Former President Donald Trump addressed the Republican National Convention on Thursday in Milwaukee, his first speech since the assassination attempt last week — and it had a number of major moments.
Trump paid tribute to firefighter Corey Comperatore, who was killed in last week’s assassination attempt on Trump, calling the Pennsylvania father a “fine man.”
“Tragically, the shooter claimed the life of one of our fellow Americans, Corey Comperatore, and seriously wounded two other great warriors.. David Dutch and James Copenhaver. I spoke to all three families of these tremendous people—our love and prayers are with them, and always will be,” Trump said. ” Corey, a highly respected former fire chief… was accompanied by his wife Helen… and two precious daughters. He lost his life selflessly acting as a human shield to protect them from flying bullets… what a fine man he was.”
Trump then walked over and kissed Comperatore’s firefighting helmet which was placed with his turnout coat on the stage next to the former president as a tribute before asking for a moment of silence.
“There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for others,” Trump said. “This is the spirit that forged America in her darkest hours, and this is the love that will lead America back to the summit of human achievement and greatness.”
At the beginning of the speech, Trump retold in great detail the assassination attempt against him. A somber Trump told the crowd his version of events.
“In order to see the chart, I started to turn to my right, and was ready to begin a further turn, which I’m lucky I didn’t, when I heard a loud whizzing sound and felt something hit me, really hard, on my right ear,” Trump recalled. “I said to myself, ‘Wow, what was that—it can only be a bullet,’—and moved my right hand to my ear, brought it down, and my hand was covered with blood, just blood all over the place. I immediately knew it was very serious, that we were under attack, and in one movement, proceeded to drop to the ground.”
“There was blood pouring everywhere, and yet, in a certain way I felt very safe, because I had God on my side,” Trump continued. “The amazing thing is that prior to the shot, if I had not moved my head at the very last instant, the assassin’s bullet would have perfectly hit its mark, and I would not be with you tonight.”
Despite shots ringing out at the crowded rally, attendees did not “run for the exits or stampede,” Trump noted, but instead “tens of thousands of people stood by and didn’t move an inch. In fact, many of them bravely, but automatically, stood up looking for where the sniper would be, and then began pointing at him.”
Because of this, Trump said, “many lives were saved.”
“But that isn’t the reason they didn’t move—the reason is that they knew I was in serious trouble, they saw all of the blood, and thought I was dead, and they just didn’t want to leave me, and you can see that love written all over their faces,” he said.
“I am not supposed to be here tonight,” Trump said, as the crowd shouted back, “Yes you are.”
Trump took a moment out of his speech to pay tribute to his wife Melania, saying he was “deeply honored to be joined by my amazing wife.”
He then referred to her letter to America, in which she called for unity in the wake of the assassination attempt against her husband.
“I am thinking of you, now, my fellow Americans,” she wrote. “Dawn is here again. Let us reunite. Now.”
The former president praised the letter.
“And Melania, thank you very much. You also did something really beautiful. A letter to America calling for national unity. And it really took the Republican Party by surprise. I will tell you, it was beautiful,’ he said.
“Some very serious people said that we should take that letter and put it as part of the Republican platform. That would be an honor, wouldn’t it?”
Trump displayed a chart showing the number of illegal immigrant crossings into the U.S. that had been on display during his speech in Butler, Pa., and that crucially he turned his head to look at as a gunman opened fire.
” Last time I put up that chart, I never really got to look at it,” he said to laughs from the crowd. “But without that chart, I would not be here today.”
“I said ‘you got to see this chart’. I was so proud of it. And by the time I got to there, I never got to see it that day. But I’m seeing it now, and I was very proud.”
Trump went off script and used President Biden’s name once, and quickly said he wouldn’t do it again.
“If you took the ten worst presidents in the history of the United States, think of it, the ten worst and added them all up…they will not have done the damage that Biden has done.”
“I’m only going to use the term once. Biden. I’m not going to use the name anymore. Just one time.”
