State political insiders predict Trump's tone following near-death experience with shooting
LANSING, Mich. (FOX 2) - Political insiders will be watching for a change in tone during former President Donald Trump's RNC acceptance speech tonight.
If that happens - Democrats don't think a kinder and gentler candidate will stick around.
It didn't take long for the rivalry between Michigan and Ohio to move from the gridiron to the GOP convention floor during the acceptance speech from vice presidential candidate J.D. vance.
He announced he was an Ohio State grad but quickly apologized to the to the Michigan delegation, which then broke into a chorus of, what else? "Let's Go Blue."
"I'm sorry Michigan I had to get that in there," Vance said.
You don't expect that kind of frivolity from former President Donald Trump tonight. But some insiders predict, given the events of last weekend, his tone tonight will be different from his usual confrontational fiery attacks.
"They have a once in a life time moment for Donald Trump to kind of reset his tone," said John Selleck, Michigan political consultant.
"A kinder/gentler President Trump in this speech or not, the man has a track record," said Adrian Hemond, Michigan political consultant.
The theory is the assassination attempt has produced a new empathy with voters that could produce more votes for Trump.
"To use the empathy for somebody who almost got killed on national TV, to say okay, I had a life-changing moment," Sellek said. "I'm going to adjust my tone."
Democrats like Hemond are thinking any new tone won't last.
"I don't think the tone that he takes in his speech this week doesn't have a whole lot of relevance at all to how this campaign is going to play out," said Hemond, political consultant."I expect them to do the opposite down the stretch."
Voters in November will decide who is right.
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Former US President Donald Trump, left, and Senator JD Vance, a Republican from Ohio and Republican vice-presidential nominee, during the Republican National Convention (RNC) at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, US, on Monday, July 15, 2024.