GOP sees divine intervention in Trump’s triumphant return

CNN —

Donald Trump has gone from an insurrection to a resurrection.

The searing picture of a nation in dystopian decline that defines the ex-president’s politics was largely missing on the first night of the Republican National Convention.

In its place was a sense of the divine — a pulsating belief in miracles among thousands of Republican delegates and a feeling that God spared their hero after he was nearly killed in an assassination attempt in Pennsylvania on Saturday.

Thousands of Trump supporters in Milwaukee on Monday night hailed their leader, elevating him from MAGA superhero to saint-like status.

Former President Donald Trump is seen with his newly announced running mate, Sen. JD Vance, on Monday, July 15, 2024, at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.

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Trump, a white bandage over his wounded right ear, stood below the stands of the Milwaukee Bucks NBA arena, like a heavyweight boxer waiting to climb into the ring in a title fight. The crowd cheered as his face suddenly appeared on a giant screen. Then he walked deliberately into the spotlight — raising his fist, in an electric political moment before slowly ascending to the VIP box to greet his new vice presidential pick, Sen. JD Vance of Ohio. Trump didn’t speak to the crowd, but mouthed “thank you” over and over again.

Usually, Trump’s face projects anger or rage or sarcasm. But on Monday night, it wore unusual emotion. It looked as if tears welled in Trump’s eyes. A man who normally projects strength and seeks to dominant every room he enters betrayed a trace of wistfulness and vulnerability, as might befit someone coming to terms with their life being