How Trump ditched 'unity' theme and squandered RNC momentum

29 July 2024

After surviving an assassination attempt at a campaign rally in Western Pennsylvania on July 13, Donald Trump promised to bring a message of "unity" to the 2024 Republican National Convention. And the acceptance speech he delivered during the last night of the convention, Trump said, was toned down from the "tough" one he originally had in mind.

During the convention, Trump and his allies were feeling confident in his ability to defeat President Joe Biden. But only three days after the convention ended, Biden ended his reelection campaign and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for president. And in only a week, Harris' presidential campaign had fundraised more than $200 million.

In a biting article published on July 29, Salon's Heather Digby Parton reports that Trump has ditched the "unity" theme and "squandered" the momentum he enjoyed during the convention.

At a rally in Minnesota on Saturday, July 27, Parton observes, Trump "admitted that all that talk about 'unity' was just momentary hype."

Trump told the crowd, "I want to be nice. They all say, 'I think he's changed. I think he's changed since two weeks ago. Something affected him'…. No, I haven't changed. Maybe I've gotten worse. Because I get angry at the incompetence that I witness every single day."

Parton, in response, argues that Trump "must be talking about his campaign."

"It's understandable that he's angry, but he has no one to blame but himself," Parton explains. "Despite having been given a priceless gift with that awful debate and an assassination attempt that mercifully missed, he's now slipping in the polls and is saddled with a national joke of a vice-presidential candidate."

Parton continues, "Donald Trump was born lucky, but he has a unique gift for squandering it through hubris and ineptitude. And yes, he's gotten worse."

Read Heather Digby Parton's full article for Salon at this link.

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