At the Republican Convention, Trump Achieves Mythical Status

[Music]. from The New York Times I'm Michael. Barbaro and this is the daily from. inside the Republican National. Convention Hall where Donald Trump has. just accepted his party's nomination and. the balloons are falling all around us. today the week that was as the. Republicans here unified around Trump. while Democrats moved closer and closer. to replacing President Biden it's Friday.

July. [Music]. 19th. delegates guests elected officials and. Republicans across the country welcome. to the. 2024 Republican National. Convention on the first day of the. Republican National Convention the.

spotlight belonged not to Donald Trump. but to his new running mate are we ready. are we ready to nominate a vice. president whose identity Trump. dramatically revealed at the very last. possible moment before delegates had to. vote on the VP. nomination all eyes were on JD Vance it. was his. day until about 9:00 p.m.

check check check let's go okay you're. good thank you thank okay we made it. past the last layer of security and now. we're on the convention floor the White. House where he belongs God bless you. guys that's when word got out that Trump. was about to enter the convention hall. and make his first appearance since the. attempt on his life 9:00 2 minutes there. was a slow and deliberate buildup please. welcome next president of the United.

States here we. go walking down a kind of like in a. sports arena he's walking through the. back area he's walking a camera followed. Trump inside of a tunnel and to the. audience in the arena he looked like a. boxer backstage ready to enter the. ring on the and finally he emerged onto. the convention. floor he's saying thank you everybody. he's pumping his fist.

and he's about to walk up these. stairs right as I'm proud to be at. American. hits he. is I me look the extraordinary thing is. just how visible that bandage is on his. [Music]. ear he shakes fans's hand and for the. first time we get a look at the full. 2024 Republican Presidential ticket cuz.

there ain't no doubt I love this. land God bless the. [Applause]. you we love Trump we love Trump we love. Trump love Trump.

but what really stands out is the level. of genuine emotion in the. room they're chanting the words that. Trump himself chanted in the seconds. after he was almost killed fight fight. fight fight. fight people standing on their seats to. get a better. view oh my. God how do you feel you made it I love. him and I've always loved him I am I.

have been a supporter for so long I've. been to seven Trump. rallies I love him emotional what is it. like to see him with that bandage on his. ear knowing what just happened he is so. brave first of all I feel it was divine. intervention I 100% believe that God was. with. him and I think that this is a fight. between good and evil and I think Evil's. going to lose if he created this world. and loves it so why would he let the. evil one win we really need him this.

country is a. mess you're you are a delegate from. wicin you're welcome it's really from. this moment on with a triumphant Donald. Trump now on site that it becomes clear. what kind of a story this entire. convention is trying to. tell the first part of that story is. what we heard from that delegate on the. floor that saving Trump's life was God's. plan let me start by giving thanks to.

God Almighty for Protecting President. Trump that message was echoed by a. series of speakers on stage two days ago. evil came for the man we admire and love. so much I thank God that his hand was on. President. Trump the devil came to Pennsylvania. holding a rifle but an American lion got.

back up on his feet and he. roared God spared president Trump from. that assassin because God has not. finished with him. yet these speakers were explicit God. saved Trump so that Trump can save. America I don't believe in coincidences. but I do believe in God's.

plan if you didn't believe in miracles. before Saturday you better be believing. right. [Applause]. [Music]. now another part of the story and this. one required a big rewriting of history. is about who Trump really is now that's. the man I've gotten to know personally. over the last few years he is tough and. he is but he cares about people I can.

tell you that my personal experience. with Donald Trump has shown me his heart. there wasn't a he is a man of compassion. I'm speaking today to share the side of. my grandpa that people don't often see. to me he's just a normal Grandpa he. gives us candy and soda when our parents. are un. looking and instead of sailing off into. the sunset after an illustrious real. estate and television career.

he decided to give back he decided toing. he's not doing it for himself he's doing. it for everyone here tonight for. everyone watching at. home and that he's a unifier no matter. who you are you can be a part of this. movement to make America great. again I want to respond to his call for. Unity myself we have a big tent in this. party on everything from National.

Security to Economic Policy but my. message to you my fellow Republicans is. we love this country and we are united. to. win and that Trump is transforming the. Republican Party into a big tolerant. tent open to all including Trump. Skeptics you don't have to agree with. Trump 100% of the time to vote for.

take it from me I haven't always agreed. with President. trump it was no accident then that. January 6th election denialism violent. rhetoric and a decade of nasty name. calling by Trump was nowhere to be found. in these Prime Time speeches and. honestly who is actually running the. country anyway and the final element of.

this story being told at the RNC does. anyone really know is that Trump's. opponent President Biden is ineffective. weak and barely functioning in the job. we need a commander and chief who can. lead 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. America cannot afford four more years of. a Weekend at Bernie's presidency.

but let's be. honest let's be honest. here and by Wednesday night in an. extraordinary stroke of good political. timing for Trump we find out that the. final part of that story about Biden's. ability to lead was being openly. embraced by the leaders of the. democratic party who one by one were. turning on Joe Biden.

[Music]. we'll be right. back Reed we just got off the convention. floor and emerged into a world that. seems to have changed since the evening. programming began here on Wednesday. night just give us a quick summary of. where things stand with Biden's. nomination um it's bad news for Joe. Biden it's a sour right now it feels.

from talking to an array of Democrats. inside and adjacent to the Biden Circle. that the end is. near my colleague Reed Epstein covers. the Biden campaign and was in Milwaukee. for the Republican convention since. Biden's terrible debate performance you. know we heard from people close to Biden. that the only voices that could really. push Biden out of the race would be. Chuck Schumer Nancy Pelosi and H Jeff.

and what we've seen in the last 24 hours. is those three trying to do that you. know we heard that Hakim Jeff the house. Democratic leader and Chuck Schumer the. majority leader in the Senate have gone. to the president and all but said he. should not be the nominee and what's. interesting is that Schumer and Jeff. delivered this message on Saturday and. then waited a number of days until it. leaked out into the public that's. probably not an accident just explain. not it's not an accident because they.

were maybe hoping he would act on it and. he didn't perhaps hoping that he would. act on it before they felt compelled to. leak it out publicly to increase the. pressure on him got it Adam Schiff on. Wednesday called for Biden to get out. he's an extremely close Ally of Nancy. Pelosi and that was really seen as a. signal for a lot of Democrats about what. her thinking was and then later in the. day after Schiff made his announcement. we started to see various new new. Outlets have different pieces of the.

Pelosi puzzle that she is making a move. against him unmistakable viewing all. these pieces in concert kind of what it. is that she is doing right I mean I. think we should just pause and reflect. on the enormity of of what's happening. in what you're describing which is that. the most senior Democrats in the party. whose loyalty should be kind of. unquestioned to the president are in. their minds reaching a point where they. need to take him out of the equation.

right and what the other side of that is. all of these Democrats are getting back. this week reliable polling that really. shows the damage that Biden's debate. performan has had on his sing and theirs. to by sticking with him the polling that. Democrats are sharing amongst themselves. that I got a look at showed Biden losing. in States like New Hampshire in New. Mexico in Virginia St he W hand tied in. Minnesota barely ahead in Maine only up.

three points in New Jersey New Jersey. and two in Colorado like these are blue. States blue States and the key section. of this polling as it relates to down. ballot Democrats is about the impact of. supporting Biden has on their political. Futures saying you know as many as half. of Voters think they're lying to them. when they vouch for Joe Biden's Fitness. as a presidential candidate and that is. sort of all being presented to the White.

House in an effort almost a collective. party-wide effort to convince Biden and. the people closest to him that he should. end his presidential. campaign all right well thank you for. the update and we'll keep talking to you. as we get more and more information this. is really helpful thanks red thanks. Michael get some sleep you get some. sleep. [Music]. Guys these people are all just turning.

in maybe we don't need to do the L. though that is not the entrance though. oh it's not oh it's the next one the. next. one so it's Thursday morning it's the. final day of the RNC and we are now. making our way into the security. perimeter One Last. Time hello good you too bad just turn. the car off pop the hood and pop the. truck please sure thing thank you. [Music].

Thursday morning began with even more. doubts from prominent Democrats about. Biden including former President Obama. and Congressman Jamie Rasin of Maryland. whose private letter to Biden ended up. in the hands of my times colleagues in. that letter Rasin told Biden that there. was quote no shame in leaving the race. so as Donald Trump prepared to take the. stage on Thursday night for were. arguably the biggest moment of his.

campaign it wasn't even clear how much. longer his rival would remain in the. race the only thing that was clear was. that Biden and the Democrats were in. disarray and that Trump and the. Republicans were in their minds on top. of the world and we could really feel. that in the air as we talked to people. at the convention just before Trump's. acceptance speech on Thursday night.

we are headed over to the convention. hall to talk to delegates and rank and. file Republicans about how they're. feeling about their chances right now. given how this convention is gone and. the mess over on the Democratic. side hi there hey there what do you. think the odds are that Trump wins in. November right now 97. n999 n999 n% I.

didn't know there were that many nines. in the universe I I don't know with the. num gone so far um I think the chances. are pretty good 100% oh I think he's got. this in the bag Trump is going to win if. the election was today he was going to. win if the election was tomorrow two. months from now he's going to win and. he's going to win in November he's going. to. win why are you so confident in his. chance of the victory I don't think. Anything Can Hurt president Trump at.

this I mean he shed blood for us you. know he's a hero you mean this past. weekend yeah I believe that when they. shot at him on Saturday they shot at me. wow okay I feel I had a grazed. Mist he loves America and we do too and. I'm tired of America being torn down by. these. crazies we're going to fight against. that do you worry that if Biden drops. out of the race face that some of the. assumptions and dynamics of this moment.

change Suddenly It's not such a. straightforward election for Trump he's. in the lead now but what happens if it's. Kay Harris or some Governor doesn't. matter who they put against them doesn't. matter who they put up doesn't matter. how strong they are no I don't think so. when you going to put up Nome Look at. California the way it is people can't. walk the streets KLA Harris KLA Harris. what is she she only knows how to laugh. she couldn't even control the Border. look at the border it's out of control. people are tired they woken up you've. poked as sleep bear and the unity that.

has come together with the Republican. party now that's the message this week. is just. [Music]. unbelievable I love that you're wearing. an American flag pen someone put it on. me you know cuz I became a citizen on. Saturday oh mov that's right welcome to. America once Trump's speech was over we. spoke to our colleague politics reporter. Jonathan swan are you ready mhm okay.

there just going there's going to be. some noise in here because the New York. Times Media Center here at the. convention is literally being. deconstructed as we the walls are about. to be taken down um Jonathan we know. that this convention has been trying to. recast and in a sense rewrite the story. of Donald Trump to make him the. compassionate unifier history be damned. so how did Trump's speech fit into that. objective the the way his team conceived.

of this speech there's a couple things. that are important to think about here. one is they saw this moment as unique in. that Donald Trump is a very well-. defined figure everyone pretty much has. an opinion about him if there was ever a. moment where they could persuade a thin. slice of Americans to re-evaluate Donald. Trump it's probably after he gets shot. and after a week of people saying that.

Donald Trump after the shooting you know. he's. contemplative he's talking about God you. know there was actually very powerful. footage on Monday I was in the. convention hall when he came in and he. looked like he was on the verge of tears. right so there's been all of this. imagery during the week inside the hall. of this new Donald Trump right we talked. about that when he walked into the. convention hall the feel was of a. changed man with a different. relationship to everything yeah look I.

mean I've talked to number of elected. Republicans people who've been. interacting with Donald Trump since the. shooting and that's what they've been. saying so this was his first address. ination since the shooting they wanted. to build up suspense for it and they. knew they had this period of time where. all the networks were forced to cover. him what they were pre-selling before. this speech was he's rewriting his. speech and it's going to be this Unity. speech and you know we've been through. this many many times with Donald Trump. the quote unquote quot new tone it's. it's sort of a running joke capital n.

capital T new tone but this was actually. a moment where it seemed con it seemed. deliverable in a in a believable way for. a number of Voters that that matter. right so how did that actually play out. once he took the stage and once you. started delivering this. [Applause]. speech I was in the arena for it and. it's hard to explain to people who. aren't there just how electric the. feeling has been in that Arena all week.

Donald Trump has reached this sort of. Mythic status in the party thank you. very much thank you very very much wow. so when he came in you could feel. everyone's excitement I stand before you. this evening with a message of. confidence strength and hope 4 months. from now we will have an incredible. Victory the start of the speech did get. this feeling well Donald Trump is.

delivering a very different speech We. rise together or we fall. apart I am running to be president for. all of America not half of America. because there is no victory in winning. for half of America he was reaching out. to all Americans I reach out to you in. you know in friendship in an age when. our politics too often divide us now now. is the time to remember that we are all.

fellow citizens we are one nation under. God indivisible with liberty and justice. for. all it was sort of almost getting to the. Barack Obama there's no red America and. blue America we're all Americans the. Discord and Division in our society must. be healed we must heal it quickly right. he used the word healing which I don't. associate with healing and love so many. people have asked me what happened tell.

us what happened please and then he goes. straight into this story and you'll. never hear it from me a second time. because it's actually too painful to. tell told from his. perspective of the. shooting it was a warm beautiful day in. the early evening and I was watching his. face it looked like he was almost in. tears at certain points when I heard a. loud wh in sound and felt something hit.

me really really hard it was a very. somber very reflective Trump I. immediately knew it was very serious. that we were under attack and then you. had this huge imagery of the photographs. from Saturday in Butler Pennsylvania the. bullet whizzing by his head I said to. myself wow what was. that it can only be a. bullet him pressed down on the ground.

with blood dripping down his cheeks with. the agents pressed on him my hand was. covered with blood the fist in the air. and the crowd started chatting fight. fight. fight again it was not really political. it was moving and emotional and drenched. with religious imagery saying God was on. my side I'm not supposed to be here. tonight not supposed to be.

here you know he was openly grappling. with his own mortality he said I'm not. supposed to be here and the crowd. started spontaneously shouting yes you. [Applause]. are that was the tone of the speech for. the first I don't know 15 minutes right. um and you really I really did think. okay well they really have got him to. deliver quite a different speech right. very much keeping with the themes of the.

convention that's right and then and. then not so. much the speech went in a very different. direction mhm Democrats crazy Nancy. Pelosi the whole thing just boom boom. boom I could tell that he was getting. bored of reading the unity speech and so. he stopped turning to he his tele prors. and just sted straight ahead right and. the teleop literally and I was watching. it just just froze because you could. tell that the person operating it was. was no longer in a relationship with.

Trump right and his teleprompter. operators guy named Gabe longsuffering. guy named Gabe yes but so Trump goes. into these riffs it's a massive Invasion. at our Southern border that has spread. misery crime poverty disease and. destruction to communities all across. our land nobody's ever seen anything. like it and basically from that point. forward it really became a typical rally. speech they're destroying our country ex. Meandering long digressions we had the.

most secure border and best economy in. the history of our country in the. history of the world we had the greatest. economy in the history of the world he. made false claims about his record lots. of hybo they're taking their criminals. and they're putting them into our. country and a lot of the rhetoric that. we've come to know Donald Trump for over. the last8 years which is basically. portraying America as a nation. on the brink of collapse decline we had.

that horrible horrible result that we'll. never let happen again and when I really. realized that the unity speech had sort. of gone out the window the election. result were never going to let that. happen again they used Co to cheat was. when he couldn't help but slip back into. talking about cheating in elections you. know that's something his team is. desperate for him just to avoid talking. about and keep it a focus on the future. they're coming from prisons they're. coming coming from jails they're coming. from mental institutions and insane.

asylums and he talked about how. countries to the south of America are. emptying out their insane asylums and. sending the late great Hannibal Lector. Psychopaths like cannibal lecta into. America we'd love to have you for. there's no evidence that any of that's. happening but it's a claim that he. repeats in his rallies over and over. again yet another American life was. stolen by a criminal aliens set free by. this Administration these were it really.

did get back into his old comfort zone. and that kind of continued on and on and. on and what was interesting being in the. crowd I was on the floor I like being. right in there in the thick of it seeing. everyone people were starting to get. listless you know I could see a guy near. me was yawning people were checking. their phones and you could just see the. energy was just sort of he kind of lost. lagging lost the and he would get them. back I mean this is a room that you know.

is in love with Donald Trump so there. would be Applause lines they would cheer. but it really became a very different. speech one of our colleagues put it very. well saying that the message of the. first half of the speech seemed to be I. have been changed and the message of the. second half was I haven't really changed. at all right right and for those of us. who've covered him you know it's it's. hard to imagine Donald Trump changing. but it's also you know he's been shot so. you want to at least be open to the.

possibility of of that but I think he. answered that question pretty decisively. tonight no matter what dangers come our. way no matter what obstacles lie in our. path we will keep striving toward our. shared and glorious Destiny and we will. not fail we will not fail he did make a. final turn back towards the teleprompter. and sort of finished with these lines of. you know American greatness and reaching. you know reaching for the Stars etc etc.

by that point though we'd had more than. 90 minutes of Fairly Meandering rally. speech so God bless the United States of. America our great country thank you very. much every the crowd seemed relieved at. the end when it finally wrapped up with. the big balloon drop well I want you to. reflect a bit on the impact of a speech. that didn't seem to quite know what it. was it could have been an extension of. the messages we've been hearing all week. like Nikki Haley's you know invitation.

to Skeptics it could have remained the. story of a changed man post. assassination attempt but it wasn't. really in the end and does that make it. a missed opportunity or does that make. it exactly the speech that Trump should. be given given that this kind of message. is what got him the nomination in the. first place I have to think for those. voters who aren't already with Donald. Trump that persuading this ain't going. to change their mind unless they stopped. watching after 15 minutes maybe some of. them did that's the missed opportunity.

take yeah I think that's right all he. needs is a very small number of people. in Pennsylvania Georgia North Carolina. some of these states to block off. Biden's path I don't really see how. tonight would have accomplish that so. Jonathan here we are it's midnight the. convention is over general election you. know in some sense is officially now. underway Trump survived this. assassination attempt didn't change his. stri. but he's ahead in the polls he seems.

stronger than ever the part's completely. unified behind him that's all in his. favor but the race could fundamentally. change in a few hours or a few days if. as increasingly it looks like Joe Biden. decides to get out of this race and then. Trump's going to be in a different race. and like you said he decided not to take. the opportunity to speak to those swing. voters who he may need even more than. ever if he faces a different and. stronger Democratic rival so how should.

we think about all of this I think it. would be really kind of foolish to. imagine that there's some great change. as a result of this speech I do think. it's a missed opportunity but Trump has. so many advantages right now he is. facing a party in complete disarray with. donors. fleeing Trump's team is hoarding cash. and you saw over this week a party that. is completely Unified ified under Donald. Trump they're not unified on policy you.

had an only fans performer who's. pro-abortion talking on Monday night you. had a union leader talking about the. evils of corporate America then you had. like Nikki Haley and traditional. Republicans you had Tucker Carlson this. was a mish mash you talk about big tent. this was like the biggest tent you've. ever seen in your life there was no but. they're unified around this almost. mythical figure of Donald Trump. that's a very powerful thing and the.

Democrats don't have that thing they've. got a fractured Coalition they've got. people at war with each other there's. going to be resentment and there might. be even more fighting if and when Biden. drops out and there's a debate over who. should replace him so the way I look at. it is all of the advantages in this race. right now remain with Donald Trump yeah. [Music]. yeah well Jonathan thank you very much. thanks for having me. [Music].

we'll be right. back here's what else you need to know. today on Thursday amid New Revelations. about security lapses at the rally where. president Trump was shot the Republican. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson called. on President Biden to fire the director. of The Secret service lawmakers were.

shocked to learn that Trump had taken. the stage at Saturday's rally even after. police officers at the scene had. identified the wouldbe Assassin as a. potentially dangerous person and passed. that warning on to the Secret Service in. the end it appears authorities lost. track of the shooter until it was too. late. [Music]. quick reminder to catch the latest. episode of the interview right here.

tomorrow David maresi talks with NBA. star Joel embiid if I was healthy and. all the season that would be a different. conversation is the implication that you. think you would be in the greatest. player of all time conversation without. the injury problems I think so I think. I'm that talented. [Music].

today's episode was produced by Claire. tennis getter Carlos PR Rob zipco and. Alex Stern it was edited by Rachel quer. contains original music by Mar Lozano. Dan Powell and Pat mccusker and was. engineered by Alysa Moxley our theme. music is by Jim brunberg and Ben lur of. wonderly. [Music].

[Music]. that's it for the daily I'm Michael Boro. see you on Monday. [Music].