washington president donald trump kicked off his reelection campaign with a swaggering world series ad that declared hes no mr nice guy but his campaign has taken pains to highlight a softer side of the famously brusque and bombastic chief executive during this weeks republican conventionthe competing depictions of the president come after the democrats spent last week showcasing the compassion of joe biden but the attempt to humanize trump was already in the works part of a strategy to win back senior and suburban voters who have abandoned him in no small part due to his aggressive rhetoric and lack of obvious empathy during the coronavirus pandemicrepublicans went allout to depict a gentler trump over the first two nights of their conventionhouse minority whip steve scalise of louisiana on monday recalled how trump sat by his hospital bedside as he recovered from a near fatal gunshot wound in 2017 rep jim jordan of ohio spoke of how trump embraced his request two years ago to talk with relatives whose son had died in a car accident the president was shown talking to covid19 first responders thanking his friends for their serviceand senatot rand paul on tuesday revealed how the president supported his medical missions to perform emergency eye surgeries in guatemala and haititrumps toughguy persona built over half a lifetime in business is well known he made millions telling people youre fired on the apprentice and championed his hardnosed business practices recognizing that it is an immutable part of trumps image his allies have long worked to hold it up as an asset both in last octobers splashy ad campaign as well as during the conventionjoe biden is a very good guy i know him hes just as nice as they come former un ambassador nikki haley said tuesday on fox but thats just the problem we saw what happens when you try to be nice at the united nations basically everybody was running over america when obama and biden were in thereherschel walker the former nfl player acknowledged in a convention speech monday night that some people dont like trumps style but he added people on opposing teams didnt like it when i ran right over them either but thats how you get the job donewalker acted as a pivot point in the republican messaging relaying a story of how trump in his business suit once joined the exnfl star and their respective kids on a trip to disney world republican national committee chair ronna mcdaniel did much the same offering testimony to trumps toughness but also saying ive seen private moments where he comforts americans in times of pain and sadnessmuch of last weeks democratic national convention was used to flesh out a portrait of biden as a man who has suffered immense personal tragedy and can relate to others including americans who have lost jobs or loved ones during the pandemic testimonials were offered about the pain he has suffered his first wife