OPINION:
We have just experienced a truly historic series of unpredictable and profoundly dynamic events. Even as I experienced them, I could not process everything that was happening immediately.
On July 13, I was in Milwaukee. It was a Saturday, and I was meeting with people and getting ready for the Republican National Convention. I had deliberately come out the week before to see the many people who create the quadrennial family gathering we call a political convention.
I was in my hotel room watching former President Donald Trump’s rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, when he was shot. I have known Mr. Trump for over 30 years and consider him a friend. It was horrifying to see my friend suddenly drop behind the lectern as shots rang out. It was stunningly emotional to watch him climb back up with blood on his face, raise his fist in the air, and defiantly shout “fight” and “USA.” The moment made Mr. Trump an iconic figure for millions.
As I have said before, I believe it was a providential moment. Had Mr. Trump not turned his head at exactly the right time, the bullet would have hit his brain. We would have been faced with a tragedy with unknowable implications.
Fox News asked me to join Sean Hannity on set, and I said this was a providential moment and explained why. That phrase and that explanation went viral, and I heard from friends as far away as South Korea. It became a core explanation of Mr. Trump’s survival, something he acknowledged in his acceptance speech.
Sunday, July 14, was relatively quiet. My daughter Kathy Lubbers and her husband, Paul Lubbers, came by, and we had lunch at Mader’s, a German restaurant founded in 1902. The food is fantastic, and I recommend you go there if you ever go to Milwaukee. That day, we had a reception for GOP major supporters with three House speakers: Kevin McCarthy, who hosted Mike Johnson, and me. Former RNC Chairman (and former White House chief of staff) Reince Priebus, who had chaired the host committee and raised $85 million, gave a good talk. I appeared with Mr. Hannity again.
On Monday, July 15, I went on “Mornings With Maria Bartiromo,” spoke to the Wisconsin delegation, appeared on Charlie Kirk’s broadcast, went on Donald Trump Jr.’s show on Rumble and visited the delegates. Everyone was still stunned by Saturday’s attack. We marveled at the elder Trump’s survival and determination. Mr. Trump then announced Sen. J.D. Vance as his vice presidential choice, and we were off to the races. That night, Mr. Trump came to the convention and sat quietly in his box, watching the speakers. He is the only president to attend all four nights of a convention. The audience loved it.
On Tuesday, July 16, the most important event for me was the arrival of my wife, Callista. She had been in Minneapolis. I spoke at an America First Policy Institute breakfast about what must be done to save the country. Then Callista and I went to a fundraiser for our friend Matt Gunderson, who is running for Congress in California (and would love your support). It was a great get-together because Callista’s first boss, former Rep. Steve Gunderson, joined us.
Then we had to rehearse our speeches. I normally don’t rehearse a speech — or often even write anything down. But conventions are so big and involve so many people that there must be precision. They tell you how long your speech can be. They test it by practicing on video and communicate how big a deal it is to talk with thousands of people in the hall and millions of people on television. Callista and I had done this before, but it was still an impressive experience.
Wednesday, July 17, was a big deal for us because we spoke at the convention. Callista spoke on religious liberty from her experience as ambassador to the Holy See. I talked about national security and the difference between Mr. Trump’s record of strength as president and President Biden’s record of weakness. This was also the night Mr. Vance gave a superb acceptance speech. His wife, Usha, introduced him. Mr. Trump’s granddaughter Kai Trump stole the show with a moving explanation of Mr. Trump as a grandfather. Callista and I were delighted to be invited to the presidential box to watch the program after our speeches.
On Thursday, July 18, Callista and I joined Mr. Johnson at an event for major donors. He and I jointly discussed the future of the party and the country. The big event, of course, was Mr. Trump’s acceptance speech. He opened it with the right tone, and there was an emotional moment when he went over to Corey Comperatore’s fire coat and helmet and kissed the helmet. It was the emotional high point of his speech.
On Friday, July 19, we were fortunate. Despite the computer service interruptions, our flight left on time, and we were home for the first time in more than a week. We wanted to spend Saturday resting.
On Sunday, July 21, I did Ms. Bartiromo’s show again, and we planned to play golf in the afternoon. As we got ready for lunch, Callista said, “Biden just dropped out.” It was so startling that I thought at first it was a Babylon Bee satire. We turned on the TV, and sure enough, Mr. Biden had bowed to the growing pressure from his party bosses. He announced he would not seek reelection in a written statement released on X (think of all the technological and cultural implications of that). In the next hour or so, it became obvious Vice President Kamala Harris would be the Democratic nominee. That evening, I returned to “Hannity” to again try to explain what was going on.
We have a solid Republican ticket, a new Democratic nominee for president who is looking for a vice presidential candidate and a dramatically different election.
These have been amazing days. They have changed our future in ways we will not understand for months to come.
• For more commentary from Newt Gingrich, visit Gingrich360.com. And subscribe to the “Newt’s World” podcast.
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