For conservative voters long estranged from former President Donald Trump’s rhetoric, your tone somewhat softened Accepting the Republican nomination on Thursday night was a welcome relief.
“He’s gotten a lot better,” said Dave Struthers, a 57-year-old farmer from Collins, Iowa, as he watched Trump’s speech in the basement of his farmhouse. “What I have against him is that he’s been so selfish – ‘Me, me, me. I i i.’ I won’t listen to that tonight.
Trump, who has a long history of divisive comments, said Shoplifters must be shot immediatelysuggested the top general of the United States be executed as a traitor and mocked Democratic Rep. Nancy Pelosi’s husband, who was beaten with a hammer by a far-right conspiracy theorist.
But on Thursday night in Milwaukee, he wore a white bandage over his right ear, which had been pierced by a bullet fired from him. an alleged murderer a few days earlier, and spoke in a calmer, more relaxed tone, at least in the first part of the speech. He described his experience with the shooting and called for an end to discord, division and demonization in national politics.
However, many of his talking points remained familiar. He claimed that Democrats are destroying America, derided the cases against him as a partisan witch hunt, warned of an “invasion” at the U.S.-Mexico border, and insisted, without evidence, that homicide rates in countries in Central and South America fell because they sent their killers to the USA
Struthers, a Republican who raises hogs and grows soybeans and corn, supported Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis during the caucuses. He said that while he believed Trump did some good things as president, his trade war with China has hurt agriculture — including soybean sales, as that country is a major customer.
In his opinion, Trump’s speech at the Republican National Convention was “more of a conversation with the American people rather than shouting at them.”
As for Trump surviving the assassination attempt: “That’s just one more reason to support him. He won’t give up. He will continue.”
Alex Bueneman, 28, a maintenance technician from Oak Grove, Missouri, also said he appreciated a more measured approach.
“Although he still has the fiery words and appearance, I really think they are trying to tone it down,” Bueneman said.
The speech did not win over everyone, however.
“I don’t think he looks any different than he did before the assassination attempt,” said John Frank, a 25-year-old designer from Milwaukee and a self-described libertarian.
Frank said he doesn’t plan to vote in November, but he still met up with a friend to watch the speech because “we didn’t want to miss something big happening in Milwaukee.”
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Rio Yamat and Jake Offenhartz in Milwaukee; Jeff Roberson in St. and Charlie Neibergall in Collins, Iowa, contributed.
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