Former President Donald Trump formally accepted the Republican nomination for U.S. President on Thursday. His acceptance and speech came on the closing night of the Republican National Convention. 

During his acceptance speech, Trump recounted his attempted assassination at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday in his first public address since the shooting. 

With a bandage on his ear, Trump recounted the events with a somber tone, saying he won’t repeat the story again because “it’s actually too painful to tell.”

“I’m not supposed to be here tonight,” Trump said as the crowd responded with chants of “Yes you are.” “I will tell you I stand before you in this arena by the grace of almighty God.”

Trump’s somber recounting of the attempt on his life ended with a call for unity. 

“The discord and division in our society must be healed — we must do it quickly,” Trump said. “As Americans, we are bound together by a single fate and a shared destiny. We rise together. Or we fall apart.”

However, Trump’s tone began to shift during his speech when he began highlighting plans for the Republican Party and country’s future should he take office again. 

Trump said following the assassination attempt he is “more determined than ever” to continue his campaign. 

“Nothing will stop me in this vision because our vision is righteous and our cause is pure,” Trump said. “No matter what obstacle comes our way, we will not break. We will not bend. We will not back down, and I will never stop fighting for you, your family, and our magnificent country.” 

The speech ran over an hour and a half long, making it the longest nomination acceptance speech in recorded history. Trump broke his own record set in 2016 when accepting his first nomination. 

The speech capped the fourth and final day of the Republican National Convention that explored the Republican Party’s updated platform that was closely guided by Trump. 

Trump outlined that agenda, led by a promise to execute the “largest deportation operation in history” in his acceptance speech. 

“That’s why, to keep our families safe, the Republican platform promises to launch the largest deportation operation in the history of our country,” Trump said on Thursday evening. “This is my vow. I will not let these killers and criminals into our country. I will keep our sons and daughters safe.” 

Despite Trump’s somber beginnings, he wasn’t afraid to commit to his usual aim statements at the Democratic Party and President Joe Biden. Trump said that Republicans must “rescue our nation from failed and even incompetent leadership.” 

“This will be the most important election in the history of our country,” Trump said. “Under the current administration, we are indeed a nation in decline.” 

Iowa delegates excited for Trump presidency  

Jeanita McNulty, the chair of the Scott County Republicans, said she is looking forward to another Trump presidency if he were reelected. She said she “trusts him to get the job done.” 

“I couldn’t be more happy — couldn’t be more thrilled,” McNulty said. “He is what our country needs now.”

Teresa Horton Bumgarner, the chair of Johnson County Republicans, said she is looking for Trump to “pick up the ball” if he were to win a second term in office. 

“I look for him to straighten out the mess that this last four years has been,” Horton Bumgarner said. “And I’m excited about what’s going to happen in the United States and in the world because we have a strong leader.” 

Iowa politicians react to Trump’s acceptance speech 

A handful of Iowa Republicans were at the Republican National Convention this week, and a few took to social media to congratulate Trump after he accepted the nomination Thursday night. 

Democrats: Trump endangers liberties

Democratic National Committee Chair Jaime Harrison said another Trump presidency would put personal liberties at risk. 

“Over the past four days, we’ve seen speakers endorse a far-right, dangerous vision that would see Americans’ basic liberties stripped away and replace the rule of law with the rule of Trump,” Harrison said in a statement Friday. “No amount of desperate spin can change how unpopular and out of touch their disastrous plans are for the American people.” 

Roxy Ekberg contributed to this report from Milwaukee.