'I'm not supposed to be here tonight': Trump says he will unite the country in heartfelt acceptance speech

MILWAUKEE, Wis. — Former President Donald Trump officially accepted the GOP nomination on Thursday night, starting his third election bid to be the 47th president of the United States in front of an electric audience.

Normally bombastic, Trump took a more conciliatory tone for the entire nation in the aftermath of the assassination attempt against him during his rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. With prior speakers such as Hulk Hogan, Tucker Carlson, and Kid Rock, the Fiserv Forum sounded more like a rambunctious concert.

But with Trump, you could hear a pin drop since the delegates and their guests within the convention hall were silent and hung on every word.

'I extend to you a hand of loyalty and friendship.'

"I am running to be president for all of America, not half of America, because there is no victory in winning for half of America," Trump started off his speech. "As you already know, the assassin’s bullet came within a quarter of an inch of taking my life. So many people have asked me what happened, and therefore I’ll tell you what happened, and you’ll never hear it from me a second time, because it’s too painful to tell."

Trump recounted how he knew the moment he was hit that it was a bullet. When he was on the ground while being surrounded by Secret Service, Trump said he knew God was keeping him safe. Still being Trump, he riffed on how he was surprised at how much blood came from his ear. He said the doctors told him punctured ears tend to bleed a lot.

"I'm not supposed to be here tonight," Trump said, to which the crowd responded with a chant of "yes you are!"

"In an age when our politics too often divide us, now is the time to remember that we are all fellow citizens — we are one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all," he continued.

Noting that it does not matter "whether you are young or old, man or woman, Democrat, Republican, or independent, black or white, Asian or Hispanic, I extend to you a hand of loyalty and friendship."

True to form, Trump highlighted the major issues facing the nation, such as the border crisis and the effects of the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan, but he did so by naming his opponent, President Joe Biden, only once.

Trump also featured the illegal immigration chart that he looked at during his Butler rally when he was shot and quipped, "Last time I put up that chart, I never really got to look at it."

Toward the end of his speech of more than an hour, Trump easily slipped back and forth between riffing on varying topics and his prepared remarks.

"The attacker in Pennsylvania wanted to stop our movement. ... The movement has never been about me; it's always been about you. ... It can't be stopped."

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!