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    Trump puts women 'on equal footing' with men, say female advisers at RNC – video

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    1:43

    A strong female contingent was out in force during the third day of the Republican national convention, with Trump’s advisers attempting to paint a picture of a compassionate, open-minded president in an apparent attempt to win over female voters. 
    Kayleigh McEnany recounted how the president called her after her mastectomy, the White House adviser Kellyanne Conway applauded Trump for putting women ‘on equal footing with the men’ and his daughter-in law, Lara Trump, described the Trump family as ‘warm and caring’.
    The president’s advisers ignored the dozens of sexual misconduct allegations against Trump (which he denies) and his history of referring to women as ‘dogs’ and ‘fat pigs’. 
    False claims and a grim message: key takeaways from night three of the RNC

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    Republican national convention 2020

    Donald Trump

    US politics

    US elections 2020 More

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    Mike Pence accuses Biden of 'attacking America' in Republican convention speech – live

    Vice-president, second lady, and Kellyanne Conway speak
    Protests continue over police shooting of Jacob Blake
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    RNC 2020 live: Mike Pence to headline third night of convention amid growing unrest in Kenosha

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    11.19pm EDT23:19
    Third night of the Republican convention concludes

    11.13pm EDT23:13
    Pence: ‘We will make America great again, again’

    11.01pm EDT23:01
    Pence: ‘The violence must stop … we will have law and order’

    10.44pm EDT22:44
    Pence formally accepts vice presidential nomination

    10.39pm EDT22:39
    Pence accuses Biden of ‘attacking America’ during convention

    10.35pm EDT22:35
    Pence delivers convention speech

    9.16pm EDT21:16
    Second lady Karen Pence thanks military spouses

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    11.23pm EDT23:23

    Lara Trump earlier misquoted Abraham Lincoln:
    “America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter & lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves,” Trump said.

    PolitiFact
    (@PolitiFact)
    That nice Lincoln quote Lara Trump just said? Lincoln didn’t say it. https://t.co/6BrYGvSypy #RNC2020

    August 27, 2020

    From PolitiFact:

    On Jan. 27, 1838, Lincoln spoke before the Young Men’s Lyceum of Springfield, Illinois, about “the perpetuation of our political institutions.” During that address, he said: “At what point then is the approach of danger to be expected? I answer, if it ever reach us, it must spring up amongst us. It cannot come from abroad. If destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen, we must live through all time, or die by suicide.”
    Michael Burlingame, a chair in Lincoln studies at the University of Illinois Springfield, told us Lincoln “was denouncing mob violence which would lead to chaos, provoking the public to demand law and order, which would be provided by an ambitious leader who would rule tyrannically.”

    – MS

    11.19pm EDT23:19

    Third night of the Republican convention concludes

    With Vice President Mike Pence’s speech wrapped up, the third night of the Republican convention has concluded.
    The blog will have more reactions and analysis to come, so stay tuned.

    11.16pm EDT23:16

    Mike Pence said Trump suspended “tall travel from China”. He did not – he restricted travel from China. After the restrictions went into place, nearly 40,000 Americans and other exempted travelers made their way to the US from China.
    Also, the travel restrictions limiting trips from China and Europe were enacted after the virus was already circulating within the US. Public health experts told me they were an ineffective measure against the virus.
    – Maanvi Singh

    Updated
    at 11.16pm EDT

    11.15pm EDT23:15

    At the end of his speech, Vice President Mike Pence was joined onstage by the president and the first lady, as well as his wife, second lady Karen Pence.

    Steve Herman
    (@W7VOA)
    #RNC2020 election ticket at @FortMcHenryNPS. pic.twitter.com/VryoRVrbKM

    August 27, 2020

    11.13pm EDT23:13

    Pence: ‘We will make America great again, again’

    Vice President Mike Pence closed his convention speech by promising Trump would “make America great again, again.”
    “We will re-elect our president and principled Republican leaders across this land,” Pence said. “And with President Donald Trump in the White House for four more years, and God’s help, we will make America great again, again.”
    The Trump campaign previously focused on the slogan “Keep America Great,” but that phrase has been de-emphasized since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.

    11.09pm EDT23:09

    Mike Pence honored Dave Patrick Underwood, a federal officer who was shot during the “riots in Oakland California”. What Pence’s vague phrasing omits: An air force sergeant with links to the far-right “boogaloo” movement, was charged with killing Underwood.
    Pence’s mention of Underwood came with a tirade against rioters and looters amid protests against police brutality, misleadingly implying that largely peaceful demonstrators in Oakland (where – not-so-coincidentally, Kamala Harris was born) were somehow involved.
    Here’s more about the Underwood case, from my colleague Lois Beckett:
    – Maanvi Singh

    Updated
    at 11.11pm EDT

    11.09pm EDT23:09

    Echoing the dark theme of the Republican convention, Vice President Mike Pence painted a dire picture of the alleged dangers of electing Joe Biden.
    “President Trump set our nation on a path to freedom and opportunity from the very first day of this administration,” Pence said. “But Joe Biden would set America on a path of socialism and decline.”
    Biden does not identify as a socialist, and under the current Trump administration, the US unemployment rate stands at 10.2%.

    11.03pm EDT23:03

    Sounding like a Trump campaign ad, Vice-President Mike Pence said, “The hard truth is you won’t be safe in Joe Biden’s America.”
    Pence continued, “Under President Trump, we will stand with those who stand on the thin blue line, and we’re not going to defund the police – not now, not ever.”
    Despite the claims of many convention speakers this week, Biden does not support defunding the police and has repeatedly said so.

    Updated
    at 11.08pm EDT

    11.01pm EDT23:01

    Pence: ‘The violence must stop … we will have law and order’

    Mike Pence repeated Trump’s message of “law and order”, as protests continue in Kenosha over the police shooting of Jacob Blake.
    “The violence must stop, whether in Minneapolis, Portland or Kenosha,” Pence said. “We will have law and order on the streets of this country for every American of every race and creed and color.”
    The vice-president has not yet mentioned the name of Blake, an African American father of six who was repeatedly shot in the back by Kenosha police officers.

    Updated
    at 11.09pm EDT

    10.53pm EDT22:53

    Like other convention speakers, Vice-President Mike Pence tried to direct focus to the pre-pandemic economy.
    “In our first three years, we built the greatest economy in the world,” Pence said. “We made America great again. And then the coronavirus struck from China.”
    The US unemployment rate is currently at 10.2%, and tens of millions of Americans remain jobless.
    Pence also took issue with Joe Biden’s comment last week that “no miracle is coming” to save the US from the pandemic.
    “What Joe doesn’t seem to understand is that America is a nation of miracles and we’re on track to have the world’s first safe, effective coronavirus vaccine by the end of this year.”

    Updated
    at 10.55pm EDT

    10.52pm EDT22:52

    As Mike Pence was speaking at the RNC, Joe Biden countered with this:

    Joe Biden
    (@JoeBiden)
    This moment demands moral leadership. And these players answered by standing up, speaking out, and using their platform for good.Now is not the time for silence. https://t.co/hF3dIb7Hde

    August 27, 2020

    The Milwaukee Bucks boycotted their game today as a protest against the police shooting of Jacob Blake. Milwaukee’s baseball team, the Brewers, have also boycotted their upcoming game.
    – Maanvi Singh

    Updated
    at 10.55pm EDT

    10.47pm EDT22:47

    In his convention speech, Mike Pence reflected on Trump’s leadership style since taking office.
    “He does things his own way, on his own terms. Not much gets past him and when he has an opinion, he’s liable to share it,” Pence said.
    “He’s certainly kept things interesting,” Pence added. “But more importantly, President Donald Trump has kept his word to the American people.”
    According to Politifact, Trump has actually broken about half of the promises he has made to the American people.

    Updated
    at 11.00pm EDT

    10.47pm EDT22:47

    Madison Cawthorn, the 25-year-old congressional candidate in North Carolina said, “James Madison was just 25 years old when he signed the Declaration of Independence.”
    James Madison did not sign the Declaration of Independence, though he was 25 when other people signed it.
    – Maanvi Singh

    10.44pm EDT22:44

    Pence formally accepts vice presidential nomination

    Four years after first doing so, Mike Pence once again formally accepted the Republican vice-presidential nomination.
    “With gratitude for the confidence President Donald Trump has placed in me, the support of our Republican party, and the grace of God, I humbly accept your nomination to run and serve as vice-president of the United States,” Pence said.

    Updated
    at 11.01pm EDT

    10.41pm EDT22:41

    In his convention speech, Vice-President Mike Pence provided an update on the response to Hurricane Laura and offered a message of support to those affected by the storm.
    “Stay safe, and know that we’ll be with you every step of the way,” Pence said.

    Updated
    at 11.01pm EDT

    10.39pm EDT22:39

    Pence accuses Biden of ‘attacking America’ during convention

    Reflecting on the setting of his speech, Vice-President Mike Pence began his speech by talking about the early American heroes who defended the country’s values.
    “But they were hardly ever mentioned at last week’s Democratic national convention,” Pence said.
    “Democrats spent four days attacking America. Joe Biden said we were living through a ‘season of American darkness.’
    “But as President Trump said, ‘where Joe Biden sees American darkness, we see American greatness.’”
    That messaged seemed odd considering the country is currently losing about 1,000 people a day to coronavirus.

    Updated
    at 11.02pm EDT

    10.37pm EDT22:37

    Ric Grenell, the former US ambassador to Germany and the former acting director of national intelligence, said he saw how Trump “charmed the chancellor of Germany”.
    Angela Merkel, the chancellor of Germany, has expressed that she is decidedly not charmed by how Donald Trump runs the country. Speaking about the global response to coronavirus pandemic in July, Merkel had this thinly veiled rebuke: “As we are experiencing first-hand, you cannot fight the pandemic with lies and disinformation any more than you can fight it with hate or incitement to hatred.”
    Speaking at a Harvard graduation ceremony in 2019 she said: “More than ever our actions have to be multilateral rather than unilateral … Don’t disguise lies as truth, and truth as lies … Tear down walls of ignorance and narrow-mindedness,” mounting an argument against Trump’s “America First” approach to foreign policy.
    She did not visit the White House during a visit to the country. And then there’s this:

    russchoma
    (@russchoma)
    Actual picture of Trump “charming” Angela Merkel pic.twitter.com/Hl6hf22CBe

    August 27, 2020

    – Maanvi Singh

    Updated
    at 11.03pm EDT More

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    Melania Trump offers condolences to victims of coronavirus in RNC speech – live

    The first lady was the first to address the tragedy of the pandemic
    Convention’s first night hit the spot, Republicans say
    Republicans unable to resist ominous RNC themes
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    Trump family set to speak on second night of Republican National Convention – live

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    11.11pm EDT23:11
    Second night of the convention concludes

    10.44pm EDT22:44
    Melania Trump addresses Republican convention

    10.37pm EDT22:37
    Pompeo addresses convention from Jerusalem

    10.22pm EDT22:22
    Eric Trump: ‘It is a fight that only my father can win’

    10.11pm EDT22:11
    Trump oversees naturalization ceremony

    9.48pm EDT21:48
    Tiffany Trump says father will uphold American ideals

    9.14pm EDT21:14
    Kudlow downplays ongoing financial consequences of the pandemic

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    11.17pm EDT23:17

    During her speech, first lady Melania Trump said she admired her husband’s authentic approach to the job of president.
    “Whether you like it or not, you always know what he’s thinking,” the first lady said of her husband.
    Even the president’s critics would probably agree with that assessment.

    11.15pm EDT23:15

    “Like all of you, I have reflected on the racial unrest in our country,” Melania Trump said. “We are not proud of parts of our history.”
    She has however, in the past defended her husband’s racist birtherism rampage against Barack Obama. In a 2011 interview with Joy Behar, Melanie Trump said that it wasn’t just her husband who wanted to see Obama’s birth certificate, “It’s American people who voted for him and who didn’t vote for him. They want to see that.”

    11.11pm EDT23:11

    Second night of the convention concludes

    First lady Melania Trump has concluded her speech at the White House, wrapping up the second night of the Republican convention.
    The blog will have more reactions and analysis coming up, so stay tuned.

    11.09pm EDT23:09

    Melania Trump said she admired her husband for never giving up on his policy agenda and for supporting her.
    “Donald is a husband who supports me in all that I do,” Trump said. “We will be honored to serve this incredible country for four more years.”
    Nearing the end of her speech, the first lady noted she had not spent much of her time criticizing Democrats.
    “I don’t want to use this precious time attacking the other side, because, as we saw last week, that kind of talk only serves to divide the country further,” Trump said.

    11.06pm EDT23:06

    Melania Trump said she became a US citizen “after 10 years of paperwork and patience… with hard work and determination.”
    Her experience isn’t unique – many immigrants (including this reporter) – have to wait years to obtain a green card and then citizenship. The arduous process has only gotten more so under the Trump administration, which, in addition to criminalizing and detaining migrants, imposing a “public charge” rule to deter immigrants from using benefits like food stamps and public healthcare, restricting travel from many Muslim-majority countries, and limiting the number of refugees admitted to a historical low, has overseen increases in backlogs for immigrants who’ve made it past the maze of deterrents and are seeking naturalization.
    The time it takes for those who want citizenship to gain it is now nearly double what it was two years ago, per the New York Times.
    – Maanvi Singh

    Updated
    at 11.08pm EDT

    11.03pm EDT23:03

    Melania Trump touched on the national reckoning over racism in her speech at the Republican convention.
    “I urge people to come together in a civil manner,” Trump said. “I also ask people to stop the violence and looting being done in the name of justice. And never make assumptions based on the color of a person’s skin.”
    As Trump spoke, protests continued in Kenosha, Wisconsin, over the police shooting of Jacob Blake, an African American man who was repeatedly shot in the back by officers.

    10.58pm EDT22:58

    Melania Trump expressed admiration for her husband, who she noted was not a “traditional” politician.
    “He demands action, and he gets results,” the first lady said of the president.
    According to Politifact, Trump has broken about half of the promises he has made since becoming president.

    10.54pm EDT22:54

    Melania Trump said she was “honored” to have served as the first lady of the United States for the past three and a half years.
    “It is my greatest honor to serve you,” Trump said in her convention speech.
    The first lady’s speech so far has been very personal, from offering condolences to families affected by coronavirus to recounting her experience becoming a US citizen.

    10.50pm EDT22:50

    Melania Trump appears to be the first speaker tonight to offer sympathies to Americans suffering through the coronavirus pandemic – a reality that her husband, his administration officials and supporters have denied
    “I want to acknowledge the fact that since March, our lives have changed drastically,” Melania Trump said. “My deepest sympathy goes out to everyone who has lost a loved one and my prayers with those who are suffering.”
    Though more than 178,000 Americans have died of Covid-19 so far, the RNC has worked to distract from the devastatation. Larry Kudlow, Trump’s top economic adviser, tonight spoke about the ongoing pandemic in the past tense.
    – Maanvi Singh

    Updated
    at 10.51pm EDT

    10.48pm EDT22:48

    First lady Melania Trump reflected on her childhood in Slovenia and thanked her parents for all they did to help their family.
    “It is because of you that I am standing here today,” Trump said to her parents.
    The first lady then recounted her path to becoming an American citizen after arriving in the US at the age of 26. “It is still one of the proudest moments of my life,” Trump said.

    10.45pm EDT22:45

    First lady Melania Trump offered her condolences to Americans who have lost a loved one to coronavirus. More than 178,000 Americans have now died from the virus.
    Trump pledged that her husband would not stop working until an effective treatment or vaccine was developed.

    10.44pm EDT22:44

    Melania Trump addresses Republican convention

    Following an introductory video, first lady Melania Trump appeared at the podium in the White House Rose Garden to deliver her speech.
    The first lady’s entrance was greeted with applause from the audience gathered in the Rose Garden.
    Trump began by saying she and her husband were “humbled” and “grateful” for the support of voters who brought them victory in 2016.

    10.41pm EDT22:41

    Max Benwell

    Trump has now mixed the powers of his office with the spectacle of the convention on two occasions. First he gave a pardon to Jon Ponder, who became a prisoners’ rights advocate after being imprisoned for robbing a bank. Then he naturalized five immigrants in an official ceremony led by Chad Wolf, his acting head of homeland security.
    Trump may be exempt from the Hatch Act, which prohibits “engaging in political activities while on duty, in a Government room or building”, but Wolf isn’t, and this hasn’t gone unnoticed.

    Mark Murray
    (@mmurraypolitics)
    Folks, this is definitely a violation of the Hatch Act — mixing official duties with politics while on federal grounds.Trump is exempt from the Hatch Act, but Wolf isn’t

    August 26, 2020

    Mimi Rocah
    (@Mimirocah1)
    Feels like the whole using the White House as a backdrop for a political campaign has been completely normalized already. It’s never been done before for a reason. It’s a violation of the Hatch Act, it’s a misuse of government resources & an abuse of power.

    August 26, 2020

    Matt Pearce 🦅
    (@mattdpearce)
    naturalization ceremonies are beautiful but sticking one from the White House into the RNC is a corrupt use of office for partisan purposes. there are no rules anymore.

    August 26, 2020

    Phil Elliott
    (@Philip_Elliott)
    Hosting a naturalization ceremony and issuing a pardon from the White House during a political convention isn’t just blurring the line between official and campaign activity. It’s absolutely erasing any regard for anti-corruption laws.

    August 26, 2020

    10.40pm EDT22:40

    First lady Melania Trump will soon start delivering her convention speech from the White House Rose Garden.
    The audience assembled at the White House applauded as second lady Karen Pence and Vice President Mike Pence arrived to watch the speech, followed by the president.

    10.40pm EDT22:40

    Speaking from Jerusalem, while he is on a taxpayer-funded diplomatic trip, Mike Pompeo is breaking a longstanding norm for officials to avoid partisanship while representing America abroad.
    Eliot Engel, who chairs of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, noted the Pompeo’s appearance violates the State Department’s Foreign Affairs Manual, a memo from Pompoe’s own office, stating that “senate-confirmed Presidential appointees may not even attend a political party convention or convention-related event.”
    – Maanvi Singh

    10.37pm EDT22:37

    Pompeo addresses convention from Jerusalem

    Secretary of state Mike Pompeo addressed the Republican convention from Jerusalem.
    Pompeo applauded Trump for making Americans’ “freedoms more secure.” “It may not have made him popular in every foreign capital, but it’s worked,” Pompeo said.
    The cabinet secretary also applauded Trump for holding China accountable for coronavirus, even though the president repeatedly said at the onset of the outbreak that Beijing had the virus under control.

    10.30pm EDT22:30

    Among those who appeared at the White House naturalization ceremony presided by Trump were immigrants from Sudan and Lebanon, countries included in Trump’s restricted travel list – which he initially referred to as a “Muslim ban”.
    The Trump administration this year added Sudan to his restricted travel list, which includes mostly countries with large Muslim populations. Lebanon was on the original list, which included Venezuela and North Korea along with Muslim-majority nations Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria, and Lebanon.
    Trump also imfamously described El Salvador, Haiti and certain African nations as “shithole” countries.
    – Maanvi Singh.

    10.25pm EDT22:25

    Eric Trump also repeated his president’s false claim that Joe Biden has pledged to defund the police.
    In reality, Biden has said he does not support the movement to defund the police, which has attracted more attention since the police killing of George Floyd in May. More