Trump needs to focus his convention speech on Americans having a better future
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The Republican National Convention is a huge, sprawling, multi-day event. Thousands of delegates and alternates – and even more thousands of spectators, news media, donors, activists and support people – will be there.
There are hours of speeches for four straight days culminating in the nomination of the party’s candidate for president.
This process began in December 1831, when the National Republicans met in Baltimore. At that time, 155 delegates chose Sen. Henry Clay to oppose incumbent President Andrew Jackson. While the processes have changed over time, the national convention has been a key part of the American presidential selection process ever since. In Milwaukee, former President Donald J. Trump will be nominated for the third time to be his party’s nominee.
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The startling exposure of President Joe Biden’s cognitive collapse has dominated recent political discussions. So, Trump enters this convention with a significant advantage in the general election. He was already ahead of Biden before the debate. He is now much stronger going into the fall campaign.
Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump smiles during a campaign rally at Trump National Doral Miami, Tuesday, July 9, 2024, in Doral, Fla. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
In this unusual circumstance, there are five goals Trump should set for maximizing his opportunity to communicate to all Americans at the convention.
1. The VP Pick
First, former President Trump must introduce his choice for vice president. That person must then work the various delegations and build a sense of excitement that this is the winning ticket.
2. Stay Positive
Second, Trump should be enthusiastic and positive. He should seize the moment, bask in the enormous affection of his party, and communicate a positive approach that lets people share the joy of work well done.
A national convention is like a giant family reunion. Many of the delegates have been coming for years. All the participants like politics and enjoy the experience of a great convention. There is always a sense of history. It always feels like something big is happening.
The spiritual and psychological leader of the reunion is Trump. Everyone will look to him for validation that things are going well, our prospects are good, and it is just plain fun.
3. Relax
Third, given that environment of convention – and the reality of Biden’s and the Democrats’ almost unsolvable problems – Trump should relax and enjoy himself. If you have witnessed his great rallies, you know that Trump likes people and loves interacting with them. He is a natural entertainer, and his rally events are part campaign and part vaudeville. Milwaukee will be the ultimate opportunity for his most faithful supporters to see him enjoy himself. A happy, relaxed nominee is more accessible and likable than an angry, aggressive one.
In many ways, Trump’s personal interactions with people are as important as the acceptance speech. They can help build energy and commitment among his strongest supporters at a personal level.
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4. The Right Speech
Fourth, the acceptance speech is a real opportunity to focus on a positive, better future. The speech should be 10% about what the first Trump administration achieved, 35% about how bad Biden and the left are, and 55% about the kind of dynamic, prosperous, free, and safe America we are going to create together. He needs to channel the optimism and sense of hope of Presidents John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan – not the dour negativism of Barry Goldwater and Jimmy Carter.
Americans are tired of high prices, crime, illegal immigration, wars around the planet, cultural fights and a depressingly incompetent and often corrupt Washington. They yearn for a leader who is going to lift them up and give them hope for a better future. They want America to be brought together rather than driven apart.
If Trump can convince them he has a positive vision, that success will bring us together, and that working with his leadership we can achieve success, then he will have captured the convention and the country. The electrifying impact of Reagan’s impromptu convention speech in 1976 led people to believe they had nominated the wrong guy.
Four years later, Reagan’s sunny optimism overwhelmed Carter’s pessimism and Reagan won the largest electoral college victory against an incumbent president in American history. Trump has the opportunity to match or exceed that remarkable victory.
The spiritual and psychological leader of the reunion is Trump. Everyone will look to him for validation that things are going well, our prospects are good, and it is just plain fun.
5. Help the Whole Republican Team
Finally, Trump must move to elevate and elect the whole team. To achieve the progress of which he dreams, Trump must have a House and Senate that will work with him. This is not a Trump-only campaign. This is a Trump-led campaign to make America great again. Every race matters. Every candidate matters. Every victory is a step toward saving America. This must be the ultimate appeal.
If President Trump meets these five goals, he will have an historic convention and be on the road to an historic victory.
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Newt Gingrich was Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1995-1999 and a candidate for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination. He is chairman of Gingrich 360.
