MILWAUKEE — In his first presidential campaign, Donald Trump famously declared at the Republican National Convention “I alone can fix it,” asking his fellow members to put their trust not in God or the political elite, but in him.
Yet eight years later, after surviving an assassination attempt, trouncing a wide field of GOP primary rivals, and battling against multiple legal cases, Trump now has the backing of the majority of the GOP. Republicans who were wary of Trump in 2016, when he was a political novice, have fervently rallied around him in the close election against President Joe Biden.
Former rivals such as former U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley and Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) have implored Republicans to vote for Trump, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell put away his hesitations on Trump and endorsed him, while the GOP base remains passionately behind Trump.
The convention itself was largely devoid of public infighting, in another sign of GOP unity. Trump continued that theme by giving a more somber speech than his usual pugnacious rallies.
“We are Americans. Ambition is our heritage. Greatness is our birthright. But as long as our energies are spent fighting each other, our destiny will remain out of reach,” Trump said tamping down violent rhetoric since failed attack against his life. “We must instead take that energy and use it to realize our country’s true potential—and write our own thrilling chapter of the American Story.”
Trump’s allies repeatedly said in interviews throughout the convention that his message bringing Americans together is part of his appeal. “If you know Donald Trump, he wants everybody to come together,” said Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL), a top Trump surrogate on Capitol Hill. “That’s what he’s been focused on. That’s what he’s doing.”
“Listen to the convention this week, even versus 2016, and where our party is. It truly, he truly has redefined our party,” Donalds said in a follow up interview with the Washington Examiner. “And our leaders have recognized that all the things that he has been saying, especially in comparison with [what] the Democrats have done, that he is correct. And he’s unified our party. We’re all pushing with him to put this country on track.”
Sen. Marco Rubio, who was passed over for Trump’s vice presidential pick but graciously backed Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) as the right choice, pointed to the team Trump has built around him since he disrupted the political scene nearly a decade ago.
“He’s the president,” said Rubio, who ran against Trump in 2016. “But he has a vice president, he’s gonna have a secretary of state, a secretary of treasury, and he’s going to have allies in the House and Senate that work alongside him to put into law whatever it is that he decides to prioritize his first 100 days as an example.”
Trump upended long-held political campaign styles in 2016 when his bombastic rhetoric captivated the election cycle and propelled him to victory over Hillary Clinton. Trump’s persona as a boss man known for firing people on NBC’s “The Apprentice” captivated and horrified the nation. But as he became the voice of Americans furious at the elite, the GOP has folded behind Trump’s leadership.
“In 2016, he certainly didn’t sound like anybody that had run for president in 20 or 30 years, because he was speaking about what a lot of millions of Americans who have felt ignored and left behind,” said Rubio. “He was speaking to what they wanted someone to finally say, and he was willing to say it.”
The failed assassination attempt against Trump has further bolstered his support among the GOP with convention attendees supporting makeshift ear bandages in solidarity with Trump. A large majority of speakers at the convention referenced the gravity of the attack against Trump, specifically his call to “Fight! Fight! Fight!”
“Of course none of us celebrate what happened last weekend, but there’s a very sobering impact that has on people,” said Timothy Head, the executive director of the Faith and Freedom Coalition. “And frequently that kind of interaction with our own mortality can also bring a little bit — can soften some rough edges.”
“I was at the rally on Saturday. So it’s not just like a mix of excited, grateful, thankful,” said Blake Marnell, a California delegate, who reflected on how the convention crowd would receive Trump. “It’s just, this is a hard one because there’s not really a word, it’s beyond excitement. It’s just profoundly grateful.”
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In the coming weeks Trump’s running mate, Vance will fan out rallying and fundraising on behalf of Trump. Several Trump allies, including Donalds, Rep. Wesley Hunt (R-FL), and Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), will likely continue stumping around the nation for Trump, as the GOP feels triumphant they can retake the White House and Senate.
“There is no army of one in this endeavor,” said Rep. Kat Cammack (R-FL). “I’m in the House of Representatives, you need 218 votes, right? So we know that this is a team sport. And so anyone who has ever played team sports in their life knows that yeah, you’ll have some star players, but you need every man and woman on the field in order to get the job done.”