We have just lived through a truly historic series of unpredictable and profoundly dynamic events. Even as I lived through them, I could not process everything that was happening immediately.
On July 13, I was in Milwaukee, Wisc. It was a Sunday, and I was meeting with people and getting ready for the Republican National Convention. I had deliberately come out the week before to see the many people who create the huge quadrennial family gathering we call a political convention.
I was in my hotel room watching Donald Trump’s rally in Butler, Penn. when suddenly he was shot. It was a breath-taking moment. I have known President Trump for more than 30 years, and I regard him as a friend. It was horrifying to see my friend suddenly drop behind the podium as shots rang out. It was stunningly emotional to watch him climb back up with blood on his face, raise his fist in the air, and defiantly shout “fight” and “USA.” The moment turned President Trump into an iconic historic figure for millions.
As I have written before, I believe it was a providential moment. If Trump had not turned his head at exactly the right second, the bullet would have hit his brain. We would be faced with a tragedy with unknowable implications.
Fox News asked me to join Sean Hannity on set, and I said this was a providential moment and explained why. That phrase and that explanation went viral, and I heard from friends as far away as Korea. It became a core explanation of President Trump’s survival. Something he admitted in his acceptance speech.
July 14 was relatively quiet. My daughter Kathy Lubbers and her husband Paul Lubbers came by, and we had an amazing lunch at Mader’s. Mader’s is a German restaurant founded in 1902. Its food is fantastic, and I recommend you go there if you ever go to Milwaukee. That day, we had a reception for GOP major supporters with three Speakers of the House: Kevin McCarthy, who hosted, Mike Johnson, and me. Former RNC Chair (and former White House Chief of Staff) Reince Priebus, who had chaired the host committee and raised $85 million, gave a good talk. I appeared with Hannity again.
On July 15, I went on “Mornings with Maria Bartiromo,” spoke to the Wisconsin delegation, appeared on Charlie Kirk’s Turning Point broadcast, went on Donald Trump Jr.’s show on Rumble, and visited the delegates. Everyone was still stunned by Saturday’s attack. We were marveling at President Trump’s survival and courageous determination. President Trump then announced Senator J.D. Vance as his vice presidential choice, and we were off to the races. That night President Trump came to the convention in a subdued way and sat quietly in his box watching the various speakers. He is the only president who attended all four nights of a convention. The audience loved it!
On July 16, the most important event of the day for me was Callista arriving. She had been in Minneapolis, and it was great to have her in Milwaukee. I spoke at an America First Policy Institute breakfast on what had to be done to save the country. Then Callista and I went to a fundraiser for our good friend Matt Gunderson who is running for Congress in California (and would love your support). It was a great get together, because Callista’s first boss, Congressman Steve Gunderson, joined us. Then we had to go and rehearse our speeches. I normally don’t rehearse a speech – or often even write anything down. However, conventions are so big and involve so many people, there must be precision. They tell you how long your speech can be. They test it by practicing on video, and they communicate how big a deal it is to talk with thousands of people in the hall and millions of people on television. Callista and I had done this before, but it is still an impressive experience.
July 17 was a big deal from our standpoint, because we spoke to the convention. Callista spoke on religious liberty from her experience as Ambassador to the Holy See. It was a powerful speech (you can see it here). I gave a talk on national security and the difference between President Trump’s record of strength and President Joe Biden’s record of weakness (you can see it here). This was also the night Sen. Vance gave a superb acceptance speech. His wife Usha introduced him to the country in a favorable light. President Trump’s granddaughter, Kai Trump, stole the show with a moving explanation of Trump as a grandfather. Callista and I were delighted to be invited to the Presidential Box to watch the program after our speeches.
On July 18, Callista and I joined Speaker Johnson at an event for major donors. He and I jointly discussed the future of the party and the country. The big event of course was President Trump’s acceptance speech. He opened it brilliantly with the right tone, and there was an emotional moment when he went over to Corey Comperatore’s fire coat and helmet and kissed the helmet. It was the emotional high point of his speech.
On July 19, we were fortunate. Despite the computer outages, our flight departed on schedule, and we got home for the first time in more than a week. Frankly, we were tired and rested the rest of the weekend.
On July 20, I did Bartiromo’s show again, and we were planning to golf in the afternoon. As we got ready for lunch, Callista said “Biden just dropped out.” It was so startling, I thought at first it was a Babylon Bee satire. We turned on the TV and, sure enough, President Biden had caved to the growing pressure from his party bosses. He announced he would not seek re-election in a written statement released on X (think of all the technological and cultural implications of that). In the next hour or so, it became obvious Vice President Kamala Harris was going to be the Democratic nominee. That evening, I returned to “Hannity” to again try to explain what was going on.
We have a solid Republican ticket, a new Democratic nominee for president who is looking for a vice presidential candidate, and a dramatically different election.
It was an amazing nine days. They have changed our future in ways we will not understand for months to come.
For more commentary from Newt Gingrich, visit Gingrich360.com. Also, subscribe to the Newt’s World
