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CNN Live Event/Special
President Trump Honors COVID-19 Frontline Workers During 2020 RNC; Former NFL Player Endorses Trump At 2020 RNC; Kimberly Guilfoyle's Pro-Trump Message At The 2020 RNC. Aired 9-10p ET
Aired August 24, 2020 - 21:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[21:00:00]
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How many people say they're going to leave America if Donald Trump was elected, they're all still here. And they're not going anywhere because we are in the Land of the Free.
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: We will never ever sign bad trade deals. America first, again, America first.
(CROWD CHEERS & APPLAUSE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: America's great USMCA trade bill.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is a big win for the United States of America. This is a great trade deal.
TRUMP: We are going to lift the restrictions on the production of American energy. We will create millions of more jobs.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hope to me is the belief in a better tomorrow and creating a better future for our children.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But when I look in the eyes of my grandchildren, I want them to know that their papa was not silent.
TRUMP: We will rescue kids from failing schools, by helping their parents send them to a safe school of their choice.
(CROWD CHEERS)
TRUMP: We will completely rebuild our depleted military.
(CROWD CHEERS & APPLAUSE)
TRUMP: The countries that we are protecting at a massive cost to us will be asked to pay their fair share.
(CROWD CHEERS)
TRUMP: We will take care of our great veterans, like they have never been taken care of before.
(CROWD CHEERS)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This guy saved me.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He saved me. Thanks to him, I'm here.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: To me, he's giving people hope, what he's doing for the poor people, what he's doing for everybody.
TRUMP: We are going to appoint Justices of the United States Supreme Court who will uphold our laws and our Constitution.
(CROWD CHEERS)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: By supporting law enforcement, it's so important for keeping America great.
TRUMP: As long as I'm President, I will never defund your police. That, I promise you.
(CROWD CHEERS & APPLAUSE)
TRUMP: It's time to deliver a victory for the American people. We are going to start winning again.
(CROWD CHEERS & APPLAUSE)
TRUMP: It's called "Promises made, promises kept."
(CROWD CHEERS & APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(MUSIC)
AMY FORD, REGISTERED NURSE: My name is Amy Ford. I've been a registered nurse for 17 years. I'm from the small town of Williamson, West Virginia, where I've lived my entire life, the daughter of a nurse and a coal miner.
Even though I was the youngest of four children, I was always somewhat of a caretaker. It came natural for me. So, it felt right to follow in my mother's footsteps and become a nurse.
And, this March, when COVID-19 sent our country into crisis, I knew I had to help anyway that I could. I deployed to New York in April, and then to San Antonio, Texas, working as a COVID Relief Nurse in both states.
As I contended with the challenges of treating our patients, who had their worlds turned upside down, I noticed a positive change in our healthcare system.
President Trump recognized the threat this virus presented for all Americans, early on, and made rapid policy changes. And, as a result, telehealth services are now accessible to more than 71 million Americans, including 35 million children.
Prior to COVID, telehealth was not covered or reimbursed under Medicare, Medicaid or CHIP. This left our most vulnerable populations with no other choice but to have an in-person office visit with their physicians, increasing their risk of exposure to COVID-19 exponentially.
The expansion of telehealth services has also resulted in the integration of video visits between patients and their families, allowing loved ones to have contact and visualization as well as a better understanding of care. Telehealth has been essential during this pandemic.
I don't want the media taking my personal story and twisting it. So, let me be clear.
As a healthcare professional, I can tell you, without hesitation, Donald Trump's quick action and leadership saved thousands of lives during COVID-19. And the benefits of that response extend far beyond Coronavirus.
Telehealth will continue to aid many that are just unable to find transportation or a way to the doctor for regular checkups. This is especially true in Rural America.
I live in a town of about 2,000 people. We do not have buses, trains, trolleys or Ubers available to us. In addition, the unavailability of services can also hinder treatment for many. So, increased access to telehealth for millions of Americans has truly been life-saving. And we have President Trump to thank.
[21:05:00]
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: From the very beginning, Democrats, the media and the World Health Organization got Coronavirus wrong. The World Health Organization said authorities have found no clear evidence of human- to-human transmission.
DR. JOHN TORRES: Overall, most people should not be terribly concerned about it.
REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA): Everything is fine here. We do want to say to people, come to Chinatown. Here we are. Come join us.
GOV. ANDREW CUOMO (D-NY): We don't even think it's going to be as bad as it was in other countries.
MAYOR BILL DE BLASIO, (D) NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Go about your lives, go about your business.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: One leader took decisive action to save lives, President Donald Trump, banning travel from China and Coronavirus epicenters. Biden charged xenophobia. But President Trump was right, signing the CARES Act, providing
immediate relief to American families, workers, and businesses, declaring a national emergency, tapping into 42 billion, in existing emergency funding, quickly getting crucial personal protective equipment to the states, signing the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, ensuring that American families and businesses, impacted by the virus, receive the strong support they need, launching Operation Warp Speed, to fast track a vaccine in record time.
GOV. GAVIN NEWSOM (D-CA): He said everything that I could have hoped for. Promise made, promise kept.
CUOMO: He is ready, willing and able to help.
He has been responsive. He's done a lot of good things.
What the federal government did was a phenomenal accomplishment.
GOV. PHIL MURPHY (D-NJ): In our hour of need, you all literally are helping us in a big way. We were at the edge, and this is life or death stuff. And we are forever thankful for that.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Soon, we will emerge safer, stronger and greater than ever.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(MUSIC)
DR. G.E. GHALI, LOUISIANA SURGEON: I am Dr. G.E. Ghali, an oral and maxillofacial surgeon, and Chancellor of a large academic medical and research center in Louisiana.
I feel uniquely positioned to share how President Trump's decisive leadership led to a rapid and efficient response to the Coronavirus pandemic. I know this as a health professional and as someone who has recovered from COVID himself.
The COVID-19 pandemic exploded into our great nation, with an intensity unparalleled in history. But our medical investigation and drug development systems were not designed for a pandemic.
The devastating effects of the Coronavirus demanded immediate changes at the regulatory level. A prompt response, led by President Trump, cleared away the red tape that usually makes drug approvals a long and drawn-out process.
By harnessing the resources, the federal government, in the private sector, President Trump's Operation Warp Speed is accelerating the testing, supply, development and distribution of therapeutics, diagnostics and, very shortly, effective vaccines to counter COVID-19.
Let me give you three clear examples of how President Trump's leadership removed regulatory barriers, so COVID patients could have faster access to effective therapies and diagnostics. First, on February 26th, two Phase 3 clinical trials, studying Remdesivir, were initiated. Just two months later, the FDA approved Remdesivir for emergency use to treat COVID-19. Normally, this is a three-year to five-year process. The amazing speed with which this happened in a safe but efficient manner is unheard of.
Second, the FDA granted expanded access to COVID-19 convalescent plasma.
Within 24 hours of this approval, we were administering convalescent plasma and Remdesivir to a critically-ill patient, a former Army ranger and physician. Had it not been for the rapid deployment of these medicines, this patient, who is my colleague and friend, would have surely died.
And third, at the end of July, I developed a fever and cough. I reached out to our testing team, and received one of the Abbott rapid tests, yet another tool quickly approved by this Administration.
Within 15 minutes, my tests came back positive. And, within four hours, I was receiving my Remdesivir doses, followed by an infusion of convalescent plasma.
[21:10:00]
As a physician, I've seen firsthand how these breakthroughs have saved countless lives. As a patient, I've benefited from the expedited therapies made possible by the swift action of this Administration. President Trump truly moved mountains to save lives and he deserves credit.
Thank you, President Trump for providing timely access to critical diagnostics and therapeutics during this pandemic. Thank you, Mr. President for your strong leadership in these challenging times.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(MUSIC)
TRUMP: When the China virus invaded our country, we launched the greatest mobilization of American society, since World War II. Patriots of every race, color and creed rallied together to defeat the invisible enemy and save the lives of their fellow citizens.
Today, our hearts overflow with appreciation for the incredible frontline workers, who risked their own health and safety to keep America strong and safe. When crisis came, millions of every day Americans rose to the challenge. In their actions, we see true greatness of the American character.
We always find a way to victory. History will remember and celebrate the heroes of 2020 for as long as our great American flag waives over the land that we love. To every frontline worker, I offer the salute of a nation that is forever in your debt.
Thank you. God bless you and God bless America. (END VIDEOTAPE)
TRUMP: These are my friends. These are the incredible workers that helped us so much with the COVID. We can call it many different things, from China virus, I don't want to go through all the names, because some people may get insulted, but that's the way it is.
These are great, great people, doctors, nurses, firemen, policemen. We want to thank you all. You have been incredible, and we want to thank you, and all of the millions of people that you represent. Thank you all very much. Great job. Thank you.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you, Mr. President.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you.
TRUMP: Thank you all very much.
So, tell me a little about your stories. How about we'll start with you?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm a postal worker - deliver to senior community during COVID-19.
TRUMP: Good. And we're taking good care of our postal workers.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Absolutely.
TRUMP: That I can tell you, believe me. We're not getting rid of our postal workers, you know. They'd like to sort of put that out there. If anyone does, it's the Democrats, not the Republicans.
I want to thank you very much, and thank everybody in that whole beautiful Post Office system, we appreciate it.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you.
TRUMP: How about you?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm a trucker.
TRUMP: Good.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I own a small business in Ohio.
TRUMP: Good.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hauling steel mostly. Some of our customers actually made hospital beds with some of the material.
TRUMP: Oh, wow! That's fantastic. Well congratulations. I love the truckers, you know? They're on my side.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you.
TRUMP: I think all of them, frankly. I think pretty much all of them. How about you?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm a custodian.
TRUMP: Great.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: At the Post Office as well.
TRUMP: What do you do exactly?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Clean up everybody's mess and everybody's germs and all that.
TRUMP: Can I tell you that that world that profession will never be out of business. You know that, right?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, for sure.
TRUMP: Thank you very much for being here.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you for having me.
TRUMP: Thank you.
And how about you?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm a registered nurse, President Trump.
TRUMP: Good.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I work at a New Jersey hospital. It's called Virtua Willingboro Hospital.
TRUMP: Right.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I also represent an organization of professional nurses. It's called the National Association of Catholic Nurses.
TRUMP: Very good.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: But I want to tell you, Sir, as a Nursing Supervisor, I am so in awe of your leadership, honestly. I know many people have said often interesting things, but it takes a true leader to be able to ignore all that stuff and do what is right, and not be offended by all the words being said.
TRUMP: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And you really do show that positive spirit to us, and as nurses, I appreciate that.
TRUMP: Thank you.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: But just as an individual, I'm grateful for that.
TRUMP: Well, I'm for the nurses. I'm for the doctors. I'm for everybody. We just have to make this China virus go away, and it's happening.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
TRUMP: Please, go ahead.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm also a nurse. I represent Genesis HealthCare, which is a skilled nursing facility company.
TRUMP: Very good.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I want to thank you and your Administration for all the supplies and support in funding--
TRUMP: Right.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: --which you've given the Skilled Nursing Units. Without that, we couldn't do as well as we have done. I spent some time in New Jersey. I live in West Virginia. I went to New Jersey.
TRUMP: Good.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And did some work there. And we finally started to see things change and turn around.
TRUMP: I appreciate what you said because we have delivered billions of dollars of equipment that governors were supposed to give and, in many cases, they didn't get. So, the federal government had to help them. And all of the people that did this incredible work, they never got credit for it.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Right.
TRUMP: But you understand where it came from. Thank you very much. Thank you both. It's really nice.
Please, go ahead.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm a police officer in Englewood, Colorado. And I contracted COVID in late March and recovered.
TRUMP: That means we don't have to be afraid of you at all, right?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. I'm good to go.
[21:15:00]
TRUMP: Once you're recovered, we have the whole thing with plasma happening. That means your blood is very valuable, you know that, right?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. Yes.
TRUMP: Thank you very much. Great.
Please?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm a Detention Deputy at the Kern County Sheriff Department, out in California.
TRUMP: Great.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And I also contracted COVID, end of March, and recovered from that also.
TRUMP: How long was your problem?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was sick about 10 days, really bad. I got everything besides a cough, but recovered. I was off work for a month and a half. And I work in our local county jails.
TRUMP: Did they do anything specifically to help you recover?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They gave me Z-Paks, medication, cough syrup.
TRUMP: OK. And I won't even ask you about the Hydroxychloroquine because it's a - it's a shame what they've done to that one, but - but I took it. I took the Z-Pak also, and zinc.
I want to thank you all very much. It's an honor to have you in the White House. You are fantastic people. And the people you represent, you represent an incredible group of people, and we love you all.
Thank you very much.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you, Mr. President.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you, Mr. President.
TRUMP: Thank you very much. Appreciate it.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Love you so much.
REP. JIM JORDAN (R-OH): Good evening.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST, THE SITUATION ROOM WITH WOLF BLITZER: The first appearance tonight from President Trump, Dana, your reaction?
DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, first of all, Wolf, they were really not socially distant, not wearing masks, standing there talking.
Still, it is pretty telling that the focus for the President's very first appearance, at this Convention, was the Coronavirus pandemic, which has killed more people in America than in any other country in the world.
Now, we've heard President Trump say the virus will disappear, and we have it under control.
Well tonight, it was really clear that they're acknowledging what sources have told me for some time that his allies have been pushing the President himself to recognize that this Coronavirus is where he is the most vulnerable, and it is the dominant issue in this race, Wolf. BLITZER: Very important point.
Still ahead, Ambassador Nikki Haley, Senator Tim Scott, and Donald Trump Jr., CNN's live coverage of the Republican National Convention continues right after this break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Herschel Walker, the former NFL star.
HERSCHEL WALKER, FORMER NFL PLAYER: Most of you know me as a football player. But I'm also a father, a man of faith, and a very good judge of character.
I've known Donald Trump for 37 years, and I don't mean just "Casual ran into him from time to time." I'm talking about a deep personal friendship.
I watched him as an owner of a professional football team. Right after he bought the team, he set out to learn. He learned about the history of the team, the players, the coaches, every detail. Then he used what he learned to make the team better.
I watched him in the Boardroom. He can be in the middle of a big meeting. But if one of the kids was on the phone, he'd drop everything to take the call. He taught me that the family should be your top priority.
[21:20:00]
I've watched him treat janitors, security guards, and waiters, the same way he would treat a VIP. He made them feel special because he knew they were. He understands that they are the people who make this country run. They clean. They cook. They build. They drive. They deliver.
He told me, "Herschel, make an effort to get to know people. Remember their names that stuck with me."
One time, I planned to take his kids to Disney World with my family. At the last minute, Donald said he would like to join us. So, there he was, in a business suit, on the "It's a Small World." That was something to see. It just showed you what a caring, loving father he is.
It hurt my soul to hear the terrible names that people called Donald. The worst one is "Racist." I take it as a personal insult that people would think I've had a 37-year friendship with a racist, people who think they don't know what they're talking about.
Growing up in the Deep South, I've seen racism up close. I know what it is, and it isn't Donald Trump.
Just because someone loves and respects the flag, our national anthem, and our country doesn't mean they don't care about social justice. I care about all of those things, so does Donald Trump. He shows how much he cares about social justice in the Black community
through his actions, and his actions speak louder than stickers or slogans on a jersey.
He keeps right on fighting to improve the lives of Black Americans and all Americans. He worked night and day. He never stops. He leaves nothing on the field.
Some people don't like his style, the way he knocks down obstacles that get in the way of his goals. People on the opposing team didn't like when I ran over them either, but that's how you get the job done.
I pray every night that God gives him more time. Give him four more years. He has accomplished so much, almost all by himself, under constant attack. But there are still more work to be done.
If you love America, and want to make it better, Donald Trump is your President. He's my President. And I'm blessed to call him friend.
(MUSIC)
NATALIE HARP, "RIGHT TO TRY" ADVOCATE: Good evening. I'm Natalie Harp, a formerly forgotten American from California.
In the classic Jimmy Stewart film, "It's a Wonderful Life," George Bailey is given a great gift, the chance to see what the world would be like without him.
Tonight, Mr. President, we'd like to give you that same gift, because without you, we'd all be living in Pottersville, sold out to a crooked Mr., or I should say, a crooked Mrs. Potter, with no hope of escape, except death itself. I should know because I wouldn't be alive today, if it wasn't for you.
About five years ago, I was the victim of a notoriously deadly medical error. I survived, but only to be diagnosed with a rare and terminal bone cancer.
You know, the Democrats love to talk about healthcare being a human right. But a right to what? Well, I'll tell you. To them, it's a right to marijuana, opioids, and the right-to-die with "Dignity," a politically-correct way of saying assisted suicide.
I was told I was a burden to my family and to my country, and that by choosing to die early, I'd actually be saving the lives of others by preserving resources for them rather than wasting them on a lost cause like myself.
And when I failed the chemotherapies that were on the market, no one wanted me in their clinical trials. I'd make them look bad. They didn't give me the right to try experimental treatments, Mr. President. You did. And without you, I'd have died waiting for them to be approved.
Now, with the Coronavirus, everyone knows what that feels like to be waiting for a cure, but we've only been waiting a few months. Just imagine what 2020 would've looked like, fighting for your life, without Donald Trump fighting for it too.
In January, there would have been no China travel ban. Millions would've died. Millions more would've been infected, for there'd be no record levels of testing, no right-to-try treatments, no Fast Track for a vaccine, nor Operation Warp Speed ready to deliver it.
And without Donald Trump, as our Patient Advocate, for the past four years, well, the opioid epidemic would've stolen even more lives from even more families. Kidney patients would have no future except dying on waitlists, for there'd be no initiative to increase donations.
There'd still be no accountability at the VA, and our brave veterans would still be suffering long wait-times with no choice nor access to faster care.
Insulin and other drug prices would've continued to rise while a record number of generic drugs would still be stuck in the pipeline. There'd be no price transparency. We wouldn't have health plans up to 60 percent cheaper than Obamacare. And we'd still be stuck with that infamous individual mandate.
[21:25:00]
And God forbid what the next four years would look like, for in Joe Biden's America, China would control our drug production. We'd be one step closer to government-run healthcare. We wouldn't just be unable to keep our doctors, we'd be lucky if we could see any doctor.
And even then, some of us would be denied care, for in socialized medicine, you don't beat the odds. You become the odds. And I would lose my right to try, just like Charlie Gard, that terminally-ill British baby, whose government-run healthcare system decided it was too expensive and too cruel to keep him alive.
You see, Mr. President, you've done so much more than your "Promises made and promises kept," for numbers only tell part of the story. We are the rest of it, facts with faces of Americans who would still be forgotten, if you and our favorite First Lady hadn't given up your own wonderful life, so we could have the chance at one.
George Bailey's father was right: "All you can take with you is that which you've given away."
And Mr. President, that makes you the richest man in the world, for you have used your strength to make America strong again, sacrificed the life you built to make America proud again, and you risked everything to make America safe again.
It's a wonderful life! You made America great again. And, on November 3rd, we are going to Keep America Great.
(MUSIC)
VERNON JONES, (D) GEORGIA STATE HOUSE: Hello America, my name is Vernon Jones, and I am a State Representative from the great State of Georgia. As you can see, I'm a man of color, and I am a lifelong Democrat too. You may be wondering, "Why is a lifelong Democrat speaking at the Republican National Convention?"
And that's a fair question. And here's your answer. The Democratic Party does not want Black people to leave their mental Plantation. We've been forced to be there for decades and generations.
But I have news for Joe Biden. We are free. We are free people with free minds. And I am part of a large and growing segment of the Black community who are independent thinkers, and we believe that Donald Trump is the President that America needs to lead us forward.
This is no time for sleeping in the basement. Joe Biden has had 47 years to produce results. But he's been all talk and no action, just like so many of the Democrats who've been making promises to the Black voters for decades. We've been their captive audience.
When President Trump sought to earn the Black vote, the Democratic Party leaders went crazy! Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer literally started wearing Kente clothes around the U.S. Capitol! As if pandering were enough to keep us satisfied!
Let me tell you why I'm supporting our President.
I grew up in the South, in Laurel Hill, North Carolina, Scotland County, the Green Pond Community, to be exact.
My parents, Robert (ph) and Rufer Jones built with their own hands a four room cinder block home with no indoor plumbing. They had very limited education. But they instilled in us a strong work ethic that drove me from those tobacco fields of North Carolina, to those hallowed halls of the Georgia General Assembly.
My parents taught me, if I believed in God, worked hard, and treated every person fairly, there was no limit to what we could achieve. I attended North Carolina Central University, an historical Black college.
For generations, HBCUs have been the incubators that develop Black scholars in math, and science, and religion, engineering and politics. They have been important springboards for the Black success.
But Democrats haven't treated them that way.
When President Trump took office, he changed everything. He delivered historic funding to HBCUs. And he guaranteed it for 10 years, something that has never happened in the history of this country. That gave our HBCUs stability, the chance to grow and produce the next generation of Black leaders.
That's right. Donald Trump did that.
[21:30:00]
He's also supported school choice to ensure that no child, no matter their race or zip code is left behind. Every child should have access to a quality education. But education is just the beginning.
The President also built the most inclusive economy ever, with record low unemployment for African-Americans and record high participation in the workforce. He put Opportunity Zones in the Trump tax bill that will drive investment into our communities for decades to come.
He put the interests of American workers, and especially Black workers, first. That's right. Donald Trump did that.
He delivered historic criminal justice reform. He ended, once and for all, the policy of incarceration of Black people, which has decimated our communities, caused by no other than Joe Biden.
Democrats wouldn't do it! Obama didn't want to do it! And Joe Biden and Kamala Harris definitely wouldn't do it! But Donald Trump did it. He's also working every day to make our communities safer.
As a former Executive of DeKalb County, Georgia, I directed one of the largest public safety departments in the southeast. I've seen tragic shootings on both sides, officers killing citizens and citizens killing officers in the line of duty.
Police officers are our fellow citizens. They live in our country. They have families too. They live in our communities.
Unfortunately, Democrats have turned their backs on our brave police officers. They call it "Defunding." And it's a danger to our cities, our neighborhoods, and our children.
Isn't it ironic that Democrat politicians have personal security to protect them? So, why don't they forgo their security and replace them with social workers, especially since that's what they want for you and me?
Our police need more funding, not less, for frequent psychological examinations, for "Non-lethal" remote restraint technology, and for more de-escalation and use of force training. These are the common sense solutions that President Trump supports. True, sincere police reform.
That's right. Donald Trump did that too.
Education, jobs, safety, security, on issue after issue, and in just a single term, he destroyed these negative forces that have victimized the Black community for decades. He gave us the opportunity to rise!
Now, you know when I made the public announcement of my support for President Trump, all hell broke loose.
I was threatened, called an embarrassment, and asked to resign by my own Party. Unfortunately, that's consistent with the Democratic Party, and how they view independent-thinking Black men and women.
But I'm here to tell you that Black voices are becoming more Woke and louder than ever. The Democratic Party has become infected with a pandemic of, intolerance, bigotry, socialism, anti-law enforcement bias, and a dangerous tolerance for people who attack others, destroy their property, and terrorize our own communities.
That's what this election is all about. And that's why, right now, more than ever, more than ever before, America needs Donald Trump in the Oval Office for another four years!
God bless you, and vote Donald J. Trump! Thank you.
(MUSIC)
[21:35:00]
ANDREW POLLACK, DAUGHTER DIED IN SCHOOL SHOOTING: In 2018, a gunman walked into Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, and changed my life forever.
My name is Andrew Pollack. His name isn't worth saying.
One of the seniors walking in the hallways that day was my beautiful daughter Meadow. She was just months away from graduating and beginning a new life. We were so proud of the woman she had become.
But in the hallway on that third floor, the gunman saw Meadow and shot her down the hallway, hitting her four times. After she was shot and on the floor, she crawled over to another student, a freshman girl to protect her. She draped her body over her, and then the scumbag gunman shot my daughter at point-blank range five more times, killing Meadow and the girl she was shielding.
She had her whole life ahead of her, and in that life, she could have done anything and been anything. So many moments that I waited so long for were taken from me. I didn't get to drop her off at college. I didn't get to walk her down the aisle. But every moment was taken from her and for what?
I never wanted this to become a political spectacle but it did. I never wanted to meet the president like this, but I did.
I was invited to the White House. The truth is, I had just buried my daughter that week, and I really wasn't interested in public events like a tour or a photo-op, I was interested in answers and solutions. So, the president wanted to meet me personally, I said I'd go. They said, of course, that was his plan.
At the White House, my family and I sat with the president in the Oval Office and told him about Meadow. I too old I told him what we knew. I told him that his administration needed to take a closer look at what went wrong and why.
And I got to see who President Trump really is. He's a good man and a great listener. And he cuts through the B.S.
Then, the president did what he said he would do, he took action. He formed a School Safety Commission that issued dozens of recommendations to make schools safer. But I'll bet you never heard about that, instead the media turned my daughter's murder and went into a coordinated attack on President Trump, Republicans and our Second Amendment.
In fact, when President Trump asked me and other parents of children that were murdered in school shootings to join him as he announced the commission's findings, the media's first question wasn't about protecting kids. Shockingly, they asked about the government shutdown.
President Trump turned to me, appalled and said, Andy, can you believe these people? We're trying to talk about school safety and this is what they do?
But I could believe it. After my daughter's murder, the media didn't seem interested in the facts, so I found them myself. I learned that gun control laws didn't fail my daughter, people did.
The gunman that threatened to kill his classmates before, he had threatened to rape them, he had threatened to shoot up the school -- every red flag you could imagine. But the school didn't just miss these red flags, they knowingly ignored them.
Far left Democrats in our school district made this shooting possible, because they implemented something they called restorative justice. This policy which really just blames teachers for students' failures, puts kids and teachers at risk, and makes shootings more likely. But it was build as a pioneering approach to discipline and safety.
I was just fine with the old approach of discipline and safety. It was called discipline and safety. But the Obama/Biden administration took Parkland's bad policies and forced them into schools across America.
When President Trump rescinded Obama's guidance on restorative justice policies, he put an end to that, and that meant the world to me.
It's tough to tell how much Mr. Biden understands about what happened at Parkland. Mr. Biden has campaigned on bringing back restorative justice as part -- as part of his unity platform with Bernie Sanders and has pledged to implement it in school districts across America.
But he doesn't even seem to know when the shooting happened. He said that he was vice president when it happened. But he wasn't.
Mr. Biden may not know when my daughter was murdered, but I do. February 14th, 2018. Mr. Biden may not know that these policies make shootings more likely, but I do.
Mr. Biden may not know who was vice president that day, but I do. It wasn't Joe Biden. It was Mike Pence, thank God.
And I know who the president was too, it wasn't Barack Obama, it was President Donald J. Trump. And he took action.
I truly believe the safety of our kids depends on whether this man is re-elected. I hope you'll join me in helping to make that happen. Mr. President, myself and millions of Americans appreciate you and love you.
God bless America, and God bless our President Donald J. Trump.
Thank you.
[21:40:00]
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(MUSIC)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A curfew now in effect for the City of St. Louis.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Protests in St. Louis turned violent.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You a racist! You a coward (BEEP).
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Call the (BEEP) cops!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You (BEEP).
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We going to kill you (BEEP).
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm a rape you (BEEP).
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mark McCloskey says he and his family have been threatened with violence.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Under Missouri law, you have a right to defend your home and the lives of your family.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A search warrant has been executed at the home of Mark and Patricia McCloskey.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The husband and wife attorneys charged with pointing guns at protesters.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They were simply trying to protect their home.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MARK MCCLOSKEY, ST. LOUIS HOMEOWNER WHO POINTED GUNS AT PROTESTERS: Good evening, America.
We are Mark and Patty McCloskey. We're speaking with you tonight from St. Louis, Missouri, where just weeks ago you may have seen us defending our home, as a mob of protestors descended on our neighborhood.
PATRICIA MCCLOSKEY, ST. LOUIS HOMEOWNER WHO POINTED GUNS AT PROTESTERS: America is such a great country that not only do you have the right to own a gun, and use it to defend yourself, but thousands of Americans will offer you free advice on how to use it. At least that's what we experienced. What you saw happen to us could just as easily happen to any of you who are watching from quiet neighborhoods around our country. And that's what we want to speak to you about tonight.
M. MCCLOSKEY: That's exactly right.
Whether it's the defunding of police, ending cash bail, so criminals can be released, back out on the streets, the same day, to riot again, or encouraging anarchy and chaos on our streets, it seems as if the Democrats no longer view the government's job as protecting honest citizens from criminals, but rather protecting criminals from honest citizens.
Not a single person in the out-of-control mob you saw at our house was charged with a crime. But you know who was? We were. They've actually charged us with felonies for daring to defend our home.
On top of that, consider this: The Marxist-Liberal activist leading the mob to our neighborhood stood outside our home with a bullhorn screaming, "You can't stop the revolution!"
Just weeks later, that same Marxist activist won the Democrat nomination to hold a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. In the City of St. Louis, that's the same as winning the general election. That Marxist revolutionary is now going to be the Congresswoman from the 1st District of Missouri.
These radicals are not content with marching in the streets. They want to walk the Halls of Congress. They want to take over. They want power. This is Joe Biden's Party. These are the people who will be in charge of your future and the future of your children.
P. MCCLOSKEY: They're not satisfied with spreading the chaos and violence into our communities.
They want to abolish the suburbs all-together by ending single-family home zoning. This forced rezoning would bring crime, lawlessness and low-quality apartments into now-thriving suburban neighborhoods.
President Trump smartly ended this government overreach, but Joe Biden wants to bring it back.
These are the policies that are coming to a neighborhood near you. So make no mistake. No matter where you live, your family will not be safe in the Radical Democrats' America.
M. MCCLOSKEY: At this moment in history, if you stand up for yourself, and for the values our country was founded on, the mob, spurred on by their allies in the media, will try to destroy you.
You've seen us on your TV screens and Twitter feeds. You know that we're not the kind of people who back down. Thankfully, neither is Donald Trump.
President Trump will defend the God-given right of every American to protect their homes and their families. But more than that, Trump's vision for America is a country where you
have an opportunity to work hard and build the life you dream of, with a job you love, with your children being educated in great schools, in a community where your family can play in the backyard without fear, worship in a church without shame, and express your beliefs without retribution.
Trump brought us the greatest economy our country had ever seen. The Democrats have brought us nothing but destruction.
P. MCCLOSKEY: When we don't have basic safety and security in our communities, we will never be free to build a brighter future for ourselves, for our children, or for our country.
That's what's at stake in this election. And that's why we must re- elect Donald Trump. God bless you, God bless the President, and God bless these United States.
M. MCCLOSKEY: And God bless these United States.
[21:45:00]
(MUSIC)
KIMBERLY GUILFOYLE, NATIONAL CHAIR, TRUMP VICTORY FINANCE COMMITTEE: Good evening, America, I'm Kimberly Guilfoyle.
I speak to you tonight as a mother, a former prosecutor, a Latina and a proud American! And, yes, a proud supporter of President Donald J. Trump. Why? Because he is the President who delivers for America!
He built the greatest economy the world has ever known, for the strivers, the working-class and middle-class. As Commander-in-Chief, he always puts America First! President Trump is The Law and Order President.
Now, Presidential leadership is not guaranteed. It is a choice!
Biden, Harris and the rest of the socialists will fundamentally change this nation. They want open borders, closed schools, dangerous amnesty and will selfishly send your jobs back to China, while they get rich!
They will defund, dismantle and destroy America's law enforcement. When you are in trouble, and need police, don't count on the Democrats.
As a first-generation American, I know how dangerous their socialist agenda is.
My mother, Mercedes, was a special education teacher from Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. My father, also an immigrant, came to this nation in pursuit of the American Dream. Now, I consider it my duty to fight to protect that dream.
Rioters must not be allowed to destroy our cities. Human, sex, drug traffickers should not be allowed to cross our border. The same socialist policies which destroyed places like Cuba and Venezuela must not take root in our cities and our schools.
If you want to see the socialist Biden/Harris future for our country, just take a look at California. It is a place of immense wealth, immeasurable innovation, and immaculate environment. And the Democrats turned it into a land of discarded heroin needles in parks, riots in streets, and blackouts in homes.
In President Trump's America, we light things up. We don't dim them down. We build things up. We don't burn them down. We kneel in prayer and we stand for our flag!
This election is a battle for the Soul of America. Your choice is clear.
Do you support the Cancel Culture, the cosmopolitan elites of Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer, and Joe Biden, who blame "America First?" Do you think America is to blame?
Or, do you believe in American Greatness, believe in yourself, in President Trump, in individual and personal responsibility?
They want to destroy this country, and everything that we have fought for and hold dear. They want to steal your liberty, your freedom. They want to control what you see and think, and believe, so that they can control how you live!
They want to enslave you to the weak, dependent, liberal, victim ideology, to the point that you will not recognize this country or yourself.
From the beginning, when President Trump spoke about "Making America Great Again," he was speaking about that shining city on a hill and restoring the beacon of light that once shined so bright. His promise was to put America First and he has.
When President Trump cut middle-class taxes, putting tens of thousands of dollars back in the pockets of working-class Americans, that beacon began to flicker once again.
When President Trump commanded the defeat of ISIS, took out Al- Baghdadi and Soleimani, and paved the way for peace in the Middle East, that beacon started to glow.
When he negotiated historic trade deals with Canada, Mexico, Japan and China, bringing back thousands of manufacturing jobs to America, that beacon shined bright once again for the World to see.
America, it's all on the line!
[21:50:00]
President Trump believes in you. He emancipates and lifts you up to live your American Dream. You are capable, you are qualified, you are powerful, and you have the ability to choose your life, and determine your destiny! Don't let the Democrats take you for granted. Don't let them step on you. Don't let them destroy your families, your lives, and your future. Don't let them kill future generations, because they told you and brainwashed you and fed you lies that you weren't good enough!
Like my parents, you can achieve your American Dream. You can be that shining example to the world.
Manifest and be the change in this country that you dream, that you hope, that you believe in. Stand for an American President who is fearless, who believes in you, and who loves this country and will fight for her!!
President Trump is the leader who will rebuild the Promise of America and ensure that every citizen can realize their American Dream!
Ladies and Gentleman, Leaders and Fighters for Freedom and Liberty and the American Dream, the best is yet to come!
(MUSIC)
BLITZER: Very, very forceful speech, Jake, from Kimberly Guilfoyle.
JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST, THE LEAD WITH JAKE TAPPER: Forceful is one word for it.
I can't help but think that so much of this Convention so far is great for Donald Trump's base. And yet, with a couple of exceptions, is not even remotely reaching out to any voters in the middle.
We've heard a lot of grievance, really, this evening. Some of them perhaps understandable, but we've heard from somebody who hates unions. We've heard from somebody who hates Democratic leadership in Baltimore. We heard from the McCloskeys in St. Louis, who certainly don't like the "Black Lives Matter" protesters.
But we have yet to really hear much in terms of the positive optimistic hopeful message we were told.
One other thing that strikes me, Abby, is that we were told that the organizers knew that they had to take on the Coronavirus pandemic.
ABBY PHILLIP, CNN POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes.
TAPPER: And what they've done is they had a doctor talk about how President Trump sped up and cut through the red tape to get the approval for the therapeutic Remdesivir. We heard from a woman who talked about how President Trump helped improve telehealth. Those are two excellent points from those individuals.
But then also there was this video that was just complete revisionism when it came to President Trump's empirically mishandling of the pandemic, early on, when he dismissed the threat of the virus, and we still, in this nation, do not have control of the virus, like other Western wealthy countries do.
We have 4 percent of the world's population and more than 20 percent, Abby, of the world's COVID deaths.
PHILLIP: Yes. Exactly the same thought struck me, as I watched that video, which is to say, the President was within his rights to talk about the things that are on the horizon, the therapeutics, the vaccine.
But the revisionist history about the facts of the virus, I think, is something that has to be called out. This is a President, who said it would disappear, who said it would disappear in warm weather. That was all omitted.
And I was also struck by the absence, really, of a moment of reflection for the lives that were lost. 177,000 Americans lost in this pandemic. So, there were a lot of omissions there.
But you could see also what they were trying to do tonight. And that is creating this whole new picture of President Trump, as taking on the criticism, not just about the Coronavirus, but also about his empathy or lack thereof.
You saw a lot of these speakers, like Herschel Walker, an NFL player, who took on this idea that Donald Trump is a racist. You saw several other of these lawmakers, Dana. So, it was really trying to repaint President Trump in a different image.
BASH: It was. And there were a couple of things that really struck me about what we've seen so far.
Number one is the couple from St. Louis. We knew going in why they were chosen for a number of reasons.
But the most important line that struck me about what Patty McCloskey said is "You saw what happened to us, and it could just as easily happen to any of you, who are watching from your quiet neighborhoods." I mean that was a bullhorn to suburbia, to say, "Look at us," those who are open to that message.
I just have to say, Kimberly Guilfoyle, oh, my goodness! I just feel like that was so intense and so dark that coming out of the other video, it was almost incongruous, Wolf.
BLITZER: All right, stand by. We want to get to remarks from Sean Parnell, a former U.S. Army Ranger, wounded in Afghanistan, running for Congress.
[21:55:00]
(MUSIC)
SEAN PARNELL, (R) PENNSYLVANIA CONG. CANDIDATE: I'm Sean Parnell, and it is an honor to be here.
In 2006, the Army sent me to Afghanistan, as a young platoon leader, placed in command of Americans from every corner of our planet.
Our platoon reflected the diversity of our nation, every race, creed and religion. Despite those differences, we were bound together as brothers from the same American family.
On June 10, 2006, our platoon was attacked just after dawn. Outnumbered 10 to one, we endured mortar and machine gun fire as hundreds of Taliban charged us from three sides. We had 24 men that day.
Wave after wave of Taliban advanced up the hill. I was wounded three times in the fighting. Nearly all of my platoon was wounded within the first minute. But the enemy kept coming. We fought to our last rounds of ammunition, and when it was over, we held the hill.
In the face of death, I saw ordinary Americans become heroes. In our darkest hour, when our survival depended on each other, my men and I learned an important lesson: we all bleed red. Our differences did not define us. United we were unbeatable.
After 485 days of combat, I came home, eager to enjoy the freedoms I risked my life to defend.
But I watched with alarm, as the Party of my grandfather, a lifelong Union Democrat, turned against the very people it professed to represent. I watched as Joe Biden spit venom at an auto worker who dared to question Joe's intent to dismantle the Second Amendment and take your guns.
Where Democrats once stood for hard-working, law-abiding Americans, who displayed our flag with pride, this New Democrat Party considers these people uneducated racists, clinging to guns and Bibles.
The Party of Harry Truman became the Party of hedge fund managers, Hollywood celebrities, tech moguls and university professors, all bloated with contempt for Middle America.
I look across the aisle, and I do not see a Party that wants you to pursue your dreams. I see a Democrat Party that wants to dictate what those dreams are. I don't see a Party that wants you to be free. I see a Party that wants to chain you to conformity and will destroy anyone they deem a heretic.
I swore an oath to defend my country and its Constitution. President Trump has sworn to do the same. That's why he has advanced freedom, despite savage political attacks, to overcome the agenda of the Radical Left.
President Trump has unleashed the economic might of this nation, like no other President in our history. He triggered the rising tide of working families, brought us energy independence, reclaimed jobs from overseas that Democrats said would never return.
He has fiercely defended the besieged First and Second Amendments. That is just a start. With four more years, imagine what we can achieve by simply working with our President.
I believe in our President's vision for the future. I stand here tonight calling on all Americans to join us. It doesn't matter what you look like, who you love, how you worship,
your gender or your job. If you are a traditional Democrat, who has become disillusioned with how radical your Party has become, then stand with us! You are most welcome. America needs all her patriots to rush to her defense.
My fellow Americans, I promise you this: In our tent, you are free, free to speak the truth, choose your journey, define your life.
You have the power to go as far as you aim, then aim higher, and keep going because that is what Americans do. We are idealists and dreamers, lovers of adventure. We are rugged and independent. We don't make excuses. We make the impossible a reality.
Think about it, in a century, we went from ground-bound dreamers gazing to the stars, to doers who created the means to reach them!
This is not the time to stand on the sidelines. If you love our country, as we do, as our President does, join the chorus of patriot voices that will preserve this exceptional union.
Mr. President, lead the way. Millions in our American family believe in this path to destiny. Guide us to that horizon!
Thank you, and may God Bless the United States of America.
BLITZER: That was Congressional Candidate, Sean Parnell.
Jake, the second special appearance, by President Trump, only minutes away, with Americans who were unlawfully detained overseas and freed on his watch.
