Trump accepts nomination in marathon convention speech
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STORY: “I proudly accept your nomination for president of the United States.” Former U.S. president Donald Trump on Thursday formally accepted the Republican Party’s nomination for president. His keynote address at the Republican National Convention comes just days after he narrowly escaped an assassination attempt in Pennsylvania, which Trump detailed in a 14-minute account. "I heard a loud whizzing sound and felt something hit me really, really hard on my right ear. I said to myself, 'Wow, what was that? It can only be a bullet." After a dramatic entrance, the former president struck a rare conciliatory tone up front. “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.” The message of unity didn’t last long however– and Trump soon pivoted to well-worn attacks on the Biden administration in a meandering 90-minute plus speech– the longest ever at a convention. Trump claimed without evidence that his criminal indictments are part of a Democratic conspiracy to prevent his election. He also warned that Joe Biden, his rival in the November election, would usher in "World War Three", while casting himself, as he has many times, as the only candidate capable of saving the country from certain doom. "I could stop wars with a telephone call." Trump devoted much of his speech to attacking migrants, a common theme in his presidential campaigns. "They're coming from everywhere. They're coming at levels that we've never seen before. It is an invasion indeed, and this administration does absolutely nothing to stop them. They’re coming from prisons. They’re coming from jails. They’re coming from mental institutions and insane asylums." Academic studies show that immigrants do not commit crime at a higher rate than native-born Americans. The speech capped a four-day event in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in which Trump’s grip on the Republican Party appeared tighter than ever. "God bless the United States of America, our great country. Thank you very much everybody." :: July 17, 2024 :: Dover, Delaware Biden, meanwhile, is isolating at his home in Delaware, with what his doctor said were mild symptoms of COVID-19. The president has faced mounting pressure from within his own party to drop out of the race since a shaky debate performance in late June. For weeks Biden has remained adamant that he will remain on the ticket, but he is now reportedly taking calls to step aside seriously. One source said he was ‘soul searching’ about whether to withdraw from the race. Multiple Democratic officials think an exit is only a matter of time, according to sources familiar with the matter.
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