One of the interesting themes coming out of a portion of the mainstream (and some left-wing) media is the surprise they express that Republicans are not filled with dark rage, even after the assassination attempt on Donald Trump.

It is as if they had never met or talked to a real Republican, which, to be honest, is likely the case. They have no idea who we are. 

"When I asked her about Biden’s message to turn down the temperature, she scoffed: 'Why would we do that?'" https://t.co/FBnUR4SJzm

— Ryan Teague Beckwith (@ryanbeckwith) July 16, 2024

I noticed this first in some of the MSM TV coverage--not MSNBC, of course, but it was really striking to see an article in Slate by Aymann Ismail about the mood at the Republican Convention. He went expecting an undercurrent of rage, a desire for revenge, and in general a dark mood. 

Instead, he found joy and optimism. Two days after the near assassination of Donald Trump, Republicans are ready to party!

As I arrived in Milwaukee a day after a 20-year-old tried to kill Donald Trump, I expected the mood to be tense. The first thing I saw downtown at 9 a.m. Monday outside the Republican National Convention was a large sign placed by the city by a part of the road closed for construction that read “Project Funded by President Joe Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.” Biden’s name had been scribbled out with black marker. I crossed one of the many small bridges that had been closed to vehicular traffic by law enforcement to secure the area where the convention was being held. Beneath the bridges, police boats patrolled the Milwaukee River. I held my breath as I approached the security checkpoint.

Almost instantly, I realized I had read the room all wrong. The law enforcement and volunteers manning the entryway had me through a bag scan and a metal detector in seconds. The mood was not tense—it was almost chipper. Once inside, I was again surprised by the jubilance of the many attendees of the convention. Red hats crowned smiling faces as attendees giddily rushed toward the arena to secure their places in line to get inside and escape the heat. The mood seemed to sour only when the line didn’t move. Delegates and guests became disgruntled. “Let us in!” one shouted, as a security guard shrugged. He ignored her.

None of this surprises me in the least, of course, but I can see how a media person--especially a liberal media person--might expect a bunch of White Supremacists who just hung up their white sheets with pointy hats to be glaring at dark-skinned strangers from the media. 

If you believe the spin from the mainstream media, that is a perfectly rational expectation. And if you live in a blue-tinted bubble you likely would be frightened by the prospect of being surrounded by conservatives who certainly are out to lynch you. 

I made conversation with a Missouri delegate while we waited. She raised her white jacket above her head, jokingly offering to block the sun for both of us. “I’m excited. I’m encouraged. Everyone is pumped,” she said of the energy inside the compound. Narrowing her gaze, she asked me who I was voting for. I deflected, asking about the assassination attempt on Trump. She paused. “I thought about Melania and how hard that would be for her,” she said. “It was a miracle that his head turned when it did.” When I asked her about Biden’s message to turn down the temperature, she scoffed: “Why would we do that?”

These are the hardest-core of the hard-core Republicans--attendees at a convention that draws delegates from every state who came to celebrate the nomination of Orange Cheeto Hitler--and they turned out to be nice and happy even though it was only two days since a madman tried to kill their hero. 

Again, I am not surprised. There are some fringe figures on Twitter who are expressing rage--but that is what fringe figures on Twitter do as a matter of course. Expressing rage is their lifeblood. Average Republicans? They are here to party, and thrilled that Donald Trump survived by the grace of God. 

I moved through the crowd, and the mood only got more jubilant. One man sported an elephant hat fit with a long trunk that extended and stuck out over his head. I spotted a pair of golden Trump shoes, and several people wore shirts with Trump’s face repeatedly printed all over them. One woman sported a large top hat with an image of Abraham Lincoln next to Trump pulling his shirt open to reveal a superman S beneath it

Brenda and Debbie, two excited delegates, shared their recent encounter with Vivek Ramaswamy. “He thanked us for our support,” Brenda beamed. When I tried to steer the conversation toward the assassination attempt, they reluctantly engaged. “It made me angry, but it didn’t surprise me,” one offered. Nearby, Jodi Schwartz, a Palm Beach County Republican who wore a bedazzled Trump pin next to one that featured the state of Florida inside a stiletto shoe, cheerfully described her experience at the convention so far. “Disneyland for Republicans,” she said.

None of this is scripted. It's how most Republicans feel. 

Sure, there is anger that the Secret Service didn't do its job adequately, and they associate that with the Biden Administration's obsession with DEI, and we also believe that there has been a slow-motion assassination attempt through the years-long campaign to slander Trump. But, as the delegates noted, we expected this, so there was no surprise. 

Really, after labeling Trump an "existential threat" for years, slandering Trump and MAGA as terrorists who want to execute Rachel Maddow and put Democrats in camps, and calling Trump Hitler, what else could you expect? SOMEBODY was going to take a shot at Trump. It was inevitable. 

He survived. God bless. Now, let's win this thing. 

There were more MAGA celebrities inbound, with gaggles of giddy convention attendees lined up to take selfies with them. And as I continued to navigate the convention on its first day, the excitement remained in the air. People dutifully condemned Democrats—who were described as all powerful but also somehow feeble and inept—and the shooting if I asked. But each time I got the slight sense I was ruining the vibe a little bit. More than once, people around me broke into chants of “USA,” with laughter and the easy confidence of people who think they have this thing in the bag. Whatever horrors the weekend had brought, they were ready to party.

One thing that struck me about my own reaction, once the shock wore off, was my lack of rage. I really did expect this, so while it pisses me off, it changes nothing for me other than reminding me why we must win this election. 

We have to stop the lawfare. We need to return to being a functioning Constitutional Republic. We need to put a nail in the coffin of MSM credibility. 

But none of that is new. The assassination attempt changes everything, but then again it changes nothing. Our task is the same, and it is a joy to spend time with people who are not insane. 

"I'm looking at a man who has sacrificed so much, been through so much, been scrutinized, drug through the mud for this country," said one attendee as President Trump entered the convention.

"HE'S NOT HIDING. HE'S NOT SCARED. HE'S READY TO DEFEND OUR COUNTRY AND TAKE IT BACK!" pic.twitter.com/Gwy92jlSQU

— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) July 16, 2024

I hate conventions because I hate crowds and find most of the events boring. I've gone through security once at an RNC convention (in 2012) when I was a commentator on local TV, and it was tedious. 

But conventions aren't for people like me. It's for activists who love being around other activists. It is their way to revel in American politics. 

GAYLE KING: When President Trump appeared at the convention, "I felt the emotion, sitting in my bedroom, coming through the TV screen." pic.twitter.com/P8HPSE4J10

— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) July 16, 2024

And hence the joy. This is their time to shine, and discussing dark things ruins the vibes. 

Slate has had some really dark articles about Republicans and Donald Trump in recent months, so I was pleasantly surprised to see Aymann Ismail's article. I thought it was not just fair, but reflective. He didn't seek out conflict, didn't use character assassination, and portrayed his interviewees with empathy. 

So Kudos, Mr. Ismail. Good work.