What will Trump say? At RNC, former president has chance to set new course for his party.
MILWAUKEE – Nikki Haley showed the country what unity can look like when the former ambassador to the United Nations and South Carolina governor addressed the Republican National Convention.
Now, it’s Donald Trump’s turn. He will formally accept his party’s nomination Thursday evening, the final day of the convention. Will he be the sharp-tongued fighter we've seen so often in the past eight years? Or will he tone down his rhetoric?
Haley was Trump’s toughest primary opponent, and she took plenty of barbs from the former president while she was on the campaign trail. She offered a few herself.
Although she wasn’t originally invited to attend the convention, it was announced on Sunday that she would speak Tuesday night. The announcement came just one day after Trump survived an assassination attempt at a rally in Pennsylvania.
“My fellow Republicans, former President Trump asked me to speak to this convention in the name of unity,” Haley told the crowd Tuesday night inside the convention hall. “It was a gracious invitation, and I was happy to accept. I’ll start by making one thing perfectly clear. Donald Trump has my strong endorsement.”
RNC analysis: What happened on Day 3? Read more from our USA TODAY Opinion columnists.
Nikki Haley showed class in RNC speech
That was the classy thing for Haley to do, considering what she had been through in the primary. She chose to put the country over her pride.
“You don't have to agree with Trump 100% of the time to vote for him," she said. "Take it from me, I haven't always agreed with President Trump, but we agree more often than we disagree. ... I'm here tonight because we have a country to save and a unified Republican Party is essential for saving her.”
Trump gave Haley a standing ovation. I hope he also was taking notes.
America needs to hear a different Trump at RNC
The GOP and the country need to hear a message of unity from Trump. By unity, I don’t mean a bland agenda that all political parties would agree to. You can still have strong beliefs and promote them in a civil way.
Trump has seldom done that. But this is his chance to set a different tone.
Fox News' Dana Perino says Trump has 'moral high ground': 'It's his to keep if he wants'
The Washington Examiner has reported that Trump said he’s rewritten his acceptance speech to promote more of a unifying message. That’s exactly what he should do.
While Trump walked away easily with a win in the Republican primary, Haley earned more than 4 million votes, many of them in battleground states.
The fact that Haley spoke in support of Trump says a lot, but not everything. She didn’t grovel, and she said only what she needed to: In effect, she believes another term for President Joe Biden would be much worse for the country – and that’s what she cares about.
Trump must now deliver the message that will attract Haley voters and others to him.
I’ve spoken to several people who know Trump or have worked closely with him, and they all say Trump seems to have been very moved by his near-death experience. He needs to show the country Thursday night how it has affected him.
Meanwhile, the Democrats are melting down
The Republican convention has come at a time when Biden and the Democratic Party simply are a mess. In recent media appearances and interviews, Biden has been different shades of incoherent and nonsensical.
The White House said Wednesday that Biden has COVID-19, but that doesn’t explain away the months of his alarming behavior.
More and more high-profile Democrats are now admitting that if Biden stays on the ticket, they are very worried about their chances in November, as they should be. Rep. Adam Schiff of California – an aspiring senator – is the latest.
Who would have thought that Republicans would come out of the convention more unified than Democrats with their incumbent president?
What do conservatives want to hear from Trump?
I’ve spoken with a lot of delegates and others at the convention the past few days. While Trump has the devotion of many, some are eager to hear the tone and substance of his message Thursday.
Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft, a Republican candidate for governor, told me, “I think there are a lot of different things that people would say they want to hear the president say, but they all are fully behind President Trump.”
“I almost don't know that it matters as much as what he says, that he stands up and says, ‘I am here for you,’ Ashcroft said. " 'I am not backing down. I took a bullet for you. That didn't stop me.' ”
Others want to know what policies Trump will advocate.
“Young voters have experienced the ruinous consequences of government overreach,” said Hannah Ruth Earl, executive director of America’s Future, a network of free-market young professionals. “They value a limited regulatory framework that empowers both American innovation and their own ability to build wealth. They recognize that thriving local economies require secure communities."
“I also hope President Trump defends a culture of free speech," she said. "And I would be thrilled if he discusses the critical need for education reform and school choice.”
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Delegates also wonder whether Trump’s close call with death will change him. Others hope he will deliver on his promise of a unifying message. Politics is by its definition divisive, but it doesn’t have to be uncivil.
“Republicans want to hear a unifying message from (Trump) on the things that matter most to the lives of everyday Americans – more money in their pockets and lower prices, safe streets and a secure border, with strong and decisive leadership to protect the free world from malign actors,” Joseph Cella, a Michigan delegate and former U.S. ambassador to Fiji and other South Pacific island nations under Trump, told me.
“I predict his speech will be unlike any speech people have heard President Trump deliver and will be his greatest," Cella said. "It will be deeply reflective, poignant and inspirational for all Americans.”
Inspirational or confrontional? Old Trump or new?
Ingrid Jacques is a columnist at USA TODAY. Contact her at [email protected] or on X, formerly Twitter: @Ingrid_Jacques
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What will Trump say at RNC? GOP nominee needs to change his message
