 "How Donald Trump's longest convention speech in US history made some yawn, others leave")
Former United States President Donald Trump delivered the longest nomination acceptance speech in US history, formally accepting the Republican Party’s presidential nomination for 2024. Speaking for a record-setting 93 minutes, Trump surpassed his own 2016 speech of 74 minutes, previously the longest.
His address, given at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee in Wisconsin, was a blend of prepared remarks and spontaneous deviations, often characteristic of his rally style.
The speech came just days after a dramatic assassination attempt. A 20-year-old gunman fired at Trump during a rally in Pennsylvania, grazing his right ear. Trump, the first major-party presidential nominee convicted of felonies, wore a white square bandage over his wounded ear throughout the convention. Many attendees showed solidarity by wearing similar bandages.
Trump began his speech with a somber recounting of the assassination attempt, during which one attendee was killed and two others wounded. “I am not supposed to be here tonight,” he said. “I stand before you in this arena only by the grace of almighty God. And watching the reports over the last few days, many people say it was a providential moment. Probably was.”
Despite the serious tone at the beginning, Trump soon reverted to his typical style, including ad-libbed applause lines and numerous digressions. This blend of seriousness and levity resulted in a mixed reaction from the audience, with engagement waning as the speech progressed.
How long have other nomination speeches been?
Trump’s speech was notably longer than those of other major political figures, with a whopping 12,219 words as reported by The American Presidency Project. His previous record was 74 minutes in 2016, and his 2020 speech on the South Lawn of the White House lasted 70 minutes.
Only two other nominees have even broken the one-hour mark: Bill Clinton in 1996 with a 66-minute speech and George W. Bush in 2004 with a 62-minute speech. In stark contrast, US President Joe Biden’s 2020 acceptance speech lasted just 24 minutes.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsRepublican acceptance speech lengths:
Donald Trump (2024): 93 minutes
Donald Trump (2020): 70 minutes
Donald Trump (2016): 74 minutes
Mitt Romney (2012): 37 minutes
John McCain (2008): 49 minutes
George W. Bush (2004): 62 minutes
George W. Bush (2000): 52 minutes
Bob Dole (1996): 57 minutes
George H.W. Bush (1992): 57 minutes
George H.W. Bush (1988): 49 minutes
Ronald Reagan (1984): 55 minutes
Ronald Reagan (1980): 44 minutes
Gerald Ford (1976): 36 minutes
Richard Nixon (1972): 41 minutes
Richard Nixon (1968): 32 minutes
Barry Goldwater (1964): 40 minutes
Richard Nixon (1960): 50 minutes
Dwight D. Eisenhower (1956): 38 minutes
Democratic acceptance speech lengths:
Joe Biden (2020): 24 minutes
Hillary Clinton (2016): 57 minutes
Barack Obama (2012): 39 minutes
Barack Obama (2008): 42 minutes
John Kerry (2004): 45 minutes
Al Gore (2000): 50 minutes
Bill Clinton (1996): 66 minutes
Bill Clinton (1992): 53 minutes
Michael Dukakis (1988): 46 minutes
Walter Mondale (1984): 33 minutes
Jimmy Carter (1980): 51 minutes
Jimmy Carter (1976): 39 minutes
George McGovern (1972): 30 minutes
Hubert Humphrey (1968): 37 minutes
Lyndon B. Johnson (1964): 38 minutes
John F. Kennedy (1960): 22 minutes
Adlai Stevenson (1956): 37 minutes
Adlai Stevenson (1952): 16 minutes
Harry S. Truman (1948): 24 minutes
How did the audience react to 90+ minutes of Trump?
Numerous listeners were reportedly “bored” as Trump rambled on, forgetting his message of unity and repeating false claims about the result of the 2020 US presidential elections. A few of them chose to vent their chagrin on social media:
I’ve left the hall. People in the upper seats were grimacing in pain from sitting so long. Women wrapped to stay warm. Heads in phones. After a moving start, Trump had lost the crowd w a repetitive, slow, and rambling speech. pic.twitter.com/CqViMUC01E
— Kevin Baron (@DefenseBaron) July 19, 2024
Some have walked out of Trump’s speech into Fiserv Forum hallways pic.twitter.com/UPgBz0GB9E
— Rachel Hale (@rachelleighhale) July 19, 2024
Me getting ready for work when Trump’s speech ends at 6 am: pic.twitter.com/BovMk4EG7X
— Prison Mitch (@MidnightMitch) July 19, 2024
I was once a part of a group of friends who rushed the stage and dragged another friend off whose speech at a 21st started to drag so long everyone was getting embarrassed for him.
— Greg Jericho (@GrogsGamut) July 19, 2024
Alas Trump has no friends
We are 30 minutes into Trump's primetime speech and he's doing acknowledgements and rambling.
— Jon Favreau (@jonfavs) July 19, 2024
I’m standing 10 feet from the stage, in a sea of diehards, and some are getting restless. Checking phones, stealing glances at the teleprompter, whispering about when it will be over. pic.twitter.com/7Y7qDfH5fs
— Tim Alberta (@TimAlberta) July 19, 2024
Had to go out and feed the meter. Is the speech over?!?
— David Axelrod (@davidaxelrod) July 19, 2024
Trump’s endless rambling speech is a reminder that both of America’s parties have nominated declining old men.
— Edward Luce (@EdwardGLuce) July 19, 2024
"This speech should probably be shorter." - Martin Scorsese
— J-L Cauvin - Morristown 9/18 (@JLCauvin) July 19, 2024
FINALLY! so after almost Falling asleep by listening to trump rambling on and on like a broken record until 12:12 At Midnight it's finally over so now can we all go to sleep now because this speech was so long and boring that he forgot to NOT mention Biden are you serious?!?! pic.twitter.com/y4TxgYfwKc
— Miguel 🇵🇷 (@MiguelO74828285) July 19, 2024
Did Trump’s speech change after the assassination attempt?
In his speech, Trump reiterated his conservative vision for America, criticising Biden’s administration on issues like the economy and foreign policy. He vowed to implement large-scale deportations of undocumented immigrants, cut taxes, and reassert American strength abroad. He made several controversial claims, some of which were misleading or false.
“We will keep striving toward our shared and glorious destiny — and we will not fail,” Trump declared, urging his supporters to continue their fight alongside him.
The assassination attempt just days ahead of the convention left organisers and Trump aides figuring out how to host a long-planned party in the wake of near-tragedy. In the hurried 48 hours before the convention began, Trump aides not only rewrote his speech but also sent a message to other convention speakers to soften some of their remarks.
Trump mentioned Biden only once, a stark contrast to his 2020 speech where he mentioned Biden more than 40 times.
The speech, which extended past midnight on the East Coast in the US, concluded with a symbolic gesture as 100,000 balloons were dropped from the ceiling of the Fiserv Forum.
Also Read: Key takeaways from Trump's GOP nomination acceptance speech on final day of RNC
Trump’s family joined him on stage, mingling for about 20 minutes before the convention officially adjourned.
With inputs from agencies
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