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Republican national convention 2020
Mike Pence attacked Joe Biden on a night overshadowed by protests in Kenosha and a coming hurricane More
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
Key events
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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
Live feed
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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
Republican national convention 2020
Vice-president expected to speak on ‘law and order’ and emphasize support for standing during national anthem More
Republican national convention 2020
President accused Democrats of trying to ‘steal’ the election by expanding absentee voting during unscheduled appearance
Play Video
2:28
Donald Trump accuses Democrats of plot to ‘steal’ election at Republican convention – video
The Republican party nominated Donald Trump for re-election on Monday, on the first day of a national convention meant to strike a contrast with Democrats and, in the president’s own words, deliver a “very uplifting and positive” message.
But any such message was upstaged by the president himself, in an unscheduled appearance in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Basking in chants of “Four more years! Four more years!”, Trump accused Democrats of trying to “steal” the election by expanding absentee voting during the coronavirus pandemic. He went so far as to say it was impossible for him to lose a fair contest in November.
“The only way they can take this election away from us is if this is a rigged election,” Trump said, to the boisterous approval of the 336 delegates in the hall, who had traveled to the convention from the 50 states and US territories. “They’re trying to steal the election.”
With false and outrageous claims, Trump has attacked the integrity of US elections since before he won the presidency in 2016, and he has stepped up those attacks in the run-up to a contest in which most polls have him trailing badly. Critics warn that even if Trump is beaten, his use of the White House to elevate conspiracy theories and lies could do lasting damage to US democracy.
But the cheering Republicans who convened in Charlotte evinced only enthusiasm about the trajectory of the country – and their party – under Trump.
“Our party is unified, our supporters are energized, and now we will go forward confident in our case of re-electing President Trump and Vice-President Mike Pence in 70 days from now,” Ronna McDaniel, party chair, told the crowd.
Trump planned to officially accept the nomination at the White House on Thursday, a week after his rival, Joe Biden, accepted the Democratic nomination in a widely praised speech from his home state of Delaware.
The Republican convention made for a striking contrast with the almost totally online Democratic event.
While Democrats nominated Biden with a video taking viewers from the sands of California to the calamari of Rhode Island, the Republican nomination proceeded in the traditional manner, delegates rising to say something special about their states and cast votes for Trump.
“No president has done more for Americans in his first four years,” said Michael Whatley, chairman of the North Carolina party. “Promise made, promise kept.”
After months of worsening news on the coronavirus front and discouraging polling data, Republicans are looking for an electrifying week, culminating with fireworks on the National Mall. To that end, some big names were to speak on the convention’s first night, including Donald Trump Jr and the former UN ambassador Nikki Haley.
But the schedule was slight compared with previous years – owing in part to the decision not to follow the Democrats online – and some prominent names, including Governors Greg Abbott of Texas, Doug Ducey of Arizona and Ron DeSantis of Florida, were missing.
Instead, speaking spots were padded with figures from the culture wars. These included Mark and Patricia McCloskey, a St Louis, Missouri couple who won infamy for brandishing guns at anti-racism protesters in June, and Nicholas Sandmann, a teen who successfully sued media organizations after an interaction with a Native American activist.
“Men and women of the Republican national convention,” said Pence, in a surprise appearance that was prelude to Trump’s. “It’s on.”
“We’re going to make America great again … again.”
It was left to the president to make the case the election was rigged. Voting by mail, which Trump uses himself, is universal practice in many states and the administration last week failed in court to offer evidence it is conducive to fraud.
Yet Trump said Democrats were “stealing millions of votes” by supporting vote-by-mail. “This is the greatest scam in the history of politics I think, and I’m talking about beyond our nation,” Trump said.
Democrats tried to highlight what they are calling Trump’s “chaos presidency”, focusing on the impact the coronavirus is having on families, highlighting Trump’s false claim children are “almost immune” and his insistence schools should reopen.
“While nearly half of the speakers you will hear from are members of the Trump family, you aren’t going to hear much about the plight of American families,” Kate Bedingfield, a deputy Biden campaign manager, told reporters.
She said Trump’s efforts to cast himself as the last line of defense against radicalism and lawlessness are contradicted by a reality of his own making – and the public’s familiarity with Biden’s time as vice-president.
“He likes to make this argument about what life will look like in Joe Biden’s America while quite literally using footage from Donald Trump’s America,” Bedingfield said. “People have seen Joe Biden in the White House. He never resorted to the kinds of tactics that Donald Trump is using, like sending federal law enforcement into cities to inflame tensions.”
The physical layout of the Republicans’ Charlotte event reflected months of negotiations with state health officials, who insisted on coronavirus mitigation measures. Delegates were arranged in rows of spaced tables facing an understated stage with flags against a blue curtain.
But not every picture broadcast concern about the pandemic. Although attendees were required to undergo testing and masks were required, many delegates wore theirs on one ear or under their chins – or wore no mask at all.
Proceedings were live-streamed online, with a portion of the evening scheduled to be broadcast by major networks.
“I know I am not alone when I say that the Democratic convention of last week was hard to watch,” McDaniel said. “Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are running on the most radical socialist extreme and far-left ticket in American history.”
McDaniel ran down what she said were Trump’s accomplishments. He has built hundreds of miles of border wall, she said; appointed conservative judges including two supreme court justices; fought for energy independence; killed terrorist leaders; and scored a peace deal between Israel and the United Arab Emirates.
Topics
Republican national convention 2020
US elections 2020
Republicans
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Donald Trump
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