because God was on my side,” he told the cheering crowd and a national television audience.
“I wasn’t supposed to be here tonight. I wasn’t supposed to be here,” he said, “and I can tell you, it is only by the grace of Almighty God that I am standing in front of you in this arena.”
“If I hadn’t moved my head at the last moment, the assassin’s bullet would have been perfectly on target, and I wouldn’t be here tonight. We wouldn’t be together.”
Trump suggested the incident had changed his outlook on life.
“We live in a world of miracles, and none of us know God’s plan or where life’s adventure will take us,” he said. “…If the events of last Saturday reveal anything, it’s that every moment we spend on earth is a gift from God.”
In a 93-minute speech — the longest in party convention history — Trump mixed ad-libbed street talk with scripted policy pledges, promising to end the border crisis, curb inflation and improve America’s global standing.
“Now is the time to expect and demand the best leadership in the world — leadership that is bold, dynamic, relentless and fearless,” he said. “But as long as we spend our energies fighting each other, our destiny will remain out of reach. And that is unacceptable. We must use that energy to realize our nation’s true potential — and write our own thrilling chapter in American history. We can do it together. We will be united. We will be united, and success will unite us.”
He said America’s forefathers achieved greatness through hard work, determination and faith in God.
“Like our forefathers, we must now come together and overcome the differences of the past, set aside any differences and move forward united as one people, one nation, and pledge allegiance to one great flag.
“Together we will save our country and rebuild our republic.“ “And we will have the prosperous and wonderful tomorrow that our people deserve,” he said. America’s The future will be bigger, better, bolder, brighter, happier, stronger, freer, greater and more united than ever before.“
Photo credit: ©Getty Images/Scott Olson/staff
Michael Faust He has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years, and his work has appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, Christian Post, Leaf Chronicle, Toronto Star and Knoxville News Sentinel.
