'God on my side': Donald Trump accepts nomination, recalls shooting in RNC speech: Watch
Kinsey CrowleyDonald Trump formally accepted the Republican party's nomination for President Thursday as the closing act of the Republican National Convention.
Even before the convention speeches got underway in Milwaukee on Monday, Trump had a dramatic week. He survived an assassination attempt at a Pennsylvania rally on Saturday and announced Ohio Sen. JD Vance as his running mate Monday afternoon. Thursday, he accepted the nomination as his presumptive opponent President Joe Biden is battling COVID and mounting calls to step out of the 2024 race.
In his acceptance speech, he recounted the moment he was hit in the ear with a bullet at the rally where one attendee died and two others were injured. Trump said he felt safe because he felt he had "God on my side." Many speakers throughout the convention expressed their gratitude that Trump survived.
His speech lasted more than an hour. After a moment of silence for the deceased victim and a call for unity, Trump thanked the other speakers of the evening, touted his own record, continued an unsubstantiated claim he lost the 2020 election due to cheating, and teased policy promises for a potential second term.
Watch Trump's speech at the 2024 RNC here
Sign-up for Your Vote: Text with the USA TODAY elections team.
USA TODAY had over 60 reporters on the ground in Milwaukee and you can see all the highlights from the final night of the convention in our live blog.
RNC 2024 live updates:Donald Trump set to formally accept Republican nomination
What to know about Donald Trump
- Who is he: 45th President of the United States
- What role does he play: Republican candidate for President of the United States
- Key quotes: "I stand before you this evening with a message of confidence, strength, and hope. Four months from now, we will have an incredible victory, and we will begin the four greatest years in the history of our country." "If you took the 10 worst presidents in the history of the United States, think of it, the 10 worst, added them up they will not have done the damage that Biden has done," Trump said. "The damage that he's done to this country is unthinkable. It's unthinkable. Together we will restore vision, strength, competence, and we're going to have a thing called common sense making most of our decisions."
When and where is the Republican National Convention?
The Republicans' convention took place over four days, from July 15-18 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
The Fiserv Forum, home of the Milwaukee Bucks, was the main venue for the RNC. There were also events at the nearby University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Panther Arena and the Baird Center.
How can you watch the event and stay up-to-date on convention news?
USA TODAY is streamed the RNC from gavel to gavel and you can watch the replay of the closing night here: