Welcome to a special edition From the Policy Deskbringing you the latest reporting and analysis from the NBC News Politics team from the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.
Tonight, senior national politics reporter Matt Dixon wraps up former President Donald Trump’s long speech at the Republican Party convention, his first since the shooting at his campaign rally in Pennsylvania. Plus, we fact-check Trump’s claims on taxes, crime and foreign policy.
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Trump savors convention crowd in long acceptance speech
By Matt Dixon
MILWAUKEE — Donald Trump on Thursday night formally accepted the Republican Party’s presidential nomination in a speech filled with references to the shooting he survived last week and lengthened by impromptu applause and riffs — capping a moment long ago expected that only came after a tortuous and dramatic campaign.
Trump, now the first major party presidential candidate to be convicted of crimes, took the stage days after a 20-year-old gunman nearly murdered him during a rally in Pennsylvania, firing a bullet that severed his right ear and left it bloody. . . He wore a white square bandage over his injured ear throughout the convention, with some attendees wearing their own in solidarity during the week-long event.
Although Trump is known for his impromptu public comments and social media posts, he has given highly planned convention speeches in the past. Thursday’s speech began that way, but he soon took a detour to thank speakers and attendees at length and then to engage the crowd with asides, impressions and, at times, hard-to-follow detours.
His speech, as written, could have come from any number of Republicans, but the way Trump delivered it was similar to his usual pattern at his rallies — a style unchanged after he and his allies spoke all week about how the shooting changed him.
The assassination attempt just days before the convention left organizers and Trump aides trying to figure out how to throw a long-planned party after a near-tragedy. In the rushed 48 hours before the convention began, Trump’s aides not only rewrote his speech but also sent a message to other convention speakers to tone down some of his comments.
Trump mentioned President Joe Biden just once, something he did more than 40 times during his 2020 speech accepting the Republican nomination.
Trump spoke for 93 minutes, surpassing the record he set in 2016 for the longest nomination acceptance speech at a convention.
Read more from Matt →
Fact Check: NBC News’ Jane C. Timm and Ben Kamisar analyzed a series of claims Trump made during his speech on topics ranging from taxes, crime and foreign policy. Read more →
Follow all the action from the night on our live blog →
Other top stories tonight
- Pressure Supports: Biden is angered and betrayed by top Democratic leaders who are faltering in his campaign. Meanwhile, Sen. Jon Tester, who faces a tough re-election battle in Montana this year, became the second Senate Democrat to publicly call on Biden to drop out of the presidential race. Read more →
- Show me the money: Fundraisers featuring Vice President Kamala Harris are starting to sell out as Democratic mega-donors pressure Biden to drop out of the race. Read more →
- Legal theory: Hunter Biden is using two judicial opinions that were favorable to Trump to argue that his gun conviction should be thrown out. Read more →
- WWE Style: Retired wrestler Hulk Hogan ripped off his shirt during his convention speech to reveal a Trump-Vance tank top, calling Trump an “American hero.” Read more →
- In the pictures: Check out our photo gallery from the GOP convention, capturing all of the delegates’ looks, from Trump sneakers to MAGA dresses and ear wraps.
That’s all from the Department of Politics for now. If you have feedback – like or dislike – send us an email at newsletter@nbcuni.com
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This story originally appeared on NBCNews.com read the full story
