Donald Trump, Unifier? That’s a New One
In striking contrast to his usual bombast, Donald Trump’s victory speech in Iowa sounded surprisingly humble, a quality not often associated with the former president.
He also looked and sounded a bit tired, but still jolly, as he thanked the crowd of caucusgoers for their support and made an unexpected plea for the nation to “come together.”
Oh? After months of hardball campaigning, that’s a refreshing turn, although hard to believe.
“What a turnout, what a crowd,” he said as the cheers died down. “And I really think this is the time now for everybody — our country — we want to come together.
“Whether Republican or Democrat or liberal or conservative, it would be so nice if we could come together and straighten out the world and straighten out all the problems … death and destruction that we are witnessing. It’s practically never been like this. ... All the death and destruction that we are witnessing. Practically never been like this. It’s just so important.”
That’s a change. “We’re gonna make that a big part of our message,” he said. “It’s going to happen real soon, too.”
Really? What happened, one wonders, to the Trump who for weeks has faced growing scrutiny over his increasingly authoritarian and violent rhetoric?
For example, the former president has suggested that, if reelected, he would use the office of the presidency to seek retribution against his political enemies, including unnamed “conspirators” among journalists and government officials.
Even when Fox News host Sean Hannity, his longtime pal, gave him a chance last month to assure the public that he would not abuse power and seek retribution if he wins a second term, Trump only stoked the fire.
“Except for Day One,” he said, in a limited promise to avoid dictatorship, speaking before a live audience in Davenport.
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