Donald Trump accepted the Republican presidential nomination in a marathon speech that opened with an unusual call for national unity before turning to his usual mix of exasperation, bombast and apocalyptic warnings about the country's fate unless he returns to the White House.
Trump's coronation in front of a rapturous crowd on Thursday is in stark contrast to the turmoil in the campaign of President Joe Biden, whose headquarters said yesterday that he will continue campaigning next Sunday, but who, under pressure from fellow Democrats, is "reconsidering" whether to drop out. re-election, sources claim.
Speaking at the party's national convention in Milwaukee, Trump gave a dramatic account of the assassination attempt at a rally in Pennsylvania five days ago.
When he told the audience that he "shouldn't have been here", the delegates replied "Yes, you are". With photos of a bloodied Trump in the background, he praised the Secret Service agents who removed him from the stage.
In the first moments of the speech, Trump had an unusually conciliatory tone. "I am running for president of all of America, not half of America," he said, which is a significant change for the usually belligerent former president, according to Reuters.
However, the British agency points out that he very quickly gave up on the message of unity he promised right after the shooting, turning to well-known attacks on the Biden administration.
He made claims without evidence that the criminal charges against him were part of a Democratic conspiracy, predicted that Biden would plunge the White House into "World War III" and described what he called an "invasion" of migrants on the southern border.
His speech ended a four-day event during which the party, which is now almost completely under his control, welcomed him with enthusiasm. Trump devoted most of the record-breaking address, which lasted 92 minutes, to attacks on immigrants, a topic that has always been popular in his campaigns.
"They come from detention, from prisons, from mental institutions," he said before naming several Americans who were killed by suspects who are in the country illegally.
Studies have shown that immigrants are not more likely to commit crimes than native-born Americans, Reuters points out.
Biden's chief of staff Jen O. Miley Dillon said yesterday that the US president was "absolutely determined" to continue campaigning next week despite several Democratic officials earlier yesterday telling Reuters that upcoming campaign events had been canceled.
Biden is currently in isolation at his home in Delaware after being diagnosed with covid, which has put Trump in the spotlight in a way only a former reality star can.
His entrance on stage Thursday was reminiscent of a professional wrestler's performance, just moments after wrestler Hulk Hogan tore his shirt in half to reveal a red Trump campaign shirt. Hogan wasn't the only celebrity to make a prime-time appearance. After musician Kid Rock performed the song "American Bad Ass," Dana White, CEO of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, introduced Trump as "the toughest, most resilient guy I've ever met in my life."
After Trump finished, his family and the family of his 39-year-old running mate, Sen. JD Vance, took the stage as balloons dropped from the ceiling.
With his control of the Republican Party at its greatest ever, Trump is now in a much stronger position than he was in his 2017-2021 term. to implement his agenda if he wins the elections.
On the other hand, Biden is facing increased pressure from Democratic leaders to drop his candidacy after his poor performance in the June 27 debate. Former Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi is among those who told him he could not win the election in November, a White House source told Reuters.
They are preparing Kamala Harris in case Biden drops out
Allies of U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris are involved in a delicate, behind-the-scenes effort to ensure she takes over the top spot on the ticket if Biden drops out, five people involved in the project or familiar with the talks told Politico.
The informal campaign is complicated by the urgency with which Harris would have to build a political machine, as well as present a resume that makes clear she has more to offer than her prominent defense of reproductive rights, including other foreign and domestic issues, the insiders said.
Inside the party, including Democratic Party leaders, there is still doubt about her ability to win the presidential election against Donald Trump, although according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll she has a better chance against the Republican candidate than Biden.
There will also be little time to, firstly, stop the open convention and, secondly, win in November, said the "Politika" source.
This group is not trying to remove Biden, but rather to activate an army that will be ready to defend the person they believe should be the new presidential candidate, the portal points out.
"They are quietly working on the positioning of the apparatus so that the light will turn on when the time is right," said one of those directly involved in the talks.
"Two or three days ago, people were quiet. And now, especially since yesterday, people are thinking that we have to be ready," said one former Biden adviser.
Much depends on what Biden will do. If he gives up and directly says that there should be an open convention or does not take a position on the issue, Harris's path will be much more difficult, because she would have to fight with a whole series of ambitious Democratic politicians who want to enter the White House.
Unlike the battle to defend Biden, the fight to push Harris to the top of the list will have to be fought on multiple fronts, against a number of different party factions who want to see their candidates at the top.
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