Republicans find themselves in an unusual yet favorable position: they are united and focused, while Democrats are grappling with significant internal disagreements. This contrast has been particularly evident this week, with Republicans gathering in Wisconsin, fully supporting former President Trump’s candidacy, while Democrats are publicly debating whether President Biden should remain their candidate in November.
On Tuesday, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, both primary rivals of Trump, took to the stage, urging Republicans to rally behind Trump. Meanwhile, Biden tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday, with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer reportedly advising him to step aside.
This unity among Republicans is a stark contrast to the 2016 convention when Senator Ted Cruz urged delegates to vote their conscience, leading to a divided party and an anticipated loss to Hillary Clinton. Former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson noted, “I think they learned something” from Cruz’s non-endorsement in 2016. Senator Kevin Cramer commented on this year’s convention, describing it as “flawlessly executed” and highlighting the significant growth and unity within the party.
Republicans couldn’t have hoped for better circumstances as they convened in Wisconsin. Trump survived an assassination attempt on Saturday, which invigorated his supporters. A federal judge dismissed a major criminal case against him on Monday, and he announced Senator JD Vance as his running mate, further energizing the party. In contrast, Biden canceled a Monday event after the shooting at Trump’s rally, and Representative Adam Schiff called for him to “pass the torch” on Wednesday, leading to Biden canceling a rally with Latino leaders due to his COVID-19 diagnosis.
The Republican party has often been in turmoil since Trump announced his candidacy in 2015. Despite polling predictions that Trump would lose to Clinton in 2016 and numerous Republicans distancing themselves from him after the “Access Hollywood” tape release, the party has now found itself in a rare state of cohesion. Trump’s presidency saw GOP lawmakers struggling to align with his statements and fulfill long-held promises like repealing the Affordable Care Act. House Republicans have faced internal conflicts over the past 18 months, struggling to elect a Speaker and dealing with repeated pushback from the right flank of the conference.
This week’s convention, however, has had a different atmosphere, with the party galvanized by recent events and the assassination attempt. Senator Cramer remarked, “There’s no comparison, and probably never will be again in history, to the emotion of this week that started with Saturday and started with the episode in Butler, Pa., that our standard-bearer was within a millimeter or two of death, and is now with us. That has given such wind in our sails, it’s hard to almost describe.”
Throughout the week, Republicans have remained on message. Haley, once Trump’s main rival, expressed her “strong” support for him. Almost every speaker praised Trump as a strong leader or criticized Biden’s policies on the border, inflation, and foreign affairs, or questioned his ability to serve another term. Former critics of Trump, such as Senators Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz, and JD Vance, gave some of the most notable speeches in support of him.
Polling shows Trump leading Biden by a narrow margin. By comparison, Trump was trailing Clinton by 2 percentage points nationally at the end of the 2016 GOP convention. However, party leaders emphasize that victory is not guaranteed with more than three months until Election Day. They point to Trump’s unexpected win in 2016 as a reminder that the race can shift dramatically in the Democrats’ favor.
Republican National Committee co-Chair Lara Trump echoed this sentiment, saying, “You can never take anything for granted. I mean, look, you look at the polling from 2016 and it would have suggested that Donald Trump should have never had a shot at becoming president. And we all know how that turned out.”
She added, “So, look, we feel like we have the wind in our sails. We feel a lot of momentum as a party right now. This is a great environment. There’s a lot of energy, but we have to play the game up until the buzzer sounds the last second of that game on Nov. 5.”
