By Peyton Majors
Christian Action League
July 19, 2024
Republican Donald Trump accepted his party’s nomination Thursday and credited divine intervention for sparing his life from an assassin’s bullet, telling a national television audience and a cheering crowd in Milwaukee that “almighty God” protected him.
It was Trump’s first public speech since the assassination attempt in Pennsylvania that saw a bullet graze his ear but miss his skull by less than half an inch.
The assassination attempt was the first major one on a president or former president since 1981, when Ronald Reagan was shot but survived.
“There was blood pouring everywhere, and yet in a certain way I felt very safe because I had God on my side,” Trump said. “The amazing thing is that prior to the shot, if I had not moved my head at that very last instant, the assassin’s bullet would have perfectly hit its mark and I would not be here tonight. We would not be together.”
The convention was a mixed bag for social conservatives.
On the one hand, delegates adopted a new platform that addresses transgenderism by vowing to “keep men out of women’s sports, ban Taxpayer funding for sex change surgeries, and stop Taxpayer-funded Schools from promoting gender transition.” The platform also pledges to protect religious liberty and establish a “new Federal Task Force on Fighting Anti-Christian Bias.”
On the other hand, the new platform dropped opposition to same-sex marriage — the plank had been in the document since 1992 — and also watered down the party’s previous strong pro-life position. The 2024 platform dropped language from 2016 that declared the “unborn child has a fundamental right to life which cannot be infringed.” (The word “unborn” is not even in the new platform — the first time that has happened since 1972.) The 2024 platform also, for the first time since 1972, does not back federal restrictions on abortion.
While the new platform opposes late-term abortion, pro-life leaders stress that the majority of abortions happen early in pregnancy, a significant issue the platform overlooks. Abortion is an issue for the states, the new platform says.
Trump’s acceptance speech was silent on the major social conservative issues but strong on religious language. He implied his brush with death had changed him.
“I’m not supposed to be here tonight — not supposed to be here,” Trump said.
“I stand before you in this arena only by the grace of almighty God.”
Trump referenced his father’s love for the late evangelist Billy Graham and his own friendship with Graham’s son, Franklin Graham. The younger Graham — Trump joked — had told the former president to not “use any foul language.” (Minus one incident Thursday, Trump seemed to have followed Graham’s advice.)
“If the events of last Saturday make anything clear, it is that every single moment we have on Earth is a gift from God. We have to make the most of every day for the people and for the country that we love,” Trump said. “The attacker in Pennsylvania wanted to stop our movement, but the truth is, the movement has never been about me. It has always been about you. It’s your movement.”
Trump pledged to fix the nation’s border crisis, improve America’s image abroad and lower inflation.
Faith in God, he said, had guided America’s ancestors.
“We are Americans. Ambition is our heritage. Greatness is our birthright,” he said. “But as long as our energies are spent fighting each other, our destiny will remain out of reach. And that’s not acceptable. 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. We can do it together. We will unite. We are going to come together and success will bring us together.”
Rev. Mark Creech, executive director of the Christian Action League, reflected on the significance of the assassination attempt and the broader implications for the pro-life movement:
“The miraculous survival of President Trump is nothing short of providential. Just as the Secret Service members surrounded the president to save him from the sniper’s bullets, we must rally this nation around the unborn to save them from the abortionist’s knife. This event underscores the sanctity and preciousness of every human life, born and unborn. We are called to protect and cherish all life, and this moment is a powerful reminder of our duty to stand against the forces that seek to end innocent lives. Every life is a gift from God, and it is our responsibility to safeguard it with unwavering commitment.”
