What Went Down During President Trump’s Closing Speech At The RNC

Another theme of the night has been Trump’s combativeness. Ivanka talked about criticism and how the president used that criticism as proof he was doing something right. Trump’s also suggested that he took on big pharma — another classic populist rhetorical move. But this conflicts with the expectation that the president will represent all the people and unify the nation — an area where Trump has consistently struggled.

People are commenting on this being a paint-by-numbers political speech. But isn’t that the kind of thing he needs to do? We’ve said time and time again that appeals to the base will not win this election for him. What would be a better option for him in this moment?

The major theme throughout this speech is Trump as an outsider. The fact that he’s not a politician is one of the things his supporters like best about him. They see his abrasive way of speaking as candid and “real,” even when they disagree with what he says. In a Pew poll from the end of July and early August, 11 percent of Trump supporters said “he tells it like it is” was the main reason they support him in 2020.