Former President Donald Trump’s acceptance speech at the Republican nomination was met with relief from conservative voters who were previously turned off by his rhetoric. Many saw his somewhat softened tone as a welcome change.
One voter, Dave Struthers, a 57-year-old farmer from Collins, Iowa, commented on the improvement in Trump’s speech, noting that the egotistical tone he often displayed in the past was noticeably absent. Struthers felt that Trump’s speech was more of a conversation with the American people.
Despite the change in tone, Trump’s speech still touched on familiar themes, including criticism of Democrats, claims of a partisan witch hunt against him, and warnings of an “invasion” at the U.S.-Mexico border.
Struthers, who supported Ron DeSantis during the caucuses, acknowledged that Trump had done some good things as president but also felt that his trade war with China had negatively impacted agriculture. Nonetheless, he saw Trump’s resilience in the face of the recent assassination attempt as a reason to continue supporting him.
Another voter, Alex Bueneman, a maintenance technician from Oak Grove, Missouri, also appreciated the more moderate approach in Trump’s speech. He felt that toning down the fiery rhetoric was a positive step.
However, not everyone was convinced by Trump’s speech. John Frank, a 25-year-old designer and self-described libertarian, didn’t feel that Trump sounded any different than before the assassination attempt. Despite this, he watched the speech with a friend out of curiosity.
Rio Yamat and Jake Offenhartz in Milwaukee; Jeff Roberson in St. Charles, Missouri; and Charlie Neibergall in Collins, Iowa, contributed.
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