The first night of the Republican convention had some great speeches, and lots of cheers when J.D. Vance started working the floor. But all of that receded quickly when a bandaged Donald Trump entered the room and took his seat in the final hour or so of the evening:

Interestingly, Trump chose to make his entry as the speakers shifted from officeholders to the "everyday Americans" speakers slotted for the end of the evening. Michigan businessman Mark Laws seemed the most daunted by Trump's appearance, but he did overcome it and delivered a good speech. The most surprising of the speeches that followed was an ultimately charming address by Amber Rose, a controversial addition to the program. Rose's shout-out to her father was an appealing moment from someone not used to politics and public speaking.

But the real story tonight was the fact that Trump could be there at all. After nearly getting assassinated two days earlier, Trump still exhibited his trademark swagger and energy, and as you can see above, the crowd ate it up. It's a fitting way to cap off a successful first night at the Republican National Convention. 

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Update: Teamsters president Sean O'Brien offered a stemwinder in favor of pro-union policies, an unusual pitch for a GOP convention in recent years. O'Brien may have made a few people squirm in the delegate ranks, but he made his agenda clear, and he did get some applause. But O'Brien endeared himself to the crowd when he declared that the assassination attempt on Saturday vindicated his outreach to the GOP, and then paid homage to Trump as "one tough SOB." There's no disputing that any longer. 

Teamsters President Sean O'Brien, during his RNC speech, says "one thing is clear" about Donald Trump:

"I think we all can agree, whether people like him or they don't like him, in light of what happened to him on Saturday, he has proven to be one tough SOB." pic.twitter.com/pSCfvEbr4a

— CBS News (@CBSNews) July 16, 2024