What makes a man a leader — not an elected official, but a true leader? Tucker Carlson made a thought-provoking argument in his speech at the Republican National Convention: that Donald Trump became the leader of this nation when he took a bullet to the head but stood up again courageously, more defiant and determined than ever.
As Tucker observed, being president does not automatically make one a leader; Dementia Joe Biden has illustrated that amply. But when Trump rose with bloodied face and raised fist -- chanting, ”Fight! Fight!” -- it not only electrified his supporters, it inspired the world. “A leader is the bravest man,” as Tucker said. Even children in Uganda are reenacting that historic moment! With all his faults, Donald Trump is the one man who can not only save America from Democrat-induced collapse, but lead the free world to a renewal of liberty, strength, and prosperity. Eric Trump, Donald Trump’s son, echoed Tucker’s point in his speech when he called his dad a “true leader.” It’s obvious for the world to see.
Kids in Uganda recreate assassination attempt of President Trump.
— Citizen Free Press (@CitizenFreePres) July 17, 2024
These kids aren't afraid of a sloped rooftop.https://t.co/UTzhRVIXwhpic.twitter.com/MJ3sPkqaWZ
Tucker began by talking about how many times he had watched the video of President Trump being shot during Saturday’s failed assassination attempt. “The more I watched it, the more it struck me that everything was different after that moment, everything. This convention is different, the nation is different, the world is different, Donald Trump is different,” Carlson said. “When he stood up, after being shot in the face, bloodied, and put his hand up, I thought at that moment, that was a transformation.”
Tucker: "I watched the video of what happened in Butler, Pennsylvania. The effect that it had on Donald Trump, he was no longer just a political party's nominee, or a former president, or a future president. This was the leader of a nation." pic.twitter.com/v2JqCtHzo6
— TheBlaze (@theblaze) July 19, 2024
Here Tucker stopped to respond to someone shouting in the crowd. “I think it was Divine Intervention, but the effect that it had on Donald Trump, he was no longer just a political party’s nominee, or a former president, or a future president, this was the leader of a nation.” And Americans from all political and social backgrounds are recognizing that. It’s very key, because the contrast between Trump and Biden couldn’t be more striking. As Joe Biden cancels engagements and goes into hiding with a cold, Donald Trump has continued to fulfill his engagements and even make surprise appearances at the RNC with an ear bandaged from a bullet wound.
Iran, China, North Korea, Russia — the governments of these countries knew Trump was a leader, and they both feared and respected him. On Saturday, we saw an illustration of why that was true. Trump’s first instinct on the brink of death was to stand tall and proud and turn to give courage to his people.
In Washington, D.C., as Tucker said, “everyone wants to be the president, but if you think about the presidency, it comes with great power, obviously, but if you think about it, that is a title that is bestowed by a process of some sort that can be subverted, and in the end it does not confer by itself, as no title does, legitimacy.” With a sly jab at Dementia Joe Biden, Tucker said people could take “a mannequin, a dead person, and make him president … with enough cheating, that could happen.”
He added, “But being a leader is very different. It is not a title. It’s organic. You can’t name someone a leader, a leader is the bravest man. That’s who the leader is. That is true in all human organizations. This is a law of nature.” He continued by describing his conversation with Trump the night after the assassination attempt:
And in that moment, Donald Trump, months before the presidential election, became the leader of this nation … And I have to say, you know, I think it changed him… What he said to me that night, having just been shot in the face, he said not a single word about himself. He said only how amazed he was, and how proud he was, at the crowd, which didn’t run. And I thought two things, the first thing I thought was, well, of course they didn’t run, his courage gave them heart, a leader’s courage gives courage to his people. And the second thing I thought was, this is the selfish guy I’ve been hearing about for nine years? Really? Not a word about himself? About his people, period.
Trump, instead of taking “the most obvious opportunity in politics to inflame the nation,” which “almost every other politician” would take, “did his best to bring the country together.” Tucker emphasized, “This is the most responsible, unifying behavior of a leader I’ve every seen…I do think the entire point, from the famous escalator ride nine years ago until today, of Donald Trump’s public life, has been to remind us of one fact: which is, a leader’s duty is to his people, to his country, and to no other. That’s the point.”
It is indeed the point. Trump might not be living in the White House, but he is the leader of this great nation, and in November he will hopefully be officially recognized as our leader by being re-elected president. Trump’s courage gave us heart, and we will ride with him to victory.
