On Tuesday night, a political star may have been born.
Donald Trump Jr. delivered a powerful testimonial for his father on the second night of the Republican National Convention, casting him as an everyman who hasn’t forgotten his Queens roots while raising his own national profile on a high-stakes night.
Hours after the younger Trump cast the decisive New York delegation votes sealing his father’s nomination, he doubled down with the rousing speech. Trump Jr. has taken an active interest in his family’s first political campaign, making himself a crucial adviser along with his adult siblings, and the speech drew immediate suggestions that he should run for office himself.
“Perhaps Donald Trump Jr. should run? His speech was excellent,” tweeted politically active talk show host Montel Williams, a frequent critic of Trump Sr.
Despite an allegation of plagiarism that surfaced in the speech’s aftermath — a line closely resembled one from a recent story in the publication, The American Conservative — many other of Trump’s fiercest critics were won over by his performance. Conservative commentator Dana Loesch tweeted that the speech was “great.”
Former Barack Obama chief strategist David Axelrod, while criticizing the speech, conceded its widespread appeal. “However polished, a very political-sounding speech. Not sure attack dog is the role candidate’s son should be playing,” he tweeted. But he admitted in a follow-up tweet, “In fairness, folks I respect had [positive] reaction to Don Jr., responding to his powerful speech as meaningful validation of his dad.”
