Trump Emerges from Convention a Republican Caesar
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
The ex-president faces few guardrails and even less dissent as he moves closer to reclaiming the White House.
THIS WEEK'S GOP CONVENTION formally marked Donald Trump as a three-time nominee for president—only the second Republican, after Richard Nixon, to be thrice given his party's nod.
It also presented him as a Republican Caesar, a figure of immense power and cultural sway with few if any guardrails to hold back his ambitions.
Over the course of four days, Trump saw the passage of a party platform expertly tailored for his specific political whims and interests. He then watched the convention's festivities in emperor-like fashion, perched in a lower deck of the convention hall arena with family and friends.
Former opponents lined up to praise him. Handpicked entertainers performed for him. Social-media influencers and business leaders exalted him as preachers testified to his strength and divine protection.
By Thursday evening, the large bandage Trump wore over the ear grazed by an assassin's bullet had become a heraldic device for conventiongoers, many of whom wore copycat bandages on their own ears in solidarity.
"I'm not supposed to be here tonight," Trump said.
"Yes you are," they chanted back.
It was a sharp departure from the two previous conventions that nominated Trump. In 2016, a small group of Trump-critical Republicans mounted a last-ditch effort on the floor of the convention hall in Cleveland to prevent his nomination; it was quickly quashed. In 2020, the pandemic forced Trump to hold a virtual online convention, robbing him of the adoring crowds he craves, until his norm- and law-defying acceptance speech on the White House lawn.
Thursday was the climax of the adoration convention Trump always wanted—and an illustration of how fully he has remade the party he now leads.
Gone was any vestige of dissent or ideological disagreement. The social conservatives in the party stayed muted as Trump jettisoned many of their cultural issues. The national security hawks stayed quiet as he picked a vice president who shares his skepticism about the Ukraine war. The old establishment didn't bother to even show up.
In its place was a blend of entertainment, religiosity, and politics unlike anything in modern convention history. Retired pro-wrestler Hulk Hogan amped up the crowd of "Trumpamaniacs," called Trump a "gladiator," and tore off his own tank top—his signature move from his days in the ring. He was followed, in one of the more disjointing pairings, by preacher Franklin Graham. Then came rapper Kid Rock, who repurposed his track "American Bad Ass" in fist-pumping homage to Trump. And mixed martial arts promoter Dana White introduced Trump, hailing his toughness.
Those were the warmup acts.
Trump was the main draw. His acceptance speech was two addresses in one. It started in a subdued and personal fashion with calls for unity and a recounting of his near-assassination at a Butler County, Pennsylvania rally on Saturday.
His delivery stayed subdued as his remarks morphed into more of a typical campaign speech, one that saw him call one opponent "crazy," repeat lies about the 2020 election, and declare the nation's capital city a "horrible killing field."
He repeatedly ignored his teleprompter and let his thoughts flow, delivering an at times disjointed address that dwelled mostly on immigration. He pledged to bring back manufacturing, remove disincentives for gas-powered cars, and lower inflation. The crowd's energy began to wane as the speech stretched on past what seemed like several natural stopping points—ultimately going on for some ninety minutes.
BUT BY THE END, they cheered as if they wanted more. Many had even come to see Trump in spiritual terms.
"A lot of my friends who aren't particularly religious people believe this was God's will," said Aurora Stuski, a Pennsylvania delegate, of the former president surviving the assassination attempt. "And when he got up and put his fist in the air and said 'Fight!' It became a unifying factor for all of us."
Illinois delegate Kenneth Jochum donned a fake ear bandage with an American flag printed on it that said "Trump 2024."
"He is going to bring our country back as one nation under God," Jochum said.
The religious sentiment in the convention hall was so strong that, earlier in the evening when conservative commentator Tucker Carlson spoke, someone shouted from the floor that Trump was protected by God.
"I think it was divine intervention," Carlson said. "But the effect it had on Donald Trump—he was no longer just a political party's nominee, or a former president, or a future president. This was the leader of a nation."
The backdrop of the convention wasn't just Trump's remarkable survival from the assassination attempt. It was also a string of luck that has left him on the cusp of returning to the White House with few legal or political restraints to encumber him. President Joe Biden's disastrous debate performance June 27 was followed by a Supreme Court decision that will delay Trump's January 6th criminal trial until after the election. The ruling also led to a delay in Trump's sentencing in the criminal hush-money case. And on Monday, the day the Republican convention opened, U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon threw out the classified documents case against Trump—an act that earned her praise in his speech Thursday.
Trump's political operation, too, has shown a maturity that has impressed fellow conservatives, including Carlson, who complimented it from the convention floor. The chaos that characterized the 2016 and 2020 campaigns—emanating primarily from Trump but also from his team—has been largely absent.
Collectively, the last three weeks have left Trump in an enviable position: polling better than his opponent, revered in his party, more seasoned politically, with none of the Republican factionalism that hurt him before, and with judicial proceedings seeming to sputter out. Sarah Brady, a delegate from Idaho, said she could feel the unity in the party like never before. And she said the assassination attempt was emblematic of how Republicans feel.
"To me, Trump's comeback is America's comeback," she said. "He got knocked down and he got back up."
In Milwaukee, Trump did more than that. He came. He saw. He conquered.
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I read some of the transcript of his almost two hours of ranting and I just couldn't waste any more of my time.
I watched all of it. A lot of it reminded me of a bum drunk at the end of a bar.
Yeah, the one you don't want to make eye contact with or you'll never get away
I don't have the stomach for that kind of shit. What I read, I was laughing and laughing and laughing ........
I'm sure everyone's noticed this but from the little I read of that garbage, I lost track of how many times he says
Nobody's ever seen before
Nobody's ever seen anything like that
They've never seen anything like it
Like the world has never seen before
Nobody can believe what's happening
And never-ending variations on those - filler phrases and words - I've never seen anything like it before
lol
you got it
I think this writer hit on something . Usually the nominee does not go to every session of the convention. But knowing that all the speakers would be gushing over him, Trump could not resist the lure of sitting there in a special elevated box , surrounded by family and lackeys, as the speakers told him how great he is.
It really does remind you of one of the Roman emperors presiding over the jugglers and circus elephants on his throne or at the Colosseum.
If Biden is still the nominee we know the democrats can't afford to have him embarrass himself by attending every session, plus Mommy Jill has set an 8 O'clock bedtime so Joe will have to leave early if he attends at all.
How old is Trump again?
How many times did he fall asleep during his own criminal trial?
He put the convention hall audience to sleep last night.
I saw him falling asleep during the convention. He’s a sleepy, low energy old man.
I can't wait to see the Dem convention, with all the lies and bullshit going on inside the hall and the riots and demonstrations going on outside.
THE PROJECTION
Right, I am sure no one lied to you at all during the RNC. LOL
Well he also needed to model his new ear accessory for maximum exposure, even though there’s probably not even a scratch underneath it.
My wife was an ER nurse for many years. She said that Trump's bandage is fake. That is now how an ear wound is bandaged.
What fool would present himself that way - such an obviously unprofessionally applied dressing like that.
And the fools who mimic it.
There is at least one stock image of a type of bandaging for the ear that looks remarkably like that worn by Donald. I can only imagine he did not wish to have his head bandaged around for his big 'moments' about the RNC convention. It would have been a bit 'alarming.' And as we know all to well, . . .Donald charts his own course in this life.
Buying into the BlueAnon theory that the shooting was faked?
Notice how the bandage in the photo is wrapped around the ear unlike Trump's fake bandage.
No. Don't be ridiculous. Buying into Trump's fake PR bandage? Did you buy into the crisis actor crap about the kids murdered at Sandy Hook? That was the right wing thing to do.
Deflect away
If they were alone how do you know they wore a mask?
Maybe Trump's is velcroed or super glued to his ear.
Wound truthers might actually be more pathetic than the "Biden is sharper than he's ever been and has more energy than 30 year old staffers" sycophants.
Drove past them. They had biden stickers on their cars also
Yes. I see what you suggest.
Then, in his case it is vanity (not wanting to appear 'diminished.' Ah! I got it, he knows the media cameras would zoom in on that part of his (expansive) head, broadcasting it to all parts of the world!) Additionally, he would put additional focus on his whether thinning hair (revealing a large bald spot).
Excellent John. I literally just laughed out loud at that. Hilarious!
I have no doubt Trump was grazed by a bullet. It makes much more sense than he was hit by a fragment of glass or plastic. But it is funny to watch MAGA's and other nuts try to mock people who question a demented politician known as a pathological liar version of the event.
Its like the right has not a shred of self awareness.
Trump himself is someone who has believed over 50 conspiracies.
Since when is a direct answer to a question a deflection? That must be how it works in right wing world.
Correction: That is NOT how an ear wound is bandaged.
It’s funny to see other folks who question the nature of the wound from the beginning. It changes nothing but seems critically important to them.
Is Trump trying to extract an advantage or appear brave and tough, of course he is. No surprise there.
It doesn’t seem to have increased his polling numbers. The widening spread is more a factor of Biden numbers going down as he tries to hide or downplay his growing feebleness.
Your idiotic comment is the definition of No Value.
They both show a high degree of willful ignorance.
It’s funny to see other folks who question the nature of the wound from the beginning.
From the beginning? It’s the immaculately clean, oversized, overemphasized bandage that got me wanting to see what’s actually under it. In the beginning I thought he was grazed just like everyone else. Now it looks like either he’s faking it or he’s some kind of fucking alien that heals its blood seeping wounds overnight. (how’s that for a conspiracy theory?)
It changes nothing but seems critically important to them.
If there was any part of this event that was faked, it should change everything. How could anyone not see that as repulsive? Worst part is that it is a totally believable thing for such a shyster of a human being. This is the clown that body slammed someone at a televised WWF event. He craves attention and is a terrible actor who plays terrible roles.
Again, what is new?
Using an attempted assassination as part of a campaign strategy is new .. and even more loathsome than rawdogging a porn star while his wife was at home with their new baby, or sexually assaulting someone he’s in photographs with then claiming he didn’t know who she was, or any of the hundreds of other horror stories he’s a part of.
The Trauma field really could use you fellas.
Not really. See Teddy Roosevelt.
Old news.
Do you see a wound? I see blood but no damage. Even his hair is unfazed. Just take off the bandage and let the world see what a hero he is. It clearly isn’t bleeding anymore.
He probably used a fake blood capsule and fell on cue from the teleprompter.
Teddy died in 1919. Yes, a current event like this is new to nearly every human on earth.
That's why Medicine needs you. You could Triage these bums down at City Hospital and throw the pussies out on their ears.
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I predict that Bandagegate is coming. Trump will do anything to swing his election. We already know this about him. The reason he mentioned how easily ears bleed is because he was surprised at how much blood came from his tiny wound.
Bandagegate?.. I think the Democrats would probably be better served by figuring out what the fuck they're going to do. But hey maybe you're right...
The newest blue anon
Absolutely - the guy's a pussy of the highest order. He spent a half-billion dollars of campaign donations to set this scam up.
I didn’t have to actually see them. If I saw a Prius, then I knew a leftist with a mask on was in it.
So. your Er nurse wife thinks all ear wounds should be bandaged the same……no matter the location?
It”s obvious the kid that shot him only wanted to commit suicide so he came up with this conspiracy to act like he shot him then let the law enforcement kill him………and they agreed to it…s/
You're not looking hard enough and seemingly know very little about human anatomy and physiology. There is obvious soft tissue damage to the upper ear lobe. As a retired US Navy Fleet Marine Force Hospital Corpsman who has served with front line USMC units, I have seen and treated many kinds of trauma, especially bullet related ones, both on and off a battlefield. That is a real and superficial wound where blood coagulates very fast close to the surface and does not bleed for long.
No, obviously not, and that's a ridiculous question, but the bandage as it is applied to Trump's ear is not appropriate for an ear wound. She was a nurse for 38 years before she retired and was highly respected at the hospital where she worked. Very experienced and very knowledgeable. I know of instances where she saved lives because of her excellent nursing skills.
I’m truly grateful for the time she served as a nurse, however, my wife is also a retired (recently) nurse with 33 years under her belt. The hospital where she worked she was also very respected, and also saved many lives over the years. so I guess we can say we as husbands are on even ground because we don’t know squat how to dress an ear wound.
she says the correct way to dress an ear wound depends on the wound type, and location of wound. Not all wounds are the same and require the same dressing.
so who is right?
It's wonderful that your wife was a nurse.
There is no contradiction between what our wives said that I'm aware of. They both know the same thing, that the correct way to dress an ear wound depends on the type and location of the wound, and that all wounds are not the same nor do they require the same dressing.
The question, which is not really important at all, is whether the way Trump's ear is dressed as shown in the photos is how an actual dressing for an ear wound would look like. I was told no by a nurse. I didn't ask her. Rather, she volunteered that information as soon as she saw him with the bandage.
I also saw a series of photos of dressings for different types of ear wounds and the only one that looked like Trump's was a photo of Trump.
I don’t know what to tell you. That one thing you cannot dispute is that he has an ear wound caused by an attempted assassination, whether the wound came from the bullet or by a shard of glass, it doesn’t matter. Somebody tried to kill him and he was injured due to that attempt.,
Maybe your wife has seen an ear wound dressing that looks like Trump's.
I am not disputing that he suffered an injury as a result of the attack.
By the way, my wife is from the Philippines and went to nursing school there. Don't tell me yours is, too.
That is a real and superficial wound where blood coagulates very fast close to the surface and does not bleed for long.
Great, no need for a ridiculously large bandage then. Wounds heal faster when they are not encased in unnecessary bandages. Trump’s bandage is for show only. It gives his sycophants a new fashion trend to demonstrate their cultish devotion.
Campaigns are about messaging and messaging uses symbols. I have no doubt that Trump could have used a smaller, contoured, flesh colored bandage. No, he wanted a very visible symbol that he is still standing after taking another one for the team. Persecuted, prosecuted and now shot, never forget, they’ve now tried to kill me but I’m still fighting for you. The optics of a bad ass.
Some people apparently don’t understand what sells.
I'll be damned. Yup......for 35 years. She got her education in the states.
We are in the Philippines now enjoying a beach resort we purchased a few months ago. Will be here until the middle of September.
Anyone who is buying what he is selling, with his bandage and disingenuous talk about a god that he clearly doesn’t even believe in, has truly lost their way in life. This is farthest thing from a role model or leader that country has ever produced. He a sick, malignant narcissist with zero real charisma.
Some people are more interested in what sells or doesnt sell than they are in the future of the country. Basic non partisan cynicism.
Recognizing what sells isn’t an endorsement, it’s an informed observation.
Lot’s of lost lambs hereabouts.
You could see it when they drove by.
One of your schticks nowadays is excusing all Trump does with one or another versions of "its just Trump being Trump" as if the fact that everyone knows he is an anti-democratic criminal asshole makes it acceptable as a fait accompli.
fuck that
An explanation isn’t an excuse. A common schtick here nowadays is looking for a normal behavior pattern and expressing surprise when it’s not there.
Fuck it.
I don't buy what certain people here are ever selling.
I really don't buy what certain people are selling here. Way too convenient and coincidental.
My wife was a nurse for 49 years and 6 months. Good nurses are worth their weight in gold.
Completely agree, thank her for her service.
She passed 3/7/2022.
I’m sorry to learn that.
I had an extended, life threatening illness four years ago. Nurses made all the difference and I have viewed medical support in this country completely different since.
I’m sure that your wife helped thousands of grateful patients.
I think the author got it wrong - Trump will emerge a NERO, not a Caesar, and you know what happened to Rome when he was Emperor.
Yeah, the RNC convention was pretty good, wasn't it? Certainly set a high mark and raised expectations for the DNC's big show this election.
Pretty good? What a freakshow/shitshow.
"What a freakshow/shitshow."
Not near the one DNC will put on for theirs!
, Trump saw the passage of a party platform expertly tailored for his specific political whims and interests. He then watched the convention's festivities in emperor-like fashion, perched in a lower deck of the convention hall arena with family and friends.
Has the author ever watched a convention before?
he social conservatives in the party stayed muted as Trump jettisoned many of their cultural issues
That can't be correct. I've been reliably informed Trump is going to force women to marry and have kids, make it illegal for them to work and have gays killed. I'm told It's all in the 2025 blueprint he hand drafted.
The author seems to forget that Trump is just one leg of the stool. He needs the legs of the House and Senate to level it and provide a firm foundation for the groundbreaking Republican platform that will get this country back on the right track
Not like this one, I'm sure.
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I used to watch his 'reality' show. I don't know what draws me to some of that shit. I like to watch Mama June too.
See the white trash he associates with - just like himself - white trash with money.
I dont know if they all deserve to be called trash, but Trump's convention was definitely trying to appeal to a certain stratus of potential voters.
I would give you my opinion but you would just consider it trolling.
They earned it if they were there and idolizing the king of white trash with money.
Let's be honest here.
Why dont you just give your opinion instead of complaining that you are not allowed to give your opinions. When I delete you it is not because you gave your opinion about a topic, it is because you dont.
I generally don’t refer to people as trash, as trash means garbage. Now if someone is a child o spouse abuser or a murderer, they may qualify as trash. So no, I doubt think that most attendees this week are nothing but garbage.
And voters must not forget Donald's core power (superpower even) is LYING. Don't accept two responses in a row that come out of his mouth!