When former President Trump took the stage at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, few could believe the spectacle.
No person in American history has ever accepted their party’s nomination – Democratic or Republican – thrice, but here was Trump doing precisely that.
No person who had ever assumed the presidency in at least 43 years had been shot at by an assassin, and here was the 45th President, bravely describing what happened at the Butler Township rally in Pennsylvania last Saturday. He started his speech off with this remarkable moment in presidential history and brought tears to many in the audience, especially when he walked over to a corner of the stage to pay homage to the uniform and hat of Corey Comperatore, the firefighter who died at the rally.
But the biggest sensation of all was that Trump was even on the stage. If one of the numerous ambitious plans of the Liberals and Never Trumpers had succeeded, Trump should have been forever disqualified from running again or even be in prison.
It was a stunningly surreal moment in time – President Biden, who orchestrated the Left’s lawfare with this public statement at the White House in November 2022 – “We just have to demonstrate that he (Trump) will not take power if he does run, making sure he — under legitimate efforts of our Constitution — does not become the next president again” – was being pushed to step down from the Democratic ticket, according to media reports.
That Trump stood there epitomized his cries to “fight, fight, fight” after he rose following the bullet grazing his ear. It was a caricature of the ultimate fighter who fears nothing, not even an assassin’s bullet. This metaphor was on show even before Trump spoke as Dana White, the CEO and president of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), introduced Trump to the audience.
Trump’s message was simple. He is a fighter, and he would fight for Americans to return America to greatness. Recalling the contributions of the numerous heroes that built the country, Trump promised: “I will never let you down. We will press forward, and together, we will win, and no one will ever stop us. We will keep our glorious destiny, and we will not fail. We will not fail; we will restore the Republic, and we will use the rich and wonderful tomorrows that our people so truly deserve. America’s future will be bigger, better, bolder, brighter, happier, and stronger than ever before. We will quickly make America great again.”
Trump also deviated from his usual blustery stump speeches, which are known to dwell on his grievances. Perhaps as someone who has been living a second life after being an inch away from certain death – or because he listened anew to the pleas of Franklin Graham not to use foul language – Trump tried to convey a sense of unity repeatedly. [Graham’s father, Billy, was a renowned pastor and Trump Sr.’s favorite man of faith.]
Here, he applauded a unity letter that his wife, Melania, wrote after the assassination attempt: “We are all humans, and fundamentally, instinctively, we want to help one another. American politics is only one vehicle that can uplift our communities. Love, compassion, kindness, and empathy are necessities. Dawn is here again. Let us reunite. Now.” Trump asked the RNC to make Melania’s ideas integral to the party’s platform.
Trump mentioned Biden’s name only once but did not allude to the infighting in the Democratic Party. He never mentioned Harris. He mentioned Pelosi only once and immediately invited boos. One of his best lines was when he said how administrations of both parties had failed to contain Russia, but he had. Trump talked about how Russia annexed Georgia under Bush 43, took Crimea under Obama, and Ukraine under Biden. It was only during his administration that Russia stayed quiet. It was a compelling statement, 100% true.
Trump also promised to “Drill, baby drill” from Day 1 of his administration. He recalled how America was energy independent in 2019 when he was president. Trump said he would unleash America’s energy wealth to export to other countries and bring down the national debt. He said he would stop EV mandates and bring back gasoline car production to America, in an obvious nod to Midwestern states.
Trump focused a significant portion of his speech on the explosion of nearly 18 million illegal immigrants since his term. He rightly said that immigration levels were down to historic lows during his administration because of his strict policies such as the border wall, Remain in Mexico, and ending Catch and Release. He blamed the White House directly for ending Trump-era rules and opening the floodgates, which caused the deaths of multiple people, including Laken Riley, on the campus of the University of Georgia.
It seemed he had been studying our monthly TIPP Bidenflation reports on inflation.
They’re not putting away anything. They are barely living. They are going into savings accounts and taking out their money to live because of inflation. Remember, it’s called a country buster – you can go back to Germany from 100 years ago …groceries are up 57%, gasoline is up 60 and 70%, and mortgage rates have quadrupled. The fact is it doesn’t matter what they are because … young people can’t get any financing to buy a house. The total household costs have increased an average of $28,000 per family under this administration.
He also repeated his populist, well-poll-tested proposal of abolishing income taxes on tip income.
To the audience, Trump was a stunning contrast not only to his earlier avatar as the 45th President – he appeared more mellow and less vengeful – but was a night-and-day contrast to President Biden, whose meandering, whispering, and drug-infused dramatic moments in front of the microphone have become a national disgrace.
Trump delivered his speech fluently, with conviction, humor, and confidence. When he said he could stop wars with just a phone call, the audience erupted in glee, grateful at the chance of a person who would use the vast powers of the White House to make America great again. The best part was that they didn’t have to trust the soothing words of a politician. They had lived those Trump years for a full presidential term and wanted him back.
It’s now on to the Democrats. The last thing they will be thinking about is their nominee’s acceptance speech at their convention in Chicago. They have to decide their nominee first.
TIPP Takes
Geopolitics, Geoeconomics, And More
1. Israeli Military Says Tel Aviv Blast Apparently Caused By Drone, Houthis Claim Attack – Reuters
An apparent drone attack that was claimed by the Iranian-backed Houthi militia hit central Tel Aviv in the early hours of Friday, killing one man and slightly wounding four others, the Israeli military and emergency services said.
The explosion, which did not trigger air raid alarms, occurred hours after the Israeli military confirmed it had killed a senior commander of the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia in southern Lebanon.
2. Israel Lawmakers Vote To Oppose Palestinian State – AFP
The Israeli parliament voted to oppose a Palestinian state as an “existential threat,” a day after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told lawmakers the army had Hamas “by the throat.”
The vote, which drew swift criticism from the Palestinian leadership and the international community, is largely symbolic but laid down a marker ahead of a planned address by Netanyahu to the U.S. Congress next Wednesday.
3. Zelensky: Trump Would Be Hard Work, But We Are Hard Workers – BBC
In an interview with the BBC, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he was willing to work with anyone in power in the U.S.
Zelensky said working with Donald Trump if he is re-elected as U.S. president will be “hard work, but we are hard workers.”
“Maybe he really doesn’t understand what goes on in Ukraine, so we have to work with the United States,” Mr. Zelensky said. The Ukrainian leader is in the UK to attend a European Political Community (EPC) meeting.
4. Zelensky Tells European Summit That Putin Had Failed To Divide The Continent – UPI
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told a summit of European leaders in England that Russian aggression against his country had failed in its goal of dividing the family of Europe, but he warned against any backsliding.
“The more decisive Europe is in preserving this unity, the longer-lasting peace we will ensure,” Zelensky said in a speech to the fourth European Political Community meeting.
5. Russia Says It May Deploy Nuclear Missiles In Response To U.S. Weapons In Germany – Reuters
Russia does not rule out new deployments of nuclear missiles in response to the planned U.S. stationing of long-range conventional weapons in Germany, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov was quoted as saying.
Interfax news agency cited Ryabkov as saying that the defense of Russia’s Kaliningrad region, which is wedged between NATO members Poland and Lithuania, was a particular focus.
“I am not ruling out any options,” the agency said he told reporters in Moscow when asked to comment on the U.S. deployment plans.
6. Russian Court Jails U.S. Citizen For 13 Years On Drug Charges – Current Time
U.S. citizen Michale Travis Leake has been sentenced to 13 years in prison on drug charges, while his co-defendant, a Russian woman, Veronika Garabanchuk, was sentenced to eight years in prison.
More than 10 U.S. citizens are being held in Russian jails and prisons, accused or convicted on charges ranging from drug possession and theft to treason and espionage, amid accusations Moscow is using trumped-up charges to detain foreigners to use as currency in prisoner exchanges.
7. Germany To Cut Ukraine Military Funding To $4.4B To Help Plug Massive Budget Shortfall – UPI
The drastic cuts by Ukraine’s second largest backer after the United States were part of a draft budget for the financial year commencing Jan. 1, adopted by Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s government.
The decision comes after weeks of behind-the-scenes wrangling over how to plug an $18.59 billion deficit.
8. China’s Leaders To ‘Resolve Risks’ As Key Meet Ends – AFP
As the key Communist Party conference concluded, top officials, including President Xi Jinping “adopted a resolution on further deepening reform,” state-run Xinhua News Agency said.
They also agreed to “actively expand domestic demand,” state media reported after data this week showed retail sales — a key consumption gauge — rose just 2 percent in June.
The meeting also formally removed former foreign minister Qin Gang from the Communist Party’s highest decision-making body and “confirmed” the party’s decision to expel former defense minister Li Shangfu.
9. Delistings Outnumber IPOs In Hong Kong So Far This Year – Nikkei Asia
Depressed share prices and China’s economic downturn have damaged many listed companies in Hong Kong, triggering a wave of delistings.
As of the end of June, 14 Hong Kong-listed companies have announced moves to delist in the first half of the year. One has completed the process in a deal worth $8.5 billion, according to Dealogic data. That is more than the $1.7 billion raised by 30 companies that went public during the same period.
10. Tuvalu Welcomes Subsea Cable But Worries About Possible China Cyberattack – Nikkei Asia
Prime Minister Feleti Teo said Tuvalu is concerned about “forthcoming” pressure from China on cybersecurity. The Pacific island nation hopes to have a better internet connection with its first subsea cable in place next year.
In an interview with Nikkei Asia on the sidelines of the 10th Pacific Islands Leaders Meeting (PALM10), Teo said he was “conscious” that pressure would “certainly be forthcoming.” Tuvalu is one of three Pacific island nations that maintain ties with Taiwan.
11. Ursula Von Der Leyen Re-Elected For EU Top Job – D.W.
Germany’s Ursula von der Leyen has been given a second term as European Commission president. The European Parliament reelected her with 401 votes in favor, 284 against, and 15 abstentions.
Despite von der Leyen’s center-right European People’s Party (EPP) bloc being the largest in parliament, her victory was anything but certain. Following EU elections in June, European leaders had to make a deal on her candidacy over the objections of far-right figures like Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
12. Meta Won’t Release Advanced AI In The EU Due To Stronger User Data Protections – UPI
“We will release a multimodal Llama model over the coming months, but not in the EU due to the unpredictable nature of the European regulatory environment,” Meta said in a statement to Axios.
While that would limit AI products available to individuals in the EU, European data privacy laws also extend greater protections to users than in other parts of the world.
13. Endometriosis Linked To Much Higher Odds Of Ovarian Cancer – HealthDay News
New research shows they are about four times more likely to develop ovarian cancer than women who don’t have the painful condition. Still, women with endometriosis shouldn’t panic because ovarian cancer is still quite rare, experts stressed.
“The best way of preventing ovarian cancer is still the recommendation of exercise, not smoking, and limiting alcohol,” senior study author Karen Schliep says.
What can women with endometriosis do? Overall, they should watch for the warning signs of ovarian cancer, including bloating, abdominal pain, and changes in bowel or bladder function.
14. Frequent House Moves Put Kids At Risk Of Depression As Adults – HealthDay News
Kids whose families frequently move have a significantly higher risk of depression later in life, a new study warns. Results suggest that a settled home environment during childhood is crucial to protecting children against future mental health problems.
“During those formative years, children are building their social networks through school, sports groups, or other activities,” lead researcher Clive Sabel said. “Each time they have to adapt to something new, it can be disruptive, so we potentially need to find new ways to help people overcome those challenges.”
Republished with permission from TIPP Insights
