Shift in Trump Perceived by Some Allies Following Shooting, Described as ‘Existential’
The duration is the key question.
TroibNews 
MILWAUKEE — Following a close encounter with an assassin’s bullet, Republicans who have spent time with former President Donald Trump report noticing a gentler side to the figure known for his fiery demeanor.
Political forecasters have anticipated a shift in Trump’s confrontational persona at various pivotal moments — after his 2016 election, following his first Congressional speech in 2017, and during the Covid pandemic. At this crucial time, Republicans are keen to present Trump in a more reflective and composed light, especially given that his divisive rhetoric previously alienated many swing voters.
In about a dozen interviews with GOP allies, terms like “emotional” and “serene” — even “spiritual” — surfaced to describe Trump since the attempt on his life. Someone close to Trump’s family noted a newfound “humility, in the biblical sense.” At the Republican National Convention this week, Trump’s typical expression — a stern scowl — often gave way to more nuanced looks. One anonymous Republican described Trump as seeming “existential.”
The question lingers whether Trump’s personal transformation will endure and if his recent calls for national unity will signify a lasting shift in the GOP.
Evidence suggests Trump hasn’t completely changed. Recently, he has reverted to his typical social media behavior, posting sharply critical messages against Supreme Court proposals considered by President Joe Biden, and decrying legal cases against him as politically motivated.
Nevertheless, Trump’s unexpected emphasis on faith and divine providence lends support to allies’ claims of his deep reflection. On Truth Social, he attributed his survival to “God alone” and urged national resilience in faith, signing off with a prayer hands emoji.
Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.), who spent time with Trump on Tuesday, noted Trump’s altered demeanor. Banks told POLITICO that Trump frequently referenced faith and God during their conversation.
The full impact of the shooting on Trump’s tone will be evident on Thursday night.
Though campaign officials haven’t revealed details of his nomination acceptance speech, Trump mentioned that he changed his planned remarks from a hard-hitting critique of Democratic corruption after the weekend’s events.
Reince Priebus, former RNC chair and Trump’s first White House chief of staff, recounted that Trump sounded “very low-key” when they spoke on Sunday. Priebus described Trump as grateful and quick to acknowledge the miracle of his survival and the tragedy that someone had died.
It's not just Trump showing signs of change. While some Republican officials continued their fierce criticism of Democrats, other party leaders called for a toning down of rhetoric.
Some believe this shift could take hold, even if only slightly.
Former Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.) highlighted the new tone in Trump’s recent statements, acknowledging some transformation while cautioning that Trump would not fundamentally change his combative style. He suggested that even a subtle change in Trump’s approach could influence others within the GOP.
Lara Trump, co-chair of the Republican National Committee and Trump’s daughter-in-law, noted that “everything did change in a lot of ways” and predicted the speech would reflect this shift.
RNC Chair Michael Whatley recounted a gracious phone call from Jaime Harrison, chair of the Democratic National Committee, who expressed prayers for Trump and the family of the deceased rally attendee, highlighting a rare moment of bipartisan civility.
Throughout the week in Milwaukee, there was a recurring theme of addressing political division. Vivek Ramaswamy, a biotech entrepreneur and former presidential candidate, likened the near-assassination to a critical moment in American history and urged the nation and his party to embrace the opportunity for unity.
Ramaswamy called for the GOP to focus less on criticizing the “radical Biden agenda” and more on upholding its own values.
Donald Trump Jr. told Axios that while his father would remain combative when necessary, he anticipated lasting changes in his demeanor following the incident.
Adam Wren contributed to this report.
Mathilde Moreau contributed to this report for TROIB News
Political forecasters have anticipated a shift in Trump’s confrontational persona at various pivotal moments — after his 2016 election, following his first Congressional speech in 2017, and during the Covid pandemic. At this crucial time, Republicans are keen to present Trump in a more reflective and composed light, especially given that his divisive rhetoric previously alienated many swing voters.
In about a dozen interviews with GOP allies, terms like “emotional” and “serene” — even “spiritual” — surfaced to describe Trump since the attempt on his life. Someone close to Trump’s family noted a newfound “humility, in the biblical sense.” At the Republican National Convention this week, Trump’s typical expression — a stern scowl — often gave way to more nuanced looks. One anonymous Republican described Trump as seeming “existential.”
The question lingers whether Trump’s personal transformation will endure and if his recent calls for national unity will signify a lasting shift in the GOP.
Evidence suggests Trump hasn’t completely changed. Recently, he has reverted to his typical social media behavior, posting sharply critical messages against Supreme Court proposals considered by President Joe Biden, and decrying legal cases against him as politically motivated.
Nevertheless, Trump’s unexpected emphasis on faith and divine providence lends support to allies’ claims of his deep reflection. On Truth Social, he attributed his survival to “God alone” and urged national resilience in faith, signing off with a prayer hands emoji.
Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.), who spent time with Trump on Tuesday, noted Trump’s altered demeanor. Banks told POLITICO that Trump frequently referenced faith and God during their conversation.
The full impact of the shooting on Trump’s tone will be evident on Thursday night.
Though campaign officials haven’t revealed details of his nomination acceptance speech, Trump mentioned that he changed his planned remarks from a hard-hitting critique of Democratic corruption after the weekend’s events.
Reince Priebus, former RNC chair and Trump’s first White House chief of staff, recounted that Trump sounded “very low-key” when they spoke on Sunday. Priebus described Trump as grateful and quick to acknowledge the miracle of his survival and the tragedy that someone had died.
It's not just Trump showing signs of change. While some Republican officials continued their fierce criticism of Democrats, other party leaders called for a toning down of rhetoric.
Some believe this shift could take hold, even if only slightly.
Former Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.) highlighted the new tone in Trump’s recent statements, acknowledging some transformation while cautioning that Trump would not fundamentally change his combative style. He suggested that even a subtle change in Trump’s approach could influence others within the GOP.
Lara Trump, co-chair of the Republican National Committee and Trump’s daughter-in-law, noted that “everything did change in a lot of ways” and predicted the speech would reflect this shift.
RNC Chair Michael Whatley recounted a gracious phone call from Jaime Harrison, chair of the Democratic National Committee, who expressed prayers for Trump and the family of the deceased rally attendee, highlighting a rare moment of bipartisan civility.
Throughout the week in Milwaukee, there was a recurring theme of addressing political division. Vivek Ramaswamy, a biotech entrepreneur and former presidential candidate, likened the near-assassination to a critical moment in American history and urged the nation and his party to embrace the opportunity for unity.
Ramaswamy called for the GOP to focus less on criticizing the “radical Biden agenda” and more on upholding its own values.
Donald Trump Jr. told Axios that while his father would remain combative when necessary, he anticipated lasting changes in his demeanor following the incident.
Adam Wren contributed to this report.
Mathilde Moreau contributed to this report for TROIB News
