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

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

ByMeredith Deliso, Ivan Pereira, Alexandra Hutzler, Chris Boccia, and Tal Axelrod
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, 1:34 AM EDT

Biden-Harris campaign slams Trump RNC speech over what he left out

The Biden-Harris campaign called out former President Donald Trump's headlining RNC speech on Thursday night, slamming it for what was left out.

"Tonight, Donald Trump rambled on for well over an hour and failed to mention Project 2025 even once. He failed to mention how he had inflicted pain and cruelty on the women of America by overturning Roe v Wade. He failed to mention his plan to take over the civil service and to pardon the January 6th insurrectionists," Jen O'Malley Dillon said in a statement. "He sought to find problems with America, not to provide solutions."

O'Malley Dillon went on to point to the Biden campaign platforms that champion those issues, including restoring rights and defending democracy.

"Biden is more determined than ever to defeat Donald Trump and his Project 2025 agenda in November," her statement concluded.

-ABC News' Fritz Farrow

Jul 19, 2024, 12:13 AM EDT

Trump's family joins him on stage

Trump shared an embrace with Melania as his family joined him on stage.

Red, white, blue and gold balloons are falling from the ceiling as opera singer Christopher Maccio performs.

Eric Trump, Donald Trump Jr., former U.S. President Donald Trump, former first lady Melania Trump, Ivanka Trump, and Jared Kushner watch as balloons fall on the fourth day of the Republican National Convention, July 18, 2024, in Milwaukee.
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

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