[Editor's note: For best image quality, please view our website on a desktop or tablet.]
The Republican National Convention was a weeklong cacophony of incoherency as members of the new Republican Party attempted to dispense individualistic interpretations of "unity." The quadrennial event, which draws delegates from across the country, should have captivated news conversations throughout July; however, it was quickly eclipsed by a series of unprecedented developments bookending the four-day convention.
Just two days before the RNC was set to kick off, former president and current party nominee Donald Trump narrowly escaped an assassination attempt. The Sunday following the convention, President Biden announced that he will suspend his campaign for reelection, endorsing his vice president, Kamala Harris, as the next nominee for the Democratic Party.
Assassination attempt
While speaking at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 17, a gunman opened fire from the roof of a nearby building, shooting a round into the crowd. A bullet grazed Trump's right ear. The former president immediately touched his hand to the side of his face, realized it was covered in blood, and ducked to the ground. Secret Service members surrounded Trump as snipers took out the shooter. Trump stood up, blood streaking his face, to raise a fist in the air for an opportune photo before exiting the venue. While the FBI continues to search for a motive behind the shooting, it was discovered that he was a registered Republican.
Following the attack, sources close to Trump claimed that the near-death experience had inspired him to rewrite his RNC acceptance speech completely. Political analysts anticipated he would divert from the usual name-calling and fear-mongering toward a message of national unity.
Before Trump's acceptance speech on Thursday, July 18, other prominent speakers took the stage in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to espouse Trump's bravery and claim divine intervention following the assassination attempt, which left one attendee dead and three others injured.
RNC speakers call for unity but take jabs
Many speakers noted that political hatred and division have gone too far. Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders joined the ranks of Republicans whose calls for peace coincided with condemnation of liberals, whom they blamed as inciting the most dangerous political rhetoric. "A parent at my three-year-old son's preschool spit on my car," Sanders said to a stunned crowd. "My family was denied service and kicked out of a restaurant."
Other speakers included long-time Trump supporters Gov. Kristi Noem of South Dakota (who recently made headlines for bragging about killing her dog) and US Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who also encouraged Americans to embrace unity — while condemning liberals for espousing violent rhetoric, and audibly grimacing throughout her speech.
The Republican speakers were quick to evoke culture wars and tiptoed around actual policy plans. There were plenty of lowbrow jabs at the Transgender community and Gen Z from Vivek Ramaswamy, Donald Trump Jr., and Ron DeSantis, who repeated the same line that young voters "can't even define what a woman is."
Despite the anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric touted on stage at the RNC, many speculate that hundreds, if not thousands, of closeted Gay men traveled to Wisconsin for the event. The Gay dating app Grindr experienced numerous crashes due to servers being overwhelmed in Wisconsin over the week. The surge in usage could be traced to burner phones.
Many Republicans who had previously opposed Trump also spoke at the convention, giving him their full endorsement. This included Nikki Haley, who campaigned against Trump in the primaries and told Fox News in February 2024, "If Donald Trump is the nominee of the Republican Party, we will have a President Kamala Harris. That's just a fact." Trump was also endorsed by former rival Texas Sen. Ted Cruz.
Trump received immense praise from his new vice presidential pick, JD Vance, a junior senator from Ohio, lawyer, and author. During Trump's first campaign, Vance was an active "never Trumper," even going so far as to call the former president "America's Hilter." Vance has since proclaimed a change of heart toward Trump, and he pledged his loyalty to the nominee and the Republican Party onstage.
Vance is a staunch anti-LGBTQ+ politician who has previously stated he would support overturning Obergefell v. Hodges (legalizing marriage equality) and aims to pass a nationwide abortion ban.
RNC or rock concert?
The crowd was full of supporters who matched the energy of concertgoers at a music festival. Many could be seen wearing bandages and folded-up squares of toilet paper over their right ears in solidarity with Trump, who appeared at the convention with a large bandage on the side of his face.
The audience, ready to chant, engaged in many call-and-response activities. Some of the chants included "U-S-A," "Yes, you should" (in response to Trump's emotional statement that he shouldn't be standing in front of them after his attack), and "JD's Mom," following a story about the VP nominee's late mother.
The RNC also hosted a lineup of "celebrity" speakers, with little to no political experience. This included televangelist and millionaire Franklin Graham, former Fox News personality Tucker Carlson, Hulk Hogan (who ripped off his shirt in the middle of his speech), rapper and adult actress Amber Rose, and UFC President Dana White. The latter had the honor of introducing Trump to the convention, typically a position reserved for the spouse of the nominee (Melania Trump did not speak).
Following White's emotional introduction, Trump took the stage, appearing in front of his name aglow in Broadway-style lights. While he did address the attempt on his life with uncharacteristic humility and even admitted that discussing the assassination attempt was too hard for him, Trump quickly fell right back into his name-calling, ad-hominem rhetoric for the rest of his 90-minute acceptance speech. He also brought up the 2020 election, alluding to the conspiracy he has touted over the last four years — that the results were inaccurate — saying, "The election result: we're never going to let that happen again."
For the most part, the RNC played into the culture wars that have stigmatized LGBTQ+ people, DEI policies, and women's rights. There was little talk about what Trump's actual political agenda will look like, though the details of the Republicans' four-year plan can be found in Project 2025, a 900-page document sponsored by the Heritage Foundation and written in part by members of Donald Trump's inner circle.
Support the Seattle Gay News: Celebrate 50 Years with Us!
As the third-oldest LGBTQIA+ newspaper in the United States, the Seattle Gay News (SGN) has been a vital independent source of news and entertainment for Seattle and the Pacific Northwest since 1974.
As we celebrate our 50th anniversary, we need your support to continue our mission.
Your contribution will ensure that SGN remains a beacon of truth and a virtual gathering place for community dialogue.
Help us keep printing and providing a platform for LGBTQIA+ voices.
How you can donate!
Using this Link
Text "SGN" to 53-555
Or Scan the QR code below!