Former President Donald Trump ad-libbed large portions of his Republican National Convention address, including when he name-dropped President Joe Biden, mocked ‘crazy Nancy Pelosi’ and blasted the Democrats for election ‘cheating.’
Trump addressed the Milwaukee convention just five days after he was nearly assassinated at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, and dedicated the top of his speech to recounting that evening.
The speech was supposed to be unifying, sober and policy-heavy but the newly-minted GOP nominee couldn’t resist adding in some of his trademark digs.
He called COVID the ‘China virus,’ brought up Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán unprompted and remarked that political platforms are ‘long, boring, meaningless.’
One of the jokes that landed the best wasn’t on the prompter – which was positioned so that the entire press section could read it.
Donald Trump kisses Melania Trump onstage after he accepted his party’s nomination
Donald Trump is joined on stage by his wife Melania, members of his family, and Republican vice presidential nominee J.D. Vance
Former President Donald Trump ad-libbed large portions of his Republican National Convention address Thursday night
Trump’s teleprompter would remain still as he was tougher on Democrats than was scripted as the Republican nominee also ad-libbed a number of jokes
During his 92 minute-long address, Trump put up the chart that had been on-screen when Thomas Matthew Crooks aimed a gun at his face on Saturday.
‘The last time I put up that chart, I never really got to look at it,’ he said in an off-the-cuff remark.
The crowd laughed and cheered.
‘But without the chart, I wouldn’t be here today.’
Also not on the prompter, one of the ex-president’s favorite dad jokes, which has raised eyebrows in the past.
He talked about the ‘late, great Hannibal Lecter.’
‘He’d love to have you for dinner,’ Trump said.
Before Trump called attention to his new running mate, Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance, the GOP nominee went on a tangent about how he recruited UFC CEO Dana White to introduce him.
From there he remarked on Kid Rock’s performance and gave a shout-out to Hulk Hogan, who ripped off his shirt to expose a Trump-Vance tank-top earlier in the night.
He heralded son’s Eric address and name-checked more speakers before finally getting back to the prompter and Vance.
As he continued on, he name-checked Nevada Senate hopeful Sam Brown, noting how the wounded warrior paid ‘the ultimate price,’ language usually used for those killed in action.
Trump also flubbed the term ‘star wars’ as he talked about how the U.S., under a second Trump term, should get an iron dome-like missile defense system like Israel.
‘Space ship,’ the Republican nominee told the crowd, as that entire part of the speech was missing from the prompter.
Also as he discussed foreign policy, he went on a longer tangent than what was in the prepared remarks about North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un.
‘It’s nice to get along with somebody who has a lot of nuclear weapons,’ Trump mused. ‘I think he misses me.’
Overall, the adds to the speech made Trump go an hour and two minutes later into the night than the campaign had originally predicted.
He set the record for the longest convention speech ever.
And for those watching on the east coast, the speech stretched into the next day.