Opinion: Michael Ian Black: The Big Problem With Selling a Kinder, Gentler Donald Trump
After the horrific assassination attempt against him—and the murder of former fire chief Corey Comperatore—at his rally last Saturday, Donald Trump gave an interview to Salena Zito of the Washington Examiner. His mood seemed reflective, almost spiritual, saying it was, “God alone who prevented the unthinkable from happening.”
Trump vowed to use the incident to turn away from his caustic rhetoric, ripping up the “humdinger” speech he’d planned on delivering as an attack on Democrats and President Joe Biden in favor of something more temperate. “This is a chance to bring the whole country, even the whole world, together.”
There’s something deeply ironic about a man who had the opportunity to bring people together during his time as president now turning to a Biden-like message of unity only after something terrible happened to him personally. Nevertheless, I choose to take the man at his word. Perhaps the bullet that grazed his ear also pierced his heart. And so, I would like to offer my services to the former president at crafting kinder and gentler language that still preserves the Republican Party platform.