The 2024 Republican National Convention is an unexpectedly joyous event. In previous years, whether the nominee was John McCain, Mitt Romney, or Donald Trump, there were always noticeable pockets of discontent. This year, if there is any discontent among attendees, they’re hiding it remarkably well.
This sunny atmosphere is particularly striking given that the now-official party nominee, Donald Trump, was shot in the ear on Saturday, narrowly escaping death. Yet, delegates and conventiongoers have quickly moved past this trauma and embraced a sense of invincibility.
Trump was already leading the election before Joe Biden’s disastrous debate performance. Following the debate and the assassination attempt, Trump’s lead appears even more substantial. Republicans are experiencing a euphoria unlike anything seen during Trump’s political career. Many are speculating about divine intervention.
“There’s almost a providence about it,” Kansas Sen. Roger Marshall remarked to a reporter.
Republicans aren’t sweating the small stuff. Any concerns about the Trump campaign’s rewriting of the party platform’s abortion section vanished after the shooting. They’re also not worried about which Democrat Trump will face in November. Marshall speculated, “I don’t think you could give Kamala Harris the nomination. She would say no to it.” In his view, Harris wouldn’t want to be the sacrificial lamb in a year the Democrats seem poised to lose.
Terry Schilling, president of the American Principles Project, echoed this sentiment. He believes Democratic efforts to replace Biden will fizzle out because they don’t want to waste one of their rising stars now that Trump’s re-election seems more likely.
The APP, in collaboration with Orange County Choppers, presented a custom motorcycle to Riley Gaines, the former college swimmer protesting the inclusion of transgender women in women’s sports. Schilling, Marshall, Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, and American Chopper star Paul Teutul Sr. attended the event.
Teutul initially said he didn’t care who the Democrats ran. “All I look at is that [Trump] needs to win,” he stated. Then, more quietly, he added, “definitely Joe Biden.” He has felt good about Trump’s chances since controversies like his arrest attempts.
Greg Reiman, a guest of a Wisconsin delegate (his wife), showed me a photo of how close he had sat to the Trump family the previous night and noted Eric Trump had smiled when he said hi.
Reiman has been taking “a little pleasure” in watching the Democratic infighting. He admitted to feeling a slight twinge of sympathy for Biden, wondering if Biden realizes how poorly he’s doing.
Republicans’ only concern is the possibility that Democrats might still have tricks up their sleeve. Many believe that the other side’s operatives are capable of anything.
“The [Democratic] Congress members, the senators, it seems like they’re kind of giving up because they know Joe’s not going anywhere,” Reiman reasoned. “But the Carvilles, the real operatives behind the scenes, they’re too cutthroat, too mean. They play to win, and they don’t care who gets hurt in the process. Even Joe Biden.”
Whether by divine providence, dark machinations, or something else, political fortunes can change swiftly. The 2016 election is a prime example, where Trump was repeatedly written off. This time, the party appears genuinely united. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who had avoided Trump for years, announced Kentucky’s delegates for Trump during the roll call, despite being booed. McConnell’s deputy, South Dakota Sen. John Thune, who also had a strained relationship with Trump post-2020, was present on the convention floor.
“I know, at least on the Senate side, we’re very unified. The Trump campaign, the president himself, our Senate leadership, all the entities, everybody’s working together,” Thune said. “I think that we are very, very unified coming out of this, which I think is exciting.”
Trump’s primary rivals, Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley, were last-minute additions to the program, initially planning not to attend. Even Asa Hutchinson, a former Arkansas governor and Trump critic, hinted at a change of heart, noting Trump’s resilience and the need to bring America together.
On the convention floor, Forgiato Blow, the right-wing rapper behind “Boycott Target” was wearing a T-shirt with an image of Trump and the words “IMPEACHED. ARRESTED. CONVICTED. SHOT,” Blow said his first thought after the attempt on Trump’s life was, “The election’s over.”
Steve Holder 