Was that really the convention Republicans wanted?

“UNITE AMERICA!” That was Donald Trump’s message to the nation following the assassination attempt on him during a Pennsylvania rally last weekend. The Republican National Convention (RNC) quickly adopted the “unity” theme this week and eagerly weaved it throughout the entire event. Trump embraced the sentiment as a central refrain in his speech.

But unity with whom? And why?

As most Republican officials and speakers donned the mantle of “coming together,” patriots and their own party allies are jailed at the hands of a judicial system weaponized by the Democratic Party. Trump would himself be in jail if Democrats had their way.

Democrats who have cheered on the perversion of the justice system have no desire to unite with Republicans.

Democratic leaders and their supporters have made their views clear. President Biden said less than a year ago that “MAGA Republicans,” meaning Americans who support Trump, represent the biggest threat to democracy. Kamala Harris, Hillary Clinton and Barak Obama have made similar comments. In December, the Biden campaign compared Trump to Hitler in an image posted to X. Just days before the assassination attempt, Biden told donors, “We’re done talking about the debate, it’s time to put Trump in the bullseye.”

It would be a mistake and an insult for Trump to tone down his message in a call for unity with people who think Republican voters and their candidates represent an existential threat to democracy. Calls to put differences aside ahead of a general election are common, as nominees always seek to expand their base of support. But how much pushing of unity in 2024 is too much, and at what point does it weaken the campaign rather than help?

What common ground can be found with people who insist men can give birth, that we should teach it to children and that anyone who disagrees should be ostracized from polite society? Who want to continue burying Americans in national debt to fund the corrupt oligarchy of Ukraine, while many families in this country can hardly afford groceries? Who disarm law-abiding citizens while allowing hardened criminals to prey on the innocent, while also dismantling the police? Who insist on completely open borders and brand anyone who raises concerns as racist?

Trump said he initially “prepared an extremely tough speech” about Biden for the RNC but decided to throw it out in favor of one that aims to “unite our country.”

But this is no time to let up on Biden. During the last three years, the Democrats under President Biden have immeasurably damaged the nation. The ongoing border catastrophe alone is unforgiveable. The Biden administration allowed some 10 million illegal immigrants into the country in just a few years, a number greater than the population of New York City and most U.S. states. American schools and hospitals are overburdened, while crime and drug smuggling have exploded.  

To be clear, are Republicans unifying with Alejandro Mayorkas, the secretary of homeland security? A week ago, it was bad enough that Mayorkas was harming the nation by allowing unchecked illegal migration. Now the country understands that the same Biden administration leader has been in charge of Trump’s security and indirectly left him exposed. Republicans must not unify with this kind of political force.

After all that has happened over the last four years, moderation will not inspire Democrats to vote for Republicans in 2024. How many case studies does the RNC need, after the failed candidacies of Nikki Haley, Chris Christie, Mitt Romney, John McCain, Jeb Bush and more? Time and again Republicans have softened their tone to appeal to liberals and the undecideds – the proverbial suburban “soccer moms” – and time and again they have disintegrated the passion of their most likely supporters.

Perhaps the RNC was attempting to seize the moment to recast Trump as inoffensive to undecided and independent voters, as well as Bush-style Republicans. It is often said that voters are mobilized more to vote against a candidate than to vote for a candidate. If Trump appears as a steady, uniting figure, the election could become a referendum on Biden (or, if he steps down, the Democrats more generally). If this strategy works, conservatives can only hope that Trump will not dilute his commitment to the MAGA agenda during a second term.

Ultimately, the best way to grow the Republican tent is to lean into conservative principles and inspire Democrats to leave their party for the GOP, showcasing conviction. The goal of the convention should not have been to pander to Democrats and independents, but to open their eyes to the abject failures of the Democratic Party and the hope that lies with the Republican philosophy.

There is a reason why Americans have thronged to Donald Trump since he rose from the stage in Pennsylvania, raising his fist to the air and shouting, “FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!” It’s because Americans want him to fight.

The Trump campaign should take note.

Kristin Tate is a political writer based in Boston and the author, most recently, of “The Liberal Invasion of Red State America.” She is an on-air contributor for Sky News and a columnist for The Boston Herald. Follow her on X @KristinBTate.