Glenn Youngkin says Trump encouraged him to change the tone of his RNC speech. Here's why:

PETERSBURG, Va. – Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin said he believes Donald Trump now understands the gravity of the attempt on his life and will likely use his acceptance speech and the rest of his campaign to call for an atmosphere different from the current divisive political climate as we head into the November election.

Youngkin, who addressed Monday’s opening night of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, said in an interview with CBS News that he had a conversation with Trump about 24 hours after the assassination attempt at a political rally in Pennsylvania.

Youngkin said Trump told him he was changing the tone of his acceptance speech to stress unity over political divisiveness, and the former president encouraged him to do the same with his Monday night address.

"I first told him that providence was real, and that he was just a millimeter away from a very different outcome," Youngkin, a devout Christian, said during the nationally broadcast interview. "He knows that, and he acknowledged that he was going to speak about unity and this was a moment to bring the whole nation together."

Trump, known for his scorched-Earth political rhetoric, said on social media he planned to dial down his remarks when he formally accepts his third consecutive GOP nomination later this week.

Wearing a bandage over the right ear pierced by a high-powered rifle bullet, the former president appeared emotionally moved by the highly charged reaction he got Monday night when he walked into the FiServ Forum, site of the convention.

“He encouraged me, ‘Rewrite your speech, too,’” Youngkin said. “He did. And this is a real statement of a moment in America where we get to reflect where we are and where we want to be … and we don’t want to be where (president) Joe Biden’s had us.”

Youngkin, just three years into his own political career, was believed to be one of several names on the initial list of potential Trump running mates.

During his successful run for Virginia’s governorship in 2021, Youngkin tried to keep Trump at arm’s length. However, over time, Youngkin eventually warmed to Trump and even hosted him last month at a rally in Chesapeake.

Youngkin and Trump and a shared experience

In his Monday night speech, Youngkin likened Trump’s political path to his own – both businesspeople with no political experience who won their first attempt at elected office; Trump as president in 2016 and Youngkin three years ago as Virginia’s chief executive.

“After 12 years of only electing Democrats statewide, in November 2021, Virginians elected a Republican outsider businessman as their 74th governor,” he said. “And I believe this year Virginia will elect another Republican outsider businessman as president.”

In both the speech and the CBS interview, Youngkin said Trump and chosen running mate U.S. Sen. JD Vance of Ohio will being “common sense” back to government, a phrase Youngkin often uses to describe his administration's goals in Virginia.

“President Trump proved that common-sense, conservative leadership works for America, and we’re proving it in Virginia, too,” the governor said in his remarks. “Five billion dollars in tax relief, backing the [law enforcement] blue, slashing red tape, declaring loudly that yes, parents matter, and creating jobs, lots of jobs.

“Virginia now has record job growth and was just named America’s top state for business. Could this election be more simple?”

Bill Atkinson (he/him/his) is an award-winning journalist who covers breaking news, government and politics. Reach him at batkinson@progress-index.com or on X (formerly known as Twitter) at @BAtkinson_PI.

This article originally appeared on The Progress-Index: Glenn Youngkin says Trump encouraged him to change the tone of his RNC speech. Here's why: