Trump leaned into his usual talking points during his RNC speech.
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.
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
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."
While the stadium is still full, Trump's long speech -- with him going off teleprompter to ramble on various topics -- has some in the crowd weary and the applause is now more scattered.
"I think we're almost there," one attendee told the woman next to her.
Discussing U.S. engagement in Afghanistan, Trump said, “We also left behind $85 billion worth of military equipment.”
That’s wrong.
As of June 30, 2021, there were 167 usable aircraft, including 23 A-29 attack planes and 33 UH-60 Black Hawk military helicopters in Afghanistan, according to a July 2021 report released by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction.
—PolitiFact’s Aaron Sharockman
