Highlights From the Republican National Convention: Night 2

“My father does not run away from challenges, even in the face of outright hatred, because fighting for America is something he will sacrifice anything for. He dreams big dreams for our country, and he is relentless at achieving them. 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.” “My father ran not because he needed the job, but because he knew hard-working people across this great country were being left behind. The media mocked these patriots in the ‘flyover states’ in which they lived. They ignored the Trump flags, they ignored the millions of MAGA banners and barns painted in red, white, and blue. The silent majority had no one fighting for them in either party. My father pledged to every American in every city, state, and town that he was going to make America great again. And so began the great American comeback.” “I think often about my ancestors who struggled for freedom. And as I think of those giants and their broad shoulders, I also think about Joe Biden, who says, ‘If you aren’t voting for me, you ain’t Black,’ who argued that Republicans would put us back in chains, who says there is no diversity of thought in the Black community. Mr. Vice President, look at me. I am Black. We are not all the same, sir. I am not in chains. My mind is my own. And you can’t tell me how to vote because of the color of my skin. I’m Mike Pompeo. I’m speaking to you from beautiful Jerusalem, looking out over the Old City. President Trump understands what my great fellow Kansan President Eisenhower said: For all that we cherish and justly desire for ourselves or for our children, the securing of peace is the first requisite. Indeed, the primary constitutional function of the national government is ensuring that your family and mine are safe and enjoy the freedom to live, to work, to learn and to worship as they choose.” “You are now fellow citizens of the greatest nation on the face of God’s Earth. Congratulations. Today you have also accepted the profound duties and responsibilities that come with American citizenship. By swearing the oath of allegiance, each of you has entered a sacred and unbreakable covenant with our nation. [music and applause] [cheering] I want to acknowledge the fact that since March our lives have changed drastically. The invisible enemy Covid-19 swept across our beautiful country and impacted all of us. My deepest sympathy goes out to everyone who has lost a loved one, and my prayers are with those who are ill or suffering. I know many people are anxious, and some feel helpless. I want you to know you are not alone. I have reflected on the racial unrest in our country. It is a harsh reality that we are not proud of parts of our history. I encourage people to focus on our future while still learning from our past. Our diverse and storied history is what makes our country strong, and yet we still have so much to learn from one another. With that in mind, I’d like to call on the citizens of this country to take a moment, pause and look at things from all perspectives. I urge people to come together in a civil manner so we can work and live up to our standard American ideals. 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. I’m here because we need my husband to be our president and commander in chief for four more years. He is what is best for our country. We all know Donald Trump makes no secrets about how he feels about things. Total honesty is what we as citizens deserve from our president. Whether you like it or not, you always know what he’s thinking.”