After a contentious week for delegates and speakers on the convention floor, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump’s speech Thursday might be the most important one of his life, according to Lee Hamilton, an IU professor and expert on Congress, foreign policy and national security.
“Outside judgement of the convention has not necessarily been positive at this point,” Hamilton said. “It presents a terribly challenging speech for Trump to try to turn that around.”
Some of the more tense moments of the week are signs party leaders have essentially lost control of the convention, Hamilton said.
Unprecedented aggressive language towards the opposing party, refusals by key GOP figures to attend the convention, give an address or endorse Trump and an overshadowed vice presidential nominee speech show cracks in the Republican party’s message.
“I thought Pence did a very commendable job with a mainstream, conservative Republican message, and that message did not come through,” Hamilton said. “It shows a convention that is not well managed. They are off message this week.”
While most political convention speakers express disdain for the policies of the opposing party, Hamilton said he had never seen anything like the overtly aggressive attitudes towards Hillary Clinton.
“The rhetoric is ratcheting up from saying she’s wrong on a certain issue or untrustworthy to calling for her to be put in jail or executed,” Hamilton said. “It is an unprecedented level of negativity. I’ve never heard that before in politics. Incidentally, it seems to be the only front where the party is completely united.”
Though the Republican Party appears to be united in opposition against the presumptive Democratic nominee, Hamilton said he noticed obvious rifts in the party’s support of their own candidate.
Even though former presidential candidate and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz spoke Wednesday, he didn't endorse Trump. Another former presidential candidate and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio spoke and showed support for Trump, but did so through a video and did not attend the convention.
“This is in great contrast to a normal convention, where everything is programmed to generate enthusiasm, unity and no doubts at all," Hamilton said. "It’s not quite working here.”
Trump is scheduled to speak last Thursday night, where he is expected to accept the official nomination as the Republican presidential candidate.
Hamilton said he thought Trump needs to find a way to make his own character appeal to voters in his address Thursday night.
“He tends to just go against ‘crooked Hillary’ very aggressively,” Hamilton said. “He needs to also make a positive case for himself, so as to energize his base, unify the party and appeal to a wider electorate.”
