Locals at GOP Republican National Convention Commend Trump’s Address
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WHEELING -- As Beth Hinebaugh and Elgine McArdle both stood at Milwaukee's Fiserv Forum listening to former President Donald Trump accept the Republican nomination for president, they saw and heard something in Trump that isn't always used to describe him -- humility.
Just days after barely dodging an assassin's bullet last Saturday in Butler, Pennsylvania, Trump spoke before the Milwaukee crowd and the nation on television from the Republican National Convention. Both Hinebaugh and McArdle could tell a difference in Trump following the ordeal.
"At the beginning of the speech, he actually seemed very humbled," Hinebaugh said, "which is a little out of character for Donald Trump. But I think it did change him a little bit."
"I think everybody has commented on it and, being there, I certainly observed it," McArdle said. "It is a different Donald Trump. It is a more humbled Donald Trump. It is a Donald Trump that I think finally maybe realized the tweets and the remarks, while appealing to some folks, were very caustic to others. And I think that the tone and humility that came from his speech actually demonstrated a presidential demeanor."
Both Hinebaugh and McArdle spent the week as guests at the Republican National Convention. Hinebaugh came to Milwaukee with husband Ed and children Brock and Paige as guests of New Hampshire GOP Chairman Chris Ager. McArdle's daughter Brooke was an alternate delegate to the convention and brought McArdle as her guest.
Both Hinebaugh and McArdle have spent their time in local and state politics. Hinebaugh ran for Wheeling mayor this year, while McArdle is the former chairwoman of both the Ohio County and West Virginia Republican executive committees. They both felt the tone of Trump's speech was one that was necessary following the failed assassination attempt, in order to promote a feeling of unity.
McArdle said there have been plenty of people in the past who have said they liked Trump's policies but not his personality. Yet Thursday's speech, she continued, showed everyone the Trump that those closest to him knew.
"I think he's been accepted," McArdle said. "He's proven himself on his policies. I don't think it makes him any weaker. I think it just makes them better. And definitely the unifying message to be president for everybody - not just the Republican Party, but for everybody in the country - I think that resonated."
During the speech, Hinebaugh not only watched Trump, but the people around her to see how they were reacting to what was being said.
"Literally everybody was just sitting there and just enthralled with what he was saying," she said. "They were, I believe, empowered by what he was saying."
Hinebaugh and McArdle praised the entire experience of the convention, saying the spirit of the crowd and the speakers created a positive, energized atmosphere. The failed assassination attempt played a part in it, they said. It galvanized those in Milwaukee, making it even more important to come together.
"It was very joyous, celebratory," McArdle said. "It was supportive. It was like they tried to take us down, but they just poked the bear. And the bear was roaring."