What a contrast: Trump's triumphant night comes amid calls for Biden to get the boot

MILWAUKEE — As I sat in Fiserv Forum the last night of the Republican National Convention, what struck me most was the stark contrast between the two leading candidates for president in the 2024 election.

Former President Donald Trump had one of the best nights of his life. He was nominated to be the GOP’s candidate for the third time, just days after surviving an assisination attempt at a rally in Pennsylvania.

The arena was packed, and the attendees were thrilled to be there.

And most important, they were thrilled about Trump. I’ve spoken to many people at the convention this week who’ve all agreed this is the most enthusiastic and unified Republicans have been in a long time.

Trump hit the right tone early in his acceptance speech, calling for unity at a time of major division in the United States. He also touched on his close call with death, which clearly shook him. He said he will never talk about it again because “it’s actually too painful.”

In parts of his speech, Trump was more subdued and thoughtful than we usually see. The shooting shaped the powerful start of the message he delivered.

“The discord and division in our society must be healed,” Trump said. “As Americans, we are bound together by a single fate and a shared destiny. We rise together. Or we fall apart. I am running to be president for all of America, not half of America, because there is no victory in winning for half of America.”

He should have ended it after the first half hour. As the speech dragged on for more than 90 minutes, Trump began to ramble, railing about everything from electric cars to illegal immigration, and sounding too much like his old self.

Republicans unite, while Democrats splinter

Still, Trump had a good night.

For President Joe Biden, things are very different.

He’s sequestered away, fighting off a COVID-19 diagnosis, as an increasing number of high-profile members of his party are trying to find ways to force him out of the presidential race.

It’s hard to think of a bigger contrast between the two men – and one that most people did not expect. Biden and Democrats had counted on Trump drowning in his legal woes.

Instead, Trump is now soaring as Biden sinks in the polls.

Who wins Michigan? Michigan's elections chief talks democracy, the November election and, of course, Trump

Despite his felony conviction earlier this year, Trump has continued to rally support as he fights for the issues that Americans keep saying they care most about this election: the economy, the border and crime.

Meanwhile, all the headlines about Biden center on his age and his physical and mental decline. The White House and media tried for months to hide the severity of Biden’s condition, but when he got on the debate stage with Trump in late June, we could all see for ourselves just how bad off Biden is.

There’s no coming back from that. Now, Biden’s defenders are peeling off one by one, saying there’s no path to victory for the president.

Opinion alerts: Get columns from your favorite columnists + expert analysis on top issues, delivered straight to your device through the USA TODAY app. Don't have the app? Download it for free from your app store.

Biden has remained defiant, saying he’ll only leave by divine intervention or some unforeseen calamity.

News reports make it sound like Biden is about to change his mind, but that could just be wishful thinking. I’m not convinced Biden – or his family – is ready to leave a presidential race he still thinks he can win.

The Trump campaign isn't worried about which Democrat they'll face

This week, after Trump chose Ohio Sen. JD Vance as his running mate, his campaign said it wouldn’t commit to vice presidential debates with Vice President Kamala Harris until they know exactly who will be on the ticket.

It’s both a slap to Biden, and an acknowledgement that things could change dramatically in the coming weeks, depending on what Biden decides and how the delegates at the Democratic convention in August choose to proceed.

MAGA's legacy: With JD Vance pick at VP, Trump tries to shape GOP for years to come

A senior Trump campaign adviser said it would be unfair to “whoever Kamala Harris picks as her running mate,” whether it's Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer or California Gov. Gavin Newsom, among other candidates.

While a change in their chief opponent would certainly be an upheaval, Republicans I spoke to this week do not seem concerned about someone replacing Biden.

They are confident that their policies are more in line with what the American people are looking for, regardless of whether Biden or someone else is at the top of the Democratic ticket.

Now, post-convention, the focus will be on Trump and whether he can deliver on the promises he made in his speech. Many people in the country don’t trust Trump and fear what would happen if he were president again.

“As long as our energies are spent fighting each other, our destiny will remain out of reach,” Trump said Thursday night. “We must instead take that energy and use it to realize our country’s true potential − and write our own thrilling chapter of the American Story.”

That’s a great message. If Trump wants to be truly presidential, he’ll start living out those words.

Ingrid Jacques is a columnist at USA TODAY. Contact her at ijacques@usatoday.com or on X, formerly Twitter: @Ingrid_Jacques

You can read diverse opinions from our USA TODAY columnists and other writers on the Opinion front page, on X, formerly Twitter, @usatodayopinion and in our Opinion newsletter.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump soars at RNC as Biden struggles to save his campaign