Jul 15, 2024 - Politics & Policy

Exclusive: Rep. Banks predicts "far more presidential" Trump

Andrew Solender

Rep. Jim Banks, wearing a dark gray suit and standing in front of a white backdrop. — Rep. Jim Banks at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee on July 15, 2024. Photo: Eva Marie Uzcategui/Bloomberg via Getty Images.

Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.) said during an Axios House event Monday that former President Trump will look "far more presidential" than ever before when he accepts the GOP nomination later this week.

Why it matters: Saturday's assassination attempt against Trump has given the often polarizing ex-president a rare opportunity to redefine himself as a unifying figure, Axios' Jim VandeHei and Mike Allen reported.

What he's saying: Banks, a close Trump ally, told Axios' Sophia Cai that Trump "has a way of rising to the moment" and predicted a "historic speech" Thursday.

After the shooting, Banks said, Trump has an "opportunity" to "seal the deal ... with a powerful speech that brings the country together, that ensures he is going to win by historic margins."
Banks said he had a "short chat" with Trump over the phone Monday morning and that the ex-president was "as upbeat as ever."
"I think what you're going to see on Thursday is someone who ... rises to the moment and looks far more presidential, maybe, than what he ever looked before," Banks added.

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Exclusive: Rep. Banks predicts "far more presidential" Trump

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