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| RNC live: Trump to speak at every night of convention alongside family members and supporters | RNC live: Trump to speak at every night of convention alongside family members and supporters |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| President formally renominated to take on Biden during roll call vote on the first day of convention | President formally renominated to take on Biden during roll call vote on the first day of convention |
| Kimberly Guilfoyle, a senior Trump campaign adviser, gave a very ... spirited speech at the Republican convention. | |
| Speaking loudly to an empty room, Guilfoyle warned that Joe Biden and his “socialist comrades” would ruin the country. | |
| Directly lifting a line from Biden’s stump speech, Guilfoyle said, “This election is a battle for the soul of America. Your choice is clear.” | |
| Guilfoyle, who used to be married to California Governor Gavin Newsom, also attacked her former state of residence. | |
| “If you want to see the socialist Biden/Harris future for our country, just take a look at California,” Guilfoyle said. “Democrats turned it into a land of discarded heroin needles in parks, riots in streets and blackouts in homes.” | |
| Mark and Patricia McCloskey, the St Louis couple who pointed guns at Black Lives Matter protesters, spoke at the Republican convention. | |
| The couple baselessly accused Democrats of “protecting criminals from honest citizens” and trying to “abolish the suburbs.” | |
| “These are the policies that are coming to a neighborhood near you,” Patricia said. “So make no mistake: No matter where you live, your family will not be safe in the radical Democrats’ America.” | |
| The short speech continued the dark, ominous theme of tonight’s convention, despite Republicans’ promises to paint a positive vision for how they wanted to lead the country. | |
| My colleague Lois Beckett wrote about Mark and Patricia McCloskey, who just spoke at the RNC, back in July, when they pointed guns at peaceful protestors: | |
| Gardner is the first African American circuit attorney in St Louis history. Lois wrote: | |
| – Maanvi Singh | |
| Andrew Pollack, whose daughter Meadow was killed in the Parkland shooting, spoke at the Republican convention. | |
| Pollack praised Trump’s response to the shooting and mocked Joe Biden for mistakenly saying he was vice president when the 2018 attack happened. | |
| “Mr. Biden may not know when my daughter was murdered. But I do—February 14, 2018,” Pollack said. | |
| Pollack’s speech came a week after another Parkland father, Fred Guttenberg, addressed the Democratic National Convention. | |
| Tonight’s attacks on Democrats for downplaying coronavirus have caused some to do a double-take, as Donald Trump has been consistently dismissing it for months, and doing very little to stop its spread. MSNBC even had to cut away at one point, and have a doctor provide a fact-check of one segment: | |
| Vernon Jones, a Democratic state legislator from Georgia, addressed the Republican convention and explained why he was voting for Trump. | |
| “The Democratic party does not want Black people to leave the mental plantation they’ve had us on for decades,” Jones said. | |
| Jones’ speech appeared to be an effort to offer a counterexample to the dozens of prominent Republicans, including former secretary of state Colin Powell, who endorsed Joe Biden last week. | |
| The Biden campaign released a longer list of Republican endorsers today, which included former Republican Senator Jeff Flake, a frequent Trump critic. | |
| So far, the Republicans have presented a revisionist history of the Donald Trump’s response to the coronavirus pandemic. | So far, the Republicans have presented a revisionist history of the Donald Trump’s response to the coronavirus pandemic. |
| Accusing the Democrats of initially downplaying the severity of the crisis, the RNC omitted the many times that Trump denied how bad things were. In Februaru, Trump famously said that 15 recorded cases “within a couple days is going to be down close to zero”. In March, he compared number of deaths caused by coronavirus and flu – nooting that more died of the latter – and told Americans, “Just stay calm. It will go away.” | Accusing the Democrats of initially downplaying the severity of the crisis, the RNC omitted the many times that Trump denied how bad things were. In Februaru, Trump famously said that 15 recorded cases “within a couple days is going to be down close to zero”. In March, he compared number of deaths caused by coronavirus and flu – nooting that more died of the latter – and told Americans, “Just stay calm. It will go away.” |
| Trump did not “ban” travel from China and Europe, as he and his supporters have often claimed. Tens of thousands flew into the US from China even after his travel restrictions were put in place. | Trump did not “ban” travel from China and Europe, as he and his supporters have often claimed. Tens of thousands flew into the US from China even after his travel restrictions were put in place. |
| Speaking with supporters at the RNC, Trump also reprised his unscientific promotion of hydroxychloroquine, saying “it’s a shame what they’ve done”. Studies have found that the anti-malarial drug doesn’t seem to be effective in treating Covid-19 patients. | Speaking with supporters at the RNC, Trump also reprised his unscientific promotion of hydroxychloroquine, saying “it’s a shame what they’ve done”. Studies have found that the anti-malarial drug doesn’t seem to be effective in treating Covid-19 patients. |
| Here’s an explainer a did a while back: | Here’s an explainer a did a while back: |
| – Maanvi Singh | – Maanvi Singh |
| In his convention speech, Ohio Congressman Jim Jordan tried to paint a softer picture of a president known for his personal insults of his opponents. | In his convention speech, Ohio Congressman Jim Jordan tried to paint a softer picture of a president known for his personal insults of his opponents. |
| “I love the president’s intensity and his willingness to fight,” Jordan said. “But what I also appreciate is something most Americans never see: how much he truly cares about people.” | “I love the president’s intensity and his willingness to fight,” Jordan said. “But what I also appreciate is something most Americans never see: how much he truly cares about people.” |
| Jordan recounted how Trump called him to offer his condolences after his nephew was killed in a car accident two years ago. | Jordan recounted how Trump called him to offer his condolences after his nephew was killed in a car accident two years ago. |
| “That’s the president I know,” Jordan said. | “That’s the president I know,” Jordan said. |
| The story seemed to be an effort to counter the Democrats’ consistent messaging last week about Joe Biden’s character and compassion. | The story seemed to be an effort to counter the Democrats’ consistent messaging last week about Joe Biden’s character and compassion. |
| In a pre-taped video filmed at the White House, Trump thanked frontline workers for their service to the country amid the coronavirus pandemic. | In a pre-taped video filmed at the White House, Trump thanked frontline workers for their service to the country amid the coronavirus pandemic. |
| When one of the workers noted she worked for the US Postal Service, the president said, “Thank you everybody in that whole, beautiful post office system.” | When one of the workers noted she worked for the US Postal Service, the president said, “Thank you everybody in that whole, beautiful post office system.” |
| The comment was noteworthy considering the Trump administration has been criticized for recent delays in mail delivery, prompting accusations that the president is trying to hamper voting by mail before November’s presidential election. | The comment was noteworthy considering the Trump administration has been criticized for recent delays in mail delivery, prompting accusations that the president is trying to hamper voting by mail before November’s presidential election. |
| Rebecca Friedrichs, the teacher who just spoke out in support of Trump, also used her time to bash teachers unions, saying they’re “subverting our republic”. Friedrichs has fought against unions throughout her career, and even baselessly claimed in July that they were “grooming” children via online lessons and teaching them how to sext and view pornography. | Rebecca Friedrichs, the teacher who just spoke out in support of Trump, also used her time to bash teachers unions, saying they’re “subverting our republic”. Friedrichs has fought against unions throughout her career, and even baselessly claimed in July that they were “grooming” children via online lessons and teaching them how to sext and view pornography. |
| This has won her a fair few critics, who have been responding to her speech tonight: | This has won her a fair few critics, who have been responding to her speech tonight: |
| While CNN and ABC have been streaming the RNC largely uninterrupted, Fox News is not. And it’s miffed some prominent Republicans. Sean Hannity, on Fox, provided his own commentary on the convention and interviewed Carl Rove about how the RNC has compared to the DNC so far. With a mind-boggling lack of self-awareness, Hannity claimed that other media “won’t be showing large parts of the convention”. | While CNN and ABC have been streaming the RNC largely uninterrupted, Fox News is not. And it’s miffed some prominent Republicans. Sean Hannity, on Fox, provided his own commentary on the convention and interviewed Carl Rove about how the RNC has compared to the DNC so far. With a mind-boggling lack of self-awareness, Hannity claimed that other media “won’t be showing large parts of the convention”. |
| – Maanvi Singh | – Maanvi Singh |
| The Republican convention played a video claiming Trump has kept “every single” promise he had made since becoming president. | The Republican convention played a video claiming Trump has kept “every single” promise he had made since becoming president. |
| As CNN’s chief fact-checker Daniel Dale noted, that is not even close to being true. According to Politifact, Trump has broken about half of the promises he had made to the American people. | As CNN’s chief fact-checker Daniel Dale noted, that is not even close to being true. According to Politifact, Trump has broken about half of the promises he had made to the American people. |
| Trump was formally nominated with a roll call vote in Charlotte, North Carolina, earlier today. | Trump was formally nominated with a roll call vote in Charlotte, North Carolina, earlier today. |
| But tonight, the convention played a video apparently meant to recreate the well-received virtual roll call vote that Democrats conducted last week. | But tonight, the convention played a video apparently meant to recreate the well-received virtual roll call vote that Democrats conducted last week. |
| However, while the Democratic roll call showed delegates casting their votes for Joe Biden from their home states and featured a wide array of colorful backdrops, much of the Republican video appeared to be filmed inside offices. | However, while the Democratic roll call showed delegates casting their votes for Joe Biden from their home states and featured a wide array of colorful backdrops, much of the Republican video appeared to be filmed inside offices. |
| Utah Senator Mike Lee, for example, filmed his portion of the video in front of a blank wall. | Utah Senator Mike Lee, for example, filmed his portion of the video in front of a blank wall. |
| The 26-year-old Republican youth activist Charlie Kirk kicked off the RNC with some pretty bold claims, such as as calling Trump the “bodyguard of western civilization”. | The 26-year-old Republican youth activist Charlie Kirk kicked off the RNC with some pretty bold claims, such as as calling Trump the “bodyguard of western civilization”. |
| Like many Trump associates, Kirk isn’t a stranger to scrutiny about his financial dealing. | Like many Trump associates, Kirk isn’t a stranger to scrutiny about his financial dealing. |
| In July the organization he founded, Turning Points USA, was the subject of a ProPublica investigation, which found that it had made questionable deals and misleading assertions about its finances. You can read the full report here. | In July the organization he founded, Turning Points USA, was the subject of a ProPublica investigation, which found that it had made questionable deals and misleading assertions about its finances. You can read the full report here. |