Republican presidential nominee and former U.S. President Donald Trump gestures while giving his acceptance speech on Day 4 of the Republican National Convention (RNC), at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S., July 18, 2024. (Photo credit: REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz)
DENVER, COLORADO – In a 92-minute speech, the longest of any Republican candidate accepting his party’s nomination for president, Donald J. Trump Thursday night put a spotlight on Israel and the Middle East.
First, in a clear threat to Hamas and its Iranian ally, Trump demanded that every hostage in Gaza be released before January 20th when he plans to take the Oath of Office and become America’s Commander-in-Chief once again.
“I tell you this, we want our hostages back,” he said, “And they better be back before I assume office, or you will be paying a very big price.”
Photo credit: Jasper Colt-USA TODAY
Second, Trump vowed to build a missile defense system that will protect all of the American homeland, just like Israel’s “Iron Dome” system protects all of Israel’s airspace by shooting down 90% or more of the missiles, rockets, and suicide drones that Iran, Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, and the other enemies fire at use.
“With our victory in November, the years of war, weakness and chaos will be over,” Trump insisted.
“I don’t have wars. I had no wars, other than ISIS, which I defeated, but that was a war that was started.”
“We will replenish our military and build an Iron Dome missile defense system to ensure that no enemy can strike our homeland,” Trump said to wild cheers from the 50,000 delegations in Milwaukee.
“And this great Iron Dome will be built entirely in the U.S.A. We’re going to build it in the U.S.A.”
TRUMP PRAISES ISRAEL’S HIGH-TECH SUCCESS
“Israel has an Iron Dome,” the 45th president continued. “They have a missile defense system.”
Photo of Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense intercepting incoming missiles. (Photo credit: Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
Trump noted that when Iran attacked Israel with missiles and suicide drones in April, most were successfully shot down.
“Three hundred forty-two missiles were shot into Israel, and only one got through a little bit,” he said. “It was badly wounded, it fell to the ground, but most of them are [shot down].”
TRUMP SAYS REAGAN’S ‘STAR WARS’ VISION NOW TECHNOLOGICALLY POSSIBLE
Trump compared Israel’s great success in missile defenses to the vision President Ronald Reagan had in the 1980s, a vision mercilessly mocked by critics as a science fiction and fantasy world like “Star Wars.”
President Ronald Reagan introduces the “Star Wars” Strategic Defense Initiative from the oval office on March 23, 1983 (Photo: Public Domain)
“Ronald Reagan wanted this many years ago, but we really didn’t have the technology many years ago,” Trump said.
“Remember, they called it starship, spaceship” — meaning to say Star Wars — “anything to mock him. But he was a very good president, very, very good.”
“But now we have unbelievable technology,” he said.
“We’re going to build an Iron Dome over our country, and we’re going to be sure that nothing can come and harm our people. And again, from an economic development standpoint, I’m going to make it all right here. No more sending it out to other countries in order to help. It’s America first, America first.”
TRUMP ARGUES BIDEN’S DISASTROUS WITHDRAWAL FROM AFGHANISTAN SET THE WORLD ON FIRE
Trump made the case that no world dictators invaded countries during his four years in office.
“Our opponents inherited a world at peace and turned it into a planet of war,” he said. “We’re in a planet of war.”
“Look at that attack on Israel,” Trump noted.
“Look at what’s happening with Ukraine. The cities are just bombed out. How can people live like that, where buildings, massive buildings are falling to the ground.”
Photo credit: USA TODAY NETWORK via Reuters Connect
Trump argued that President Joe Biden’s disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan set the world on fire.
Russian President Vladmir Putin and the mullahs in Iran were emboldened to invade and attack Ukraine and Israel respectively after they watched the collapse of Afghanistan’s democratically elected government and the victory of the Taliban terrorists in the days leading up to the 20th anniversary of Osama bin Laden’s attack on the United States on September 11th, 2001, attacks dreamed up and set into motion from Afghanistan.
“It began to unravel with the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan, the worst humiliation in the history of our country,” Trump said.
“We have never had a humiliation like that. Thirteen heroic U.S. service members were tragically and needlessly killed. Forty-five others were horrifically wounded.”
Trump added, “we also left behind $85 billion dollars’ worth of military equipment, along with many American citizens were left behind — many, many American citizens.”
