While the world watched as former President Donald Trump spoke for the first time since his brush with death at a rally last week, Black folks were ready to clock his lies and call the GOP nominee out on his racially divisive language.
On Thursday — the fourth day of the Republican National Convention (RNC) — Trump accepted the GOP nomination and made history by delivering the longest speech in RNC history— breaking a record he set back in 2020.
Many hoped the attempt on Trump’s life would bring the nation together against political violence. But the 90-minute speech proved nothing was new except the bandage on his ear, which he fashionably sported throughout the days of the convention.
The GOP nominee began his speech by pledging to be the “president for all of America, not half of America” if elected. His sentiments about unity were a change from the usual tone set by the former president, but it didn’t last long.
Not even 20 minutes into his speech, Trump went on to falsely claim Democrats used COVID-19 to cheat him out of the 2020 election, compared migrants to Hannibal Lecter and verbally attacked too many of his rivals to count.
Although supporters of Trump gave his speech outstanding ratings, social media painted a different picture, and Black folks specifically had much to say about what this means for the future of America.
X user @NicoleCiara__ called Trump “delusional” after he detailed the events leading up to and following the attempt on his life. Immediately following the shooting, many Black people were skeptical saying the attempt was staged or fabricated to garner support.
Other users took the time to compare Trump’s speech performance to growing concerns about President Joe Biden’s health. Many from the Democratic party are calling their nominee drop out of the race citing his old age. Trump poked fun at Biden during his speech, saying the president has done more damage to the nation than the top 10 worst ranked presidents in American history.
Folks were quick to call out Trump for all of the tangents he went on during the speech. Seemingly going completely off script at times, Trump’s call for national unity quickly turned into the politically incorrect, divisive speech the former president is known for.
With Biden out with COVID-19, as reported by AP News, Trump took full advantage of the opportunity to fire up his supporters and prove to them that he is not only alive but ready to head into the November election. On the other side, Biden’s fate is still up in the air as support for his candidacy continues to waver within his own party.
If Biden decides to drop out of the race with less than four months until Nov. 4, it will leave an empty seat for the Democratic party with questions about who will take the throne.