‘By the grace of Almighty God,’ Trump can’t help but be the same divisive self | Opinion

Wrestling icon Hulk Hogan was among those who introduced Donald Trump at Thursday night’s Republican National Convention. After tearing off his outer shirt, the Hulkster ended his introduction warning “crooked politicians” and others:

“What are you going to do when Donald Trump and all the Trumpamaniancs run wild on you brother?”

This, after yet another introduction by an ultimate fighting executive and the raucous Kid Rock, set the table for Trump’s attempt at humility. He started unusually soft-spoken after surviving the bullet of an assassin just days before. Trump sought to claim the mantle as the candidate who is truly trying to save American democracy — with some help from above.

“I stand before you in this arena,” said Trump, “only by the grace of Almighty God.”

Clearly grateful to be alive, Trump ever so briefly offered an olive branch to a divided nation. “We rise together or we fall apart.” he said. “I am running for president for all of America, not half of America.”

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This was not the fiery speech Trump had planned to deliver. He mentioned Joe Biden perhaps twice, almost by accident and off script.

It all seemed to work for a while, this warm and fuzzy Trump, never mind those introductions by various warriors.

But then, the old Trump that we have grown to either love or hate came roaring back. He offended Americans who care about climate change. He mocked supporters of Ukraine. He defended lowering taxes for the rich. And as he did, Trump began to lose one curious living room after another.

This night in Milwaukee turned out to be no pivot to a different Trump or message. In this historic election, this night merely proved to be a somewhat muted lull in the storm. It was a night for Republicans to understandably celebrate with an energized base after Trump’s fact-challenged debate over an aging Biden who proved no match. The tide has turned in Trump’s favor.

But tides have a way of changing by the day. And nobody knows what comes next.

A governor named Pete Wilson, reeling from a first term plagued by natural disasters and economic strife, sought a second term by demonizing undocumented immigrants as a financial drain on California. That message struck a nerve in a 1994 California that was rattled by a historic influx of immigrants, mostly from Mexico. Wilson won a second term and set back the state years by pandering so pathetically to anger.

Mid-speech, Trump had worked himself into full spittle as he attacked today’s immigrants. This has been part of the Republican playbook before Wilson and Trump rode this hatred to the White House in 2016. “They are taking our jobs from our Black population and our Hispanic population and our unions,” Trump said. Now with the help of God, Trump is going after votes in battleground states in the crassest manner imaginable.

Putting aside the fact that there is no proof that Americans are lining up to pick fruit for piecemeal wages in 100-degree heat, this is not how to unite a country. But that was never what Thursday night in Milwaukee was about.

Donald Trump now monopolizes America’s political stage. Biden is holed up in Delaware with his third bout of COVID as more influential Democrats urge him to stop his second bid to beat Trump and maintain the presidency. Trump deserved the undivided attention of the country on this night to see if something new or promising was on the horizon.

Instead, as Trump was leading to the crescendo of his originally touching speech, all that could come to his mind was one of the most unspeakable villains in cinematic history, the murderous Hannibal Lecter played by Anthony Hopkins in the 1991 thriller/horror “The Silence of the Lambs.” It was Trump’s way to transition into a discussion about immigration.

There is a big part of our country that eats this up. There is another big part of our country that does not and finds it beyond unpresidential.

Thursday’s speech, in the end, changed nothing. Unity and reconciliation, in the world of Trump, is clearly for sissies. We remain divided more than ever.