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| Republicans attack Biden, abortion rights and nepotism on second night of RNC – live | |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Florida’s former attorney general criticised Biden and his son Hunter | |
| Trump appeared in a prerecorded video of a naturalization ceremony at the White House, continuing tonight’s theme of putting his presidential power on display during the convention. | |
| Acting secretary of homeland security Chad Wolf delivered the oath of citizenship to the five people participating in the ceremony. | |
| The president announced earlier today he was nominating Wolf as the permanent secretary of homeland security. | |
| Echoing speakers from last night, Florida Lieutenant Governor Jeanette Nuñez warned that Democrats were trying to “normalize socialism to dismantle our Constitution.” | |
| In reality, Democrats are not trying to dismantle the Constitution, and Democratic nominee Joe Biden does not identify as a socialist. | |
| Nuñez’s speech warning of “the socialist takeover of our nation” continued the dark, ominous theme that Republicans established during the first night of the convention, despite promising to deliver an optimistic message to voters. | |
| Here’s some more counterprogramming from the DNC tonight: | |
| Yesterday, the Democrats projected a list of lies from the president onto the Newseum in DC. | |
| – MS | |
| Vice President Mike Pence just made his first convention appearance of the night, in a prerecorded video taped at Abraham Lincoln’s boyhood home in Pence’s home state of Indiana. | |
| In the video, Pence delivered a tribute to Lincoln and spoke to six Americans who said their lives had been positively impacted by the Trump administration. | |
| The Republican attorney and lobbyist Pam Bondi didn’t hold back while attacking the Biden family, charging Joe and Hunter with nepotism. | |
| But as with many parts of the RNC so far – such as the Monday segment that accused Democrats of downplaying the pandemic – there was a certain degree of irony in her remarks. The following speaker was none other than Tiffany Trump, and Eric and Melania’s speeches are yet to come tonight. | |
| Before Bondi spoke, a video promoting women in the White House also featured former Republican governor Mike Huckabee’s daughter Sarah Huckabee Sanders, and Mitt Romney’s niece Ronna Romney McDaniels. | |
| Iowa governor Kim Reynolds applauded Trump for helping her state after the recent devastating derecho. | |
| “Iowans did what you expect Iowans to do. They helped each other. They took care of each other. And they still are,” Reynolds said in her convention speech. “But someone else also had our back: Our president.” | |
| Reynolds thanked Trump for quickly signing a disaster declaration for the state. The president also visited Iowa for a storm damage update last week, before traveling on to Arizona for a campaign event, which was part of his counterprogramming during the Democratic National Convention. | |
| Trump won Iowa by 9 points in 2016, but recent polls have shown a much closer race between the president and Joe Biden in the Hawkeye State. | |
| “Why should there be one standard for the elite political class and another set of rules for the rest of us?” Bondi asked rhetorically. | |
| In 2013, Trump made a $25,000 gift from his charity to support Bondi’s reelection as Florida attorney general. Right before, her office decided not to join a lawsuit lodged by New York against Trump University – offering the elite, politically well-connected businessman reprieve. | |
| Trump later paid a fine for making the illegal campaign donation from his charity. | |
| – Maanvi Singh | |
| The president’s daughter, Tiffany Trump, addressed the Republican convention, saying her father would protect American ideals. | |
| “Like so many students across the world, I graduated from law school during the pandemic,” Trump said. | |
| “Our generation is unified in facing the future in uncertain times – and many of us are considering what kind of country we want to live in.” | |
| That comment was noteworthy, considering Joe Biden currently holds a more than 20-point lead over Trump among voters between 18 and 29. | |
| “You see, Make America Great Again is not a slogan for my father, it is what drives him to keep his promise of doing what is right for American citizens,” Trump said. “A vote for my father, Donald J Trump, is a vote to uphold our American ideals.” | |
| Fact check: Hunter Biden | |
| Pam Bondi, the former Attorney General of Florida, has poured out a cascade of lies and misleading statements about Joe Biden’s record in Ukraine and his son Hunter Biden’s entanglement. | |
| Joe Biden’s push to remove a Ukrainian prosecutor Viktor Shokin was supported by American allies, the International Monetary Fund and Ukrainian anti-corruption activists. There is no evidence that Hunter Biden, who was working for a Ukrainian firm, was under investigation by Shokin. | |
| Here’s more background: | |
| – Maanvi Singh | |
| The convention played a video highlighting the women who work in the Trump administration, an apparent attempt to win over women voters. | The convention played a video highlighting the women who work in the Trump administration, an apparent attempt to win over women voters. |
| A recent Fox News poll showed Joe Biden is 12 points ahead of Trump among women voters, which could seriously complicate the president’s path to victory in November. | A recent Fox News poll showed Joe Biden is 12 points ahead of Trump among women voters, which could seriously complicate the president’s path to victory in November. |
| Pam Bondi, the former attorney general of Florida, focused her convention speech on Hunter Biden, the son of Democratic nominee Joe Biden. | Pam Bondi, the former attorney general of Florida, focused her convention speech on Hunter Biden, the son of Democratic nominee Joe Biden. |
| Republicans have accused the younger Biden of corruption in his foreign business dealings, allegations that the Bidens have repeatedly denied. | Republicans have accused the younger Biden of corruption in his foreign business dealings, allegations that the Bidens have repeatedly denied. |
| Republicans tried to make Biden’s business activity a key focus of Trump’s impeachment trial earlier this year. | Republicans tried to make Biden’s business activity a key focus of Trump’s impeachment trial earlier this year. |
| But Democrats said the president’s allies were only trying to distract from Trump’s efforts to pressure Ukraine into interfering with the presidential election. | But Democrats said the president’s allies were only trying to distract from Trump’s efforts to pressure Ukraine into interfering with the presidential election. |
| Despite the US reporting 38,045 new coronavirus cases and 450 deaths yesterday, and the total death toll now approaching 180,000, Trump’s top economic adviser Larry Kudlow has just referred to the pandemic in the past tense. | Despite the US reporting 38,045 new coronavirus cases and 450 deaths yesterday, and the total death toll now approaching 180,000, Trump’s top economic adviser Larry Kudlow has just referred to the pandemic in the past tense. |
| It hasn’t gone down well among some viewers: | It hasn’t gone down well among some viewers: |
| Cissie Graham Lynch, the grandaughter evangelist Billy Graham, made this striking comment about the freedom of religion, and religious prosecution: “In America, we have not yet experienced physical persecution, even though the left has tried to silence us.” | Cissie Graham Lynch, the grandaughter evangelist Billy Graham, made this striking comment about the freedom of religion, and religious prosecution: “In America, we have not yet experienced physical persecution, even though the left has tried to silence us.” |
| Of course, people of color in America have experienced plenty of prosecution – for practicing their first amendment rights, including their freedom to practice religion from the very beginning. Native Americans were persecuted for practicing their religion and conducting tribal ceremonies. | Of course, people of color in America have experienced plenty of prosecution – for practicing their first amendment rights, including their freedom to practice religion from the very beginning. Native Americans were persecuted for practicing their religion and conducting tribal ceremonies. |
| – Maanvi Singh | – Maanvi Singh |
| Nicholas Sandmann, the Covington Catholic student who became a symbol of conservatives’ claims of liberal media bias, is now addressing the Republican convention. | Nicholas Sandmann, the Covington Catholic student who became a symbol of conservatives’ claims of liberal media bias, is now addressing the Republican convention. |
| Continuing the theme from last night, Sandmann denounced “cancel culture.” Recounting his experience last year after an encounter with a Native American activist, Sandmann said, “I learned that what was happening to me had a name. It was called being cancelled.” | Continuing the theme from last night, Sandmann denounced “cancel culture.” Recounting his experience last year after an encounter with a Native American activist, Sandmann said, “I learned that what was happening to me had a name. It was called being cancelled.” |
| Sandmann’s speech was the latest indication that the Republican convention would be defined by inflaming culture wars. | Sandmann’s speech was the latest indication that the Republican convention would be defined by inflaming culture wars. |
| Cissie Graham Lynch, the granddaughter of the prominent evangelical leader Billy Graham, praised Trump as a defender of religious freedom. | Cissie Graham Lynch, the granddaughter of the prominent evangelical leader Billy Graham, praised Trump as a defender of religious freedom. |
| Lynch criticized Democrats for trying to “allow boys to compete in girls’ sports and use girls’ locker rooms”, apparently belittling and misrepresenting transgender rights. | Lynch criticized Democrats for trying to “allow boys to compete in girls’ sports and use girls’ locker rooms”, apparently belittling and misrepresenting transgender rights. |
| Larry Kudlow mentioned the Trump payroll tax deferral, that many lawmakers on both sides of the aisle oppose. | Larry Kudlow mentioned the Trump payroll tax deferral, that many lawmakers on both sides of the aisle oppose. |
| Trump has attempted to defer the payroll tax liabilities during the pandemic, though the government has yet to issue guidance on how that would work. Trump has also said that if he wins the election, he’ll permanently eliminate the tax, which funds the social security program. | Trump has attempted to defer the payroll tax liabilities during the pandemic, though the government has yet to issue guidance on how that would work. Trump has also said that if he wins the election, he’ll permanently eliminate the tax, which funds the social security program. |
| On Monday, the chief actuary of the Social Security Administration said the federal government’s ability to found the program would end by mid-2023 if Trump’s wish to eliminate the payroll tax came true. The president lacks the authority to unilaterally make that move, and Congress – which is run by Democrats, and includes many Republicans who’d oppose the policy – is unlikely to help him along. | On Monday, the chief actuary of the Social Security Administration said the federal government’s ability to found the program would end by mid-2023 if Trump’s wish to eliminate the payroll tax came true. The president lacks the authority to unilaterally make that move, and Congress – which is run by Democrats, and includes many Republicans who’d oppose the policy – is unlikely to help him along. |
| – Maanvi Singh | – Maanvi Singh |
| White House senior adviser Larry Kudlow praised Trump for acting “swiftly and effectively” to save the US economy amid the coronavirus pandemic. | White House senior adviser Larry Kudlow praised Trump for acting “swiftly and effectively” to save the US economy amid the coronavirus pandemic. |
| Eerily referring to the pandemic as if it were over, Kudlow warned that Joe Biden’s economic policies would “pick the pockets of taxpayers and drain money from their wallets and purses”. | Eerily referring to the pandemic as if it were over, Kudlow warned that Joe Biden’s economic policies would “pick the pockets of taxpayers and drain money from their wallets and purses”. |
| The message struck many as odd, considering the US unemployment rate is currently at 10.2%, and tens of millions of Americans remain unemployed because of the financial effects of the pandemic. | The message struck many as odd, considering the US unemployment rate is currently at 10.2%, and tens of millions of Americans remain unemployed because of the financial effects of the pandemic. |
| In his convention speech, Republican Senator Rand Paul sharply criticized Joe Biden for voting for the Iraq war, while praising Trump for opposing the war. | In his convention speech, Republican Senator Rand Paul sharply criticized Joe Biden for voting for the Iraq war, while praising Trump for opposing the war. |
| But as a CNN reporter noted, Trump initially supported the war but later became one of its critics more than a year after it began. Biden has also since said his vote for the war was a mistake. | But as a CNN reporter noted, Trump initially supported the war but later became one of its critics more than a year after it began. Biden has also since said his vote for the war was a mistake. |