By Nathan Layne, Joseph Ax and Jeff Mason
MILWAUKEE/REHOBOTH BEACH, Delaware (Reuters) -Donald Trump will strike a conciliatory tone at the outset of his speech at the Republican National Convention on Thursday – his first public remarks since surviving an assassination attempt – before shifting to well-worn attacks on the Biden administration’s immigration, economic and foreign policies, according to excerpts released in advance.
“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 planned to say as he accepted the Republican presidential nomination, in what would be a marked shift in tenor for the typically bellicose former president.
Trump and his advisers had suggested throughout the week he would offer a message of unity after a gunman’s bullet grazed his ear at a Pennsylvania rally on Saturday. But past predictions that Trump would adopt a more statesmanlike rhetoric have been short-lived.
Indeed, the excerpts showed that he planned to blame Biden – though not by name – for an “invasion” of migrants at the southern border, claiming without evidence that other countries were sending their criminals to the U.S. and suggesting incorrectly that violent crime is on the rise.
The speech in Milwaukee caps a four-day event in which he was greeted with adulation by a party that now appears entirely in his thrall.
The convention’s program of speakers reflected the nominee’s background as a reality television star – the primetime list featured mixed martial arts executive Dana White, the rap rock star Kid Rock and the pro wrestler Hulk Hogan, who fired up the crowd by tearing his top off to reveal a Trump campaign T-shirt.
His opponent in the Nov. 5 election, meanwhile, Democratic President Joe Biden, was “soul searching” about whether to drop out of the race entirely, one source said, after senior party figures, congressional allies and major donors warned him he could not win following a halting debate performance on June 27.
Biden, 81, was isolating at his Delaware home after contracting COVID-19. His doctor said he was experiencing mild symptoms.
For the fourth consecutive night, Trump, 78, made a grand entrance into the arena during the program, still wearing a bandage over the ear that was wounded on Saturday and drawing loud applause.
Before Trump was due to take the stage for his keynote address, the convention paused to welcome his wife, Melania Trump, who has rarely been seen during the campaign. She entered the arena to classical music and waved to the crowd from a box next to Trump’s vice presidential pick, Senator J.D. Vance.
Some of the eclectic group of speakers – including conservative commentator Tucker Carlson, who received a huge ovation, and Trump’s son Eric – employed heated language in denouncing the Biden administration.
The head pro at Trump’s Florida golf club, John Nieporte, praised Trump’s skills on the course and claimed the former president had won 21 club championships.
“Joe Biden? Zero,” he said, evoking the surreal moment from the presidential debate when Trump and Biden argued over which of the two candidates had a better golf game.
With his grip on the Republican Party never tighter, Trump will be in a much stronger position than in his 2017-2021 term to follow through on his agenda if he wins the election.
BIDEN ON THE BRINK?
Biden has faced increasing pressure from heavyweights in his party to cede his position at the top of the ticket after his erratic performance on debate night. Former House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi is among those who have told him he cannot win in November, according to a White House source familiar with the matter.
After weeks of insisting that he will remain in the race, Biden is now taking calls to step aside seriously and multiple Democratic officials think an exit is a matter of time, according to sources familiar with the matter.
People close to the president told the New York Times on Thursday that they believe he has begun to accept the idea that he may have to drop out.
Democratic leaders in the House and Senate – Hakeem Jeffries and Chuck Schumer – have told Biden directly that he will not only lose the White House but also endanger their effort to win back the House, according to reports in multiple news outlets.
Opinion polls show four of the seven most competitive states looking increasingly out of reach for Biden. The Trump campaign, meanwhile, said it believes it is now competitive in Democratic-leaning states including Minnesota, New Hampshire, and Virginia.
Senator Jon Tester, who faces a challenging reelection battle in Montana this year, on Thursday became the 21st congressional Democrat and the second senator to publicly call on Biden to drop out.
Some lawmakers say Biden may now be more open to stepping aside.
“He’s done what’s best for America … I think he’ll keep doing so,” Democratic U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper told Reuters. “He’s working towards that.”
Hickenlooper declined to say whether he believed Biden should step aside as a candidate.
Former President Barack Obama has told others that Biden, who was Obama’s vice president, should rethink his candidacy, the Washington Post reported, citing anonymous sources.
(Reporting by Nathan Layne and Joseph Ax in Milwaukee, Jeff Mason in Delaware and Nandita Bose and Steve Holland in Washington; Additional reporting by Helen Coster, Costas Pitas, Gram Slattery, Alexandra Ulmer and Stephanie Kelly; Writing by Andy Sullivan and Joseph Ax; Editing by Scott Malone, Alistair Bell and Howard Goller)
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