RNC 2024 Day 4 updates: Trump pitches unity, but revives old grievances

Trump leaned into his usual talking points during his RNC speech.

Last Updated: July 19, 2024, 12:29 AM EDT

On the fourth and final day of the Republican National Convention, former President Donald Trump gave a highly anticipated speech, which he said beforehand would call for unity following his assassination attempt.

However in his first speech since the incident, Trump leaned into his usual talking points, slamming President Joe Biden, Democrats and other critics on a wide variety of issues from the economy, immigration and crime.

For over an hour, Trump went off script much to the crowd's delight. The former president told them he was grateful for their support after his brush with death but argued that the country needed to be fixed due to Biden's policies.

The night also included wild speeches from guests such as Hulk Hogan and Eric Trump, who echoed some of the former president's rhetoric bashing Biden and the Democrats.

Latest headlines:

Here's how the news is developing.
Jul 19, 2024, 12:12 AM EDT

Trump wraps up speech

Former President and 2024 Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during the last day of the 2024 Republican National Convention, in Milwaukee, July 18, 2024.
Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images

Trump has concluded his keynote speech, with his family joining him on stage.

"America's future will be bigger, better, bolder, brighter, happier, stronger, freer, greater and more united than ever before," he said. "And quite simply put we will very quickly make America great again."

Balloons fall after former President Donald Trump accepted his party's nomination on the last day of the 2024 Republican National Convention, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, July 18, 2024.
Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images

Jul 19, 2024, 12:10 AM EDT

This was the longest acceptance speech in history

Trump's acceptance speech lasted 1 hour and 33 minutes. That makes it the longest presidential nomination acceptance speech in recorded history. The previous record was 1 hour 15 minutes, also set by Trump in 2016.

—538's Nathaniel Rakich

Jul 19, 2024, 12:08 AM EDT

'He's playing the greatest hits from 2016': Biden adviser

An adviser to President Joe Biden further criticized Trump's speech.

"He's playing the greatest hits from 2016," the adviser told ABC News. "Trump has not changed, he has not moderated, he has gotten worse, and he is making no appeal to moderates."

-ABC News' Mary Bruce

Jul 19, 2024, 12:05 AM EDT

Trump vows to end 'men playing in women's sports'

Trump brought up the topic of transgender rights in sports in his speech, repeating a transphobic rhetoric that other convention speakers, including Eric Trump, brought up during the week.

"We need a leader that will ... not have men playing in women's sports," he said to a roaring crowd. "Let's end it already."