Our columnists Charles Lane, Karen Tumulty, Jim Geraghty and Jonathan Capehart met up at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee to suss out the mood on the floor. How will Trump’s “unity” message — if it’s real at all — play out during the convention? And will it change the race if it does? This excerpt from their conversation has been edited.
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Charles Lane: So in the days following this horrific and despicable assassination attempt, former president Donald Trump has been mouthing the word “unity.” But his immediate instinct in the moment was to raise his fist and shout the word “fight” three times. What do you guys think: How is that balance going to play out? Is there any real chance of unity becoming a lasting theme? Jonathan, you’re shaking your head no.
Jonathan Capehart: No. And we saw it starting last night with Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene. If the nominee of the party mouths the word “unity” — well, then that should be reflected in the speakers and what they are saying. You cannot say “Let’s have kumbaya” and then go out there and say there are only two genders and target trans kids. How do you square that circle? They’re not doing it.
Karen Tumulty: I agree. I was on the convention floor yesterday as they were doing the roll call of the states to nominate him, and there were at least two states who cast their ballots and then broke into chants of “Fight! Fight! Fight!” So this message is perhaps getting through to some of the speakers from the stage, but it has not gotten through to the delegates.
Jim Geraghty: Asking Marjorie Taylor Greene to give a uniting speech, it’s kind of like asking a duck to juggle. I’m not sure she’s equipped for that. It’s just completely against her nature. But the only thing I think people are really going to remember from this convention is Trump’s speech. If Trump’s speech is, to borrow a phrase from 1988, a kinder and gentler Trump — much less “We’re going to destroy these guys, everybody who opposes me is terrible and wrong,” and is more of “I want to unite all of us” — that may have an effect. I’m not counting on it. And again, it’s Trump. It’s very hard to believe it. But then again, he’s never been shot before. It’s very hard to believe you’d go through that and not be changed in some way. So we’ll see what happens.
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