Donald Trump made a speech on Thursday during the Republican National Convention, where he shared the near-assassination that happened to him. Bandaged on his right ear, Trump recounted that moment when he heard the sound of whizzing—really loud—and felt a hard impact on his ear. He knew it must have been a bullet. The crowd, from Milwaukee chanted his support as he declared he was there "by the grace of Almighty God."

In his first speech since the assault, Trump accepted the Republican presidential nomination for the November 5 election. He began by setting a tone that was unusually conciliatory, stating his desire to be a president for all Americans. But it soon gave way to his more characteristic rhetoric as he took aim at the Biden administration and claimed, again without any proof, that his criminal indictments were part of a Democratic conspiracy. He also predicted that a presidency by Joe Biden would bring about disasters like "World War Three" and attacked the administration on the grounds of immigration policy.

The speech, at more than 90 minutes the longest in convention history, also contained a lie he has repeated relentlessly: that he lost the election because of voter fraud. At one point, Trump described himself as the only man who could single-handedly prevent wars, with just one phone call. The convention ended with him basking in adulation from the Republican Party, joined on stage by his family and his running mate, Senator J.D. Vance.

Whereas Biden was reportedly "soul searching" over the future of his campaign due to a bad debate performance and having contracted COVID-19, senior Democratic figures and heavyweight donors are pressing him to consider withdrawing from the presidential race because they believe he cannot win. While initially rebuffing the suggestion, Biden is now taking those calls seriously. Influential Democrats, including Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer, have told him to stand down to not jeopardize the party's chances in the election.

Multiple speakers at the convention, including conservative commentator Tucker Carlson and Trump's son Eric, came out to take shots at the Biden administration. If Trump wins a second term, he should be in a stronger position than ever—with party backing—to advance his priorities.