Message of unity and a gentler Trump may be broadly appealing
Throughout this convention, speakers have leaned into framing Trump in a softer light than we’ve seen before. Tonight, for example, Tucker Carlson highlighted the former president’s calls for unity after the assassination attempt against him. “He turned down the most obvious opportunity in politics to inflame the nation after being shot,” Carlson said. “He did his best to bring the country together.”
And we’ve heard Trump plans to strike that tone in his speech tonight. A message of unity may be part of an attempt to appeal to swing voters. Despite how polarized Americans have become, Americans often say they don’t like how divided we are, and would prefer our political climate to include more compromise and cooperation. Recent polls have shown that a majority say “most Americans want the same things out of life,“ that “partisan conflicts receive too much attention these days,“, that “compromise and common ground should be the goal for political leaders,“ and that would like their elected officials to work with members across the aisle, even when it means compromising on partisan values.
Though not all of the speakers have embraced this messaging (Eric Trump’s speech definitely leaned into more divisive rhetoric just now), there has been a consistent effort to newly portray Trump as a unifying force who is above the political fray, which would appeal to many voters who are exhausted by the divisive political climate.
—538's Kaleigh Rogers
