Republican National Convention Live Updates: 'I could stop a war with a telephone call,' says Donald Trump in his speech at RNC

US President Joe Biden on Friday said Washington was pressing for the release of journalist Evan Gershkovich after Russia sentenced him to 16 years in a penal colony on spying charges. "We are pushing hard for Evan's release and will continue to do so," Biden said in a statement, adding that the Wall Street Journal employee had "committed no crime" and was "targeted" by Moscow for being a reporter and US citizen. Biden's statement comes hours after the Russian court found Gershkovich guilty of espionage charges.

A video capturing Melania Trump sidestepping a kiss from her husband, Donald Trump, during his acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention (RNC) held at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on July 18, has gone viral. The incident occurred after Trump was confirmed as the official Republican nominee for the 2024 presidential race. The video has sparked significant online discussions and has been widely shared across various platforms.

Donald Trump's wife Melania Trump on Thursday made a rare appearance at the Republican National Convention to show her support for her husband's 2024 presidential campaign. As she entered the arena, she was greeted with warm applause and waved to the crowd before taking her seat. Unlike the Republican conventions in 2016 and 2020, she was not scheduled to deliver a speech.

The speech began with uplifting sentiments and words around the theme of unity and healing. Then his natural instincts took over and gripes, grievances, and threats flowed. Recounting his narrow escape from an assassin's bullet in excruciating detail, former US President Donald Trump on Thursday initially pledged to launch "a new era of safety, prosperity and freedom for citizens of every race, religion, color and creed" in a 90-minute nomination acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention finale in Milwaukee.

Former US president Donald Trump spoke for one hour and 32 minutes at the Republican National Convention while accepting his party's presidential nomination, breaking his own record for the longest acceptance speech in recent history. Trump, 78, formally accepted his party's nomination for president for a third time at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee on Thursday, his first major address after he survived an assassination attempt on his life.

Trump also delivered the second- and third-longest convention acceptance speeches, going back to 1976. He spoke for one hour and 15 minutes in 2016 and one hour and 10 minutes in 2020.

The Trump family on Thursday presented a united front at the Republican National Convention, with his wife Melania Trump, daughter Ivanka Trump, and other family members joining the former US President on stage.

Despite past uncertainties about their political future, the family's presence at the event solidified their central role in the Republican Party.

After concluding his speech on the final night of the RNC, Trump was accompanied on stage by his wife Melania, daughter Ivanka, sons Donald Jr and Eric, and grandchildren. .

Melania's appearance marked a rare public moment for the former first lady, who had not been actively involved in the campaign or accompanied her husband to court appearances related to the Stormy Daniels hush money case. The former first lady's only public moments included standing behind Trump while he signed his official nomination paperwork.

Donald Trump, during the final night of the Republican National Convention, revived a controversial term from the Covid-19 pandemic by referring to the disease as the "China virus".

The statement elicited a significant cheer from the audience.

"Probably the best trade deal was the deal I made with China, where they buy 50 billion dollars' worth of our product. I don't even mention it, frankly, because of what happened with the China virus," Trump said while recalling his time as the US President.

Donald Trump said, “Nothing will ever slow us down, no matter what obstacles come. We will strive together to save this country. We will restore the republic and usher in a wonderful tomorrow. America’s future will be bigger, brighter, bolder, and more united than ever. In simple terms, we will make America great again.”

DonaldTrump said, “We are gonna build an Iron Dome in the US,” and claimed he could end wars with a phone call.

As Trump entered the second hour of his speech, he resumed his critique of Biden’s border policy before pausing to address the audience. He pointed to the same chart he had posted on Saturday, just as gunfire erupted. “Look at the chart that saved my life,” Trump said, referring to a chart displayed on the arena screens showing a significant spike in border detentions under Biden’s administration. “Without that chart, I would not be here today.”

Donald Trump said, “But no hope or dream for America unless we stop illegal invasion in America. We want people to come to our country, but they have to come into our country legally.”

Donald Trump said, “I am going to protect Social Security and Democrats are going to destroy social public security.”

Trump has frequently asserted that the ongoing wars in Europe and the Middle East would have “never happened” if he were president. He reiterated this claim Thursday night but did not specify how he would address either conflict. The former president and his vice-presidential nominee have maintained a strong isolationist stance, advocating for reducing or eliminating US aid to foreign countries.

Donald Trump, the Republican presidential candidate, on Thursday recounted his personal experience of the assassination attempt on his life during a rally at Pennsylvania rally.While delivering his speech at the closing night of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Trump called for unity among Americans.Trump vividly described the moment when the assassin's bullet nearly struck him, missing by a mere quarter of an inch.

After recounting the assassination attempt and mourning those lost and wounded, Trump shifted to familiar themes. He called for national unity, suggesting that the best way to achieve this would be for Democrats to drop the criminal cases against him.

“We must not criminalize dissent or demonize political disagreement, which is what’s been happening in our country lately at a level that nobody has ever seen before,” Trump said.

He added, “And in that spirit, the Democrat Party should immediately stop weaponizing the justice system and labeling their political opponent as an enemy of democracy. Especially since that is not true. In fact, I am the one saving democracy for the people of our country.”

Two of the cases involve Trump’s efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss.

Trump touted the ruling by US District Judge Aileen Cannon, who dismissed his classified documents case. He praised Cannon, whom he appointed, as highly regarded, despite criticism from many legal experts regarding her handling of the case. Her controversial ruling found special counsel Jack Smith’s appointment unconstitutional, a decision that did not address the merits of the case.

There was a moment of silence in the arena for Corey Comperatore, who was killed in the Pennsylvania shooting at Trump's rally. The 50-year-old volunteer fire chief was shot as he dived onto family members to protect them.

“He lost his life selflessly acting as a human shield to protect them from flying bullets,” Trump said.

On stage this evening are Comperatore's firefighting helmet and jacket, which Trump pointed out and stood by in a solemn tribute.

Trump recalls raising his fist in the air after he was shot, proclaiming, "Fight." This declaration prompts the crowd to erupt into chants of "fight, fight, fight," a recurring rallying cry throughout the week at the convention.

“There was blood pouring everywhere, and yet, in a certain way I felt very safe, because I had God on my side,” Trump says, recounting his experience of the attack. He describes narrowly escaping the assassin’s bullet by moving his head at the last instant, stating, “If I had not moved my head at the very last instant, the assassin’s bullet would have perfectly hit its mark, and I would not be with you tonight.” Emphasising the gravity of the moment, he adds, “I am not supposed to be here tonight. I stand before you in this arena only by the grace of almighty God. Many people say it was a providential moment.” This theme of divine intervention has been echoed throughout the convention by various speakers discussing the shooting.

“There was blood pouring everywhere, and yet, in a certain way I felt very safe, because I had God on my side,” Trump says, as he continues to describe his experience of the attack.

“If I had not moved my head at the very last instant, the assassin’s bullet would have perfectly hit its mark, and I would not be with you tonight.”

“I am not supposed to be here tonight,” he says. “I stand before you in this arena only by the grace of almighty God. Many people say it was a providential moment.”

Trump began his remarks by formally accepting the Republican nomination for president. His running mate, JD Vance, accepted the vice presidential nomination last night.

The former president has strode out on to the stage here in the arena and is about to speak.

His walk-on anthem is God Bless the USA, performed by its writer, Lee Greenwood, himself.

The Republican National Convention culminated Friday with former US president Donald Trump 's acceptance of the party’s presidential nomination, achieving a comeback four years in the making and anticipated even more in the past week in light of the assassination attempt.

Meanwhile, former president Barack Obama has privately expressed concerns to Democrats about President Joe Biden’s candidacy, and former House speaker Nancy Pelosi warned Biden that Democrats could lose the ability to seize control in the House if he didn’t step away from the race.

The former US first lady has just walked into the arena.

It's the first public appearance at this Republican convention.

Eric Trump, the ex-president's second son, addressed the crowd, following his brother Donald Trump Jr.'s speech from the previous day. Eric recalled how eight years ago, Trump told his family he "had chosen to step into the arena to fight for the soul of America" and "leave behind an unbelievable business empire." He criticized Trump's opponents, saying they are committed to "drag him through every last courthouse in America, to take his life."

Several speakers during the course of the Republican National Convention have described the near-miss assassination attempt against Donald Trump as a “miracle”, invoking religious imagery to explain his survival.

Reverend Lorenzo Sewell, speaking on Thursday, was the most recent to portray Trump's survival through a religious lens. He recounted how his congregation had offered prayers for the former president in the weeks leading up to the assassination attempt.

On July 13, during a rally held by Trump, gunshots were fired, with one bullet grazing the ex-president's ear, coming close to striking his head.

Professional wrestler Hulk Hogan took the stage and said, "We're gonna start winning again!" Hogan praised Trump as "the biggest patriot," emphasizing his honesty and resilience. "He's always told you exactly what he thought, and he still is, brother. And no matter what, he finds a way to win. And when he's back in the White House America's gonna start winning again!" Drawing a comparison between Trump's political adversaries and his own wrestling opponents, Hogan added, "He's still standing and kicking their butts." The enthusiastic crowd clearly loved every moment of Hogan's spirited speech.

Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner made their first appearance this week, joining Trump in the VIP box as Hulk Hogan delivered his speech.

During Trump's presidency, the couple held prominent positions, but they have distanced themselves from political activities since leaving the White House.

In recent times, it has been Trump's children, Don Jr, Eric, and his daughter-in-law Lara, who have taken on the role of representing and supporting the former president.

Hulk Hogan, the renowned wrestler, has entered the stage accompanied by his signature entrance music, Real American.

The lyrics "I am a real American, fight for the rights of every man," resound through the venue.

Hogan, a WWE icon, is known to have a close association with Peter Thiel, the co-founder of Paypal and a billionaire. Thiel notably supported Hogan's victorious legal battle against the online news outlet, Gawker.

Moreover, Thiel is recognized as one of the most significant contributors to Trump's campaign and even delivered a speech at his convention back in 2016.

Donald Trump’s wife has remained out of sight. She has not been in the VIP box where Trump has presided over the prime-time show each night. She has not been on television. She is sparsely featured in the videos played for delegates between speakers and in the photos plastered on the arena’s walls.

Melania Trump is set to appear Thursday as her husband delivers his acceptance speech on the convention’s final night. But, in a break from tradition, she is not expected to speak. (Other Trumps are likely to make their first appearances, too: Ivanka, the former president’s daughter who is keeping a distance from his current campaign, and Barron, 18, Donald Trump’s youngest son.)

Moments before Donald Trump takes the stage at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee on Thursday night, he is scheduled to be introduced with a performance by Kid Rock — the rap-rock provocateur who for years has been one of the former president’s most ardent supporters in the entertainment world.

The song Kid Rock plans to perform, “American Bad Ass,” says as much about his own attitude as it does the image of Trump that has been taking shape among many of his supporters since the former president survived an assassination attempt Saturday.

“To be shot and to stand up with that kind of resolve, I just told him — I go, ‘Hey man, you’re the biggest badass I know,’” Donald Trump Jr. said at a convention event this week.

Trump's appearance comes as 81-year-old Democratic President Joe Biden clings to his party’s nomination, facing pressure from congressional allies, donors, and former President Barack Obama, amid concerns over his ability to win reelection after a poor debate performance.

Trump’s speech marked the climax of a massive four-day Republican rally in swing-state Wisconsin, drawing thousands of conservative activists and elected officials as voters weigh an election featuring two unpopular candidates.

Just five days after surviving an assassination attempt, a bandaged Donald Trump is set to address the Republican National Convention to accept his party's presidential nomination, aiming to unify his party and the nation behind his third consecutive White House bid.

The 78-year-old former president, known for criticizing his political foes, has promised to offer a more personal message of unity following his brush with death.