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CNN Live Event/Special

Second Night Of Republican National Convention. Aired 8-9p ET

Aired August 25, 2020 - 20:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[20:00:00]

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST: Live pictures tonight from Washington, D.C. on night two of the Republican National Convention.

President Trump is getting more airtime tonight and breaking more norms by awarding a pardon in the middle of a political event.

Welcome to CNN's special convention coverage. I'm Anderson Cooper.

Tonight, the Republicans are going to new lengths to promote the President's re-election and raising serious ethics questions in the process.

Let's go to Wolf Blitzer. Wolf, in addition to this pardon the President will grant, there's controversy surrounding one of tonight's headline speakers.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST; There certainly is, Anderson. House Democrats are now opening an investigation at the Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and whether his precedent shattering decision to address the convention from Jerusalem violate State Department policy or the law.

Pompeo warned diplomats just last month against improperly engaging in politics. Republicans say he got legal clearance for the speech and claim he is speaking as a private citizen.

Also to watch out tonight, the First Lady, Melania Trump. Republicans say her remarks from the White House Rose Garden will be positive and forward looking with about 75 people in the audience, including her husband.

We're covering it all with our political team, Jake Tapper, Dana Bash, and Abby Phillip. They're here.

Jake, what more can you tell us about the President's role tonight?

JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST: Wolf, frankly, I have never seen any president so blatantly use and some will no doubt argue misuse the power of his office, his Article 2 powers under the Constitution for naked political purposes.

Tonight, the President will issue a pardon for Jon Ponder, a convicted bank robber. Ponder is a worthy candidate for a pardon. He helps fellow former prisoners reemerge in the world. He has turned his life around. He was pardoned earlier this year by

the State of Nevada, but for the President to do so as part of a political convention is highly unusual, if not completely inappropriate.

Same with the President's other surprise tonight. He is going to preside over a naturalization ceremony for new citizens.

This is a President accused of demonizing immigrants both undocumented and legal since he began his campaign. Now, to reiterate, these are worthy actions part of his presidential powers, but it cheapens them to make them convention stunts.

It seems to be an attempt to help wipe the slate clean after years of racially incendiary, if not objectively racist acts and words.

And Dana, the campaign obviously understands this is a real point of vulnerability for the President, the perception that he is racist, and they're trying to fight that including with new testimonials about how he has helped minorities.

DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right. And we expect Republicans to try to take that up a notch tonight.

Kentucky's first black Attorney General, Daniel Cameron will be speaking and Republicans who planned the convention are promoting him as a breakout star.

Now, we're told that he will hit Joe Biden on race, hammer the Democratic nominee for saying that African-Americans who don't support him are quote, "anti-black," a comment that Biden quickly apologized for.

And we anticipate more attacks on Biden from former Florida Attorney General, Pam Bondi. And we're told that she is going to pick up where she left off as a member of the President's impeachment defense team going after Joe Biden, his son, Hunter, and pressing allegations of nepotism.

That as Trump's own children will play starring roles in his convention for another night.

Check out two prominent speakers. His son, Eric; his daughter, Tiffany.

So Abby, Republicans are shifting between attack mode and emotional appeals to voters.

ABBY PHILLIP, CNN POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Dana, once again, some of the most compelling and emotional stories will come from everyday Americans like Officer Ryan Holets, who will talk about the President's efforts to combat the opioid epidemic.

You might remember Holets and his wife because they adopted the baby of an addicted homeless woman and that story went viral. Their daughter, Hope is now thriving and her birth mother is in recovery. But there can be risks to featuring real people at a convention and we

just learned that an advocate for tougher immigration laws, who was supposed to speak tonight has been abruptly pulled from the convention program.

Just in the last couple of hours, Mary Ann Mendoza has been pulled from tonight's program after posting tweets on an anti-Semitic conspiracy theory. We're going to have a lot more on this breaking story ahead, Anderson.

COOPER: Abby, thanks very much. In fact, we are getting new information about that last minute change in speaking lineup. Jim Acosta is digging on that.

Jim, what have you learned?

JIM ACOSTA, CNN CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Anderson, you know, we've talked so much about the President's embrace of the QAnon movement that conservative fringe movement that is so powerful online.

Well, Exhibit Z, in that continuing saga is unfolding tonight. And that is just a few moments ago, we learned that Mary Ann Mendoza, who Abby just mentioned there, has been pulled from the lineup here at this Republican Convention.

She was scheduled to speak about her experience as an angel mom. She's one of the angel moms who's grown close to President Trump and this administration.

[20:05:10]

ACOSTA: Well, in a tweet that she posted earlier today, we can put it up on screen, she says, "Do yourself a favor and read this tweet." The tweet goes on to -- read this thread, she said -- it goes on to lay out views expressed by the QAnon movement and also included some anti- Semitic views.

At one point, the thread talks about a Jewish plot to enslave people in the United States, as well as other views expressed by the QAnon movement.

Just in the last hour or so, Mary Ann Mendoza posted a tweet apologizing for all of this and we could put that up on screen. It says, "I retweeted a very long thread earlier without reading every post within the thread. My apologies for not paying attention to the intent of the whole message that does not reflect my feelings or personal thoughts whatsoever." That apology aside, she appears to have been booted from the lineup tonight at least according to the latest lineup provided to the television pool covering tonight's G.O.P. convention.

Now in the meantime, we should point out speaking of QAnon, a G.O.P. congressional candidate who has embraced the QAnon movement tweeted earlier today that she has been invited to attend the last night of this Republican Convention to watch the President's speech here at the White House. And obviously, it's just another example, Anderson, of how the

President and his team have embraced this QAnon movement, but sometimes with unintended consequences that often blow up in their faces, and this is one of those examples this evening.

This activist who is supportive of the President, Mary Ann Mendoza has been pulled from the lineup tonight because of her extreme views -- Anderson.

COOPER: I don't quite understand why she would be pulled from the lineup. The President has called the woman you just talked about, that G.O.P. candidate from Georgia, a future star of the Republican Party. She has backed QAnon and has been a 9/11 truther in the past.

So, interesting that she is a star according the President -- a future star of the Republican Party, yet this person gets booted from a convention speaking. We'll see if there's any explanation of that double standard.

ACOSTA: We're not getting one yet -- Anderson.

COOPER: Yes. Jim Acosta, thanks. Going now to Gloria and David and Nia-Malika Henderson. Gloria, I mean, this whole QAnon thing is obviously, it's an anti-Semitic, anti-Catholic based conspiracy theory about deranged and just ludicrous on its face about a cabal of Democratic leaders and Hollywood celebrities drinking the blood of children, worshipping Satan and engaging in child sex trafficking from a pizza parlor.

But it has -- the President has had multiple opportunities to distance himself from it, and he has not done so.

GLORIA BORGER, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL ANALYST: No, as he said the other day, well, I hear they like me, and that's all that matters to Donald Trump. I hear they like me. So let's invite her to the, you know, to the convention.

I mean, and this is the problem they have, in reintroducing an incumbent President who has been around for four years, they're trying in this convention to have it be an affirmation of Donald Trump, a kinder, gentler Donald Trump, if you will, and they're trying to get the American public to buy into that picture.

And in doing so, they're saying, okay, he is an empathetic. Look at all of these wonderful people we are presenting to you, average Americans for whom Donald Trump has meant so much.

And on the other hand, you see the QAnon stuff and the question is, will the American public buy the people he wants actually to buy -- will they buy the fact that this is an empathetic President, who has done a great job in dealing with COVID, who is really there to combat racism? And will they buy that Joe Biden is a leftist radical? That's what it's about.

COOPER: David Axelrod, it is interesting because Vice President Pence, you know, got upset when he was asked about QAnon, whereas -- you know and pretends as if it's not an issue at all, whereas the President, I mean, the President himself has said this person is a future star of the Republican Party.

DAVID AXELROD, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yes. Well, I quite agree with Gloria. I mean, this is -- the way to Donald Trump's heart is to like Donald Trump, to say you like Donald Trump, to embrace Donald Trump, and all is forgiven if you do that. That has been the history of him.

You know, Lindsey Graham has spoken about this at length that I want to be effective, and the way to be effective is to be really nice to Trump and then he'll be nice to you and it doesn't really matter who you are.

But you know, on the speaker who was booted from the lineup, it would have been a little awkward to have a speaker who was spreading anti- Semitic tropes on the same night you have the Secretary of State speaking from the roof of the King David Hotel to the American people at the convention.

Look, Donald Trump is a -- Fox News did a poll in mid-August, 36 percent said they thought Donald Trump had the compassion to be an effective President. I don't think he's going to fix that problem at this convention.

[20:10:03]

AXELROD: He is going to make these passing attempts. That's what a lot of this stuff is about, but in the main, you know, this is about the base, and he is going after -- he needs to rile up that base, because Anderson, if you can find me, you know, we talked about Trump, Obama, Trump voters -- if you could find me, a Clinton-Trump voter, I would suggest we put that person in a field museum because they are a rare species.

He needs to stoke up his base and he needs to find more people like his base and that's what this convention is really about.

NIA-MALIKA HENDERSON, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL REPORTER: Yes, and one of things I think you'll see tonight is the G.O.P. really target African- American men. You saw some of that last night, a lot of the prominent speakers were African-American men.

If you look at the voting behavior of African-American men in 2016, about 13 percent voted for Donald Trump. So they really, I think want to connect with that group of African-Americans which might essentially make it harder for Biden to get the kind of numbers among African-Americans that he needs to beat Donald Trump.

I think you'll see that a play out tonight. They'll have the Attorney General from Kentucky, for instance, talking about Biden's record on race. So that's one of the things. It goes to this whole idea of Donald Trump isn't the racist, but many people see him as in these poll numbers, and we'll see again if that works, given his record on race and racial rhetoric over these last many years. COOPER: We're getting new information right now about Melania Trump's

speech tonight and who helped her write it. We're also learning more about the ethical questions surrounding Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's convention speech. That's ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[20:16:20]

COOPER: Closing in the second night of the Republican Convention, two appearances by President Trump to break with convention.

First Lady Melania Trump also in the spotlight as she prepares to deliver the final speech of the night. Let's check in with more of our correspondents covering the convention.

First, Kate Bennett who covers the First Lady, Melania Trump. Kate, what are you learning about her speech tonight?

KATE BENNETT, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Well, like most things with Melania Trump, she did not vet this speech with the West Wing. In fact, not with the campaign either as she was working on it. This is a completely Melania Trump East Wing shop speech, something very unusual for most First Ladies historically who work in tandem with the West Wing to make sure that messaging is on point and that things feel cohesive.

However, you know, as we learned in 2016, when she decided to go with a speech writer who was essentially a staffer at the Trump Organization, we know how that went with the plagiarism that followed her, you know, basically into the White House.

This time again, she has said no to professional speech writers. She does not like or trust outsiders, and instead, she mainly relied on one of her senior staffers.

We're hearing that Stephanie Grisham was the primary writer of the First Lady's speech tonight. Grisham has written her speeches before.

Again, it is a departure for most traditional First Ladies that this First Lady is opting to act on her own especially in light of how things went in 2016, which was actually her last public address to the nation. This is a First Lady we do not hear from a lot.

Also Anderson, I should know this is actually the first campaign appearance from the First Lady and it might be her last.

We've reported she has no other campaign events or travel or fundraisers on her schedule moving ahead.

COOPER: Let's go to Kaitlan Collins. Now, Kaitlan, you have new reporting on Mike Pompeo's speech.

KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, it hasn't even aired yet and it has already drawn a ton of scrutiny over the last several days because of the fact that the Secretary of State is recording a speech for a political convention, something you do not see that's breaking precedent, but also because he recorded it while he is overseas on an official diplomatic trip.

And I am being told tonight that that speech has been vetted by attorneys, attorneys to the White House, the Republican National Committee and the Trump campaign. What's unclear still, Anderson, though is whether or not State Department attorneys have actually looked over what Mike Pompeo is expected to say tonight.

Because right now, he is facing accusations that he is violating State Department legal guidance by giving this speech, but also he is being accused by a Democratic House Member that he is potentially violating Federal law by making this appearance tonight.

Now, White House officials have not seemed concerned about these accusations given this review that underwent all of these speeches, not just Mike Pompeo's, but every speech that you're seeing at this convention has been reviewed by this group of attorneys in the days before it is scheduled to air.

And so that's the question and it comes amid a larger backdrop of not only whether or not his violates these diplomatic traditions, but also Melania Trump's being in the Rose Garden, using a Federal government property to make a political pitch to voters.

COOPER: We will watch. Kaitlan, thanks very much. Kate as well.

Let's go to our panelists. Senator Santorum, it is certainly unconventional, both Mike Pompeo and even First Lady Melania Trump from the Rose Garden. Is it inappropriate?

RICK SANTORUM, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Look, I mean, I would say that I can't speak to the State Department rules, but certainly for Cabinet officials. I mean, I wish I had a dollar for every Cabinet official I campaigned with during my time in politics. I could buy everybody here a nice dinner.

I mean, Cabinet officials often, you know, gives very political speeches, not just to convention or other places. I don't know where Congresswoman Castor is coming off of that -- any form of illegality.

It is. I would agree with you. For Secretary of State, usually Secretary of State, Secretary of Defense, and Attorney General don't do a lot of political events or very, very few at all. Mike Pompeo is a little different.

[20:20:17]

COOPER: And on an official Trip.

SANTORUM: I mean, Mike is -- right. Well, Mike, yes. Mike -- look, I was in Iowa with Mike Pompeo. I mean, you know, Mike is very focused on you know, obviously getting the President reelected, but he is also focused on preparing himself for I think a run in four years. I think that makes a difference. And then finally, he is in Israel because the President just pulled

off an enormous foreign policy victory with the Israeli-UAE peace treaty.

So I think that's probably the reason you're seeing this President bring because they want to highlight you know, the President has got something very big done for the country.

COOPER: Van?

VAN JONES, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Look, I don't agree that this is a good thing. First of all, everybody -- we are talking about yesterday, lawlessness. We had law and order.

This is lawlessness on the part of the administration. The Hatch Act is very clear and the reason that Hatch Act is clear is this. That's my taxpayer money, too. I'm paying for that White House. I'm paying for these flights overseas.

I'm not paying for the Trump campaign, and that's what's going on here. It's an abuse of office. It is an abuse of taxpayer money to be to be hijacking all of these opportunities and nobody has done it before because it's in poor form.

COOPER: David Urban, is it in poor form?

DAVID URBAN, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Hey, look, I agree with the Van. Taxpayer dollars shouldn't be used. Especially with what the Hatch Act says, and I guarantee you that the lawyers who vetted this made sure not one penny of taxpayer dollars were being used.

Secretary Pompeo has every right under the Hatch Act to express his personal opinion on his free time. He only gets paid, ladies and gentlemen, to work 60 hours a week, so he's -- I'm sure he's burned a lot more than 60 hours a week.

COOPER: But David, when you're Secretary of State, or you know, Ambassador to a place, aren't you -- I mean, do you have free time? I mean, you're the Secretary of State making a statement, is saying you're saying this as a person?

URBAN: Anderson --

COOPER: Yes, go ahead.

URBAN: Of course, he has. Of course, he has free time. Of course, he does.

COOPER: Really? Okay. I mean, I'm not allowed. You know, I wouldn't go out and make a political statement. You know, about supporting a candidate.

SANTORUM: Anderson. Yes, Anderson. I mean, look, as I said, Cabinet officials campaign all the time. I mean, all the time. For every person I can think of, I mean, the three that don't, as I mentioned before, but there's no legal prohibition for a Secretary of commerce to go and do a --

ANA NAVARRO, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Anderson, let's talk about the hypocrisy here --

SANTORUM: Because they can't paint for me, like I said many, many times.

COOPER: Right.

NAVARRO: Let's talk about the hypocrisy of -- let's talk about the hypocrisy of Secretary Pompeo sending out a memo to Department of State employees, telling them not to use their jobs or their positions in order to campaign and do politics.

Look, this idea that he is there in a personal capacity is a load of malarkey. Okay. He didn't fly there on United, he flew there on a government plane. He's not sitting in his living room in Kansas. He's not in Israel because he's going to get a facial with mud from the Dead Sea.

He is there as Secretary of State, and he's there to highlight something that they feel has not gotten enough attention as Rick Santorum or it was David who said.

He is there abusing and exploiting his personal capacity in order to highlight a Trump administration policy. And he flew there and is on the government dime. Period.

COOPER: We're going to take a quick break. We're going to have more of this. Obviously, we'll see a lot of the Trump family tonight and throughout this convention. The President's son, Eric and daughter, Tiffany have speaking roles tonight.

All of that ahead. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[20:28:24]

BLITZER: All right, the beautiful Mellon Auditorium here in Washington, D.C., where several of the speakers will be featured later tonight.

We're just a minute or so away from the start of the second night of the Republican National Convention. Jake, what specifically are you looking for?

TAPER: Well, I think that we should expect a night full of erosions of norms and standards. I mean, there was an expectation in this country that Secretaries of State, a tradition, Secretaries of State will not speak at conventions. I cannot imagine the outcry if Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had spoken at the Democratic Convention in 2012.

Colin Powell in 2004 said he was obliged not to participate in any way, shape, fashion or form in parochial political debates, "I have to take no sides in this matter." And yet, Mike Pompeo is going to be doing exactly that.

Just one of many erosions of standards. We're also going to have the President issuing a pardon during a political convention.

I mean, this is an individual who no doubt deserves a pardon. He was pardoned earlier this year by the State of Nevada, but the idea that this would be done as part of a political convention, it's just a completely normal eroding, norm busting tradition. And I think we're going to see a lot of that during this convention.

And I just can't even imagine what Republicans on Capitol Hill would be doing if Democrats were doing these types of activities during a convention, Wolf. It just -- they'd be rioting, frankly.

BLITZER: And there's a second appearance later in the evening by the President, a naturalization of new citizens, a naturalization ceremony.

TAPPER: And again, a completely worthy and important part of the presidential powers he has, but not for a political convention, although obviously he has a political goal here, to make it seem as though he's not hostile to minorities or to immigrants -- Wolf.

BLITZER: The second night of this a Republican National Convention is now about to begin with a video just like last night.

Watch this. It's important.

[20:30:12]

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JON VOIGHT, ACTOR: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Without life there can be no liberty. Without liberty, there is no happiness. Without equality, there is no opportunity. America has strived since its founding to promote equality under the law to correct injustices and to ensure opportunity for all. It is a work in progress not always perfect.

Some look at American opportunity and see only problems. They want equal outcome, not equal opportunities. They criticize without solutions, demand wealth without work. Their ways are historical failures evidenced by tyranny and poverty, a prevailing darkness in every country has been tried. The American Dream inspired by American opportunity is the engine of entrepreneurship.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, it's beautiful (INAUDIBLE).

VOIGHT: The inspiration to the greatest inventions, the highest achievements, and establishing a quantity of life, second to none, providing jobs, creating futures, fulfilling dreams. In America opportunity preserves individual freedom. It leads to exceptionalism. It's a bright shining light an example for all to see.

Tonight, we explore together America. Land of opportunity.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: From Washington, D.C. Welcome to the 2020 Republican National Convention. Tonight, celebrating America as the land of opportunity.

NORMA URRABAZO, INTERNATIONAL CHURCH OF LAS VEGAS: I'm going to invite you to join your faith with mine and let's pray in agreement. Lord, we come before you to ask for your spirit of peace to come over hurting communities in Wisconsin tonight. We pray for healing and comfort to Jacob Blake and his family. We pray for your protection over those who put their lives in harm's way to bring safety and security to our streets. We pray that the truth and justice will be at the heart of all decisions that are made by our leaders. And that we as a people will seek reconciliation with you, as we do the same with each other.

Thank you, Lord, for your goodness over our lives, for your blessing over our nation, for your guiding hand over every person that calls the United States of America, their home. Lord, we thank you for all that have gone before us and have sowed seeds of sacrifice. For our freedom, for our prosperity, and for our peace. Those that gave their lives so that we could live and achieve the American Dream. Your word declares in II Corinthians where the Spirit of the Lord is there is freedom. This country was founded by the people for their God, liberty, freedom, equality. It's what we want in our country.

Lord, we invite you into our homes, into our lives. Give us revelation that will overthrow any enemies that stand against this, so that we will be victorious in this next season. We need you. Let your kingdom come, let your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. We surrender to your plans and purpose for our lives. We ask, bring heaven down to earth, over every person here and all those watching today.

[20:34:59]

As we move into this next chapter in our journey to greatness. We asked for your presence to be with us. Lead us, Lord, give us strategies from heaven. I decree the words of Isaiah 11.12 over a president, vice president and all government authorities from every state in our nation. May the Spirit of the Lord rests on him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel in might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. I release a blessing over every person in every home.

Lord, release health, healing, peace, strength and courage. Let us stand together in unity as we embrace another chapter on our journey to greatness. I decree and declare America, the best is yet to come. And I asked all this in the name of Jesus. Amen.

LEIGHANNE BALL, MILITARY SPOUSE: I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) MYRON LIZER, VICE PRESIDENT, NAVAJO NATION: (INAUDIBLE) I'm Myron Lizer, the Vice President of the Navajo Nation. I give this address from the majestic rock spires of Shiprock, Tse Bit'a'i, Rock with Wings as known by our (INAUDIBLE) people. It is here as well that many of our ancestral leaders sought to govern and lead the nation within a nation. They sought to lead their people into the promises of a better way of life for their children's children. It is also where they have not been as successful as the rest of America. Our first nations people, the host people of the land, we are still here. Our Creator placed us here and knew for such a time as this, we would have an opportunity for an appeal to heaven.

You see, our people have never been invited into the American dream. We for years fought congressional battles with past congressmen and senators that were part of a broken system that ignored us. That is until President Trump took office. President Trump delivered the largest financial funding package ever to Indian country. They a billion dollars in CARES Act funding to Indian country was a great start in alleviating the devastating effects that the COVID-19 pandemic has inflicted on our Indian tribes. The Navajo Nation once lead the nation in per capita positive cases, because of the health disparities that previous administrations failed to improve.

Whenever we meet with President Trump has always made it a priority to repair the relationship with our federal family. Recently, President Trump signed the first ever presidential proclamation officially recognizing missing and murdered American Indians and Alaskan Natives. He established a task force called Operation Lady Justice to address the problem. The President also provided $273 million to improve public safety and support victims of crime in the Native American community.

As a result, a cold case office was recently open on the Gila River Indian community. The President has reactivated the White House Council on Native American affairs to promote economic development and rural prosperity in Indian country. President Trump also strengthen the Supreme Court by nominating strong conservative judges like Neil Gorsuch, who supports Native American rights.

Thank you for the opportunity to be here tonight. I'm excited to endorse President Trump's reelection. And Mr. President, we look forward to hosting you very soon. Come visit our land we call (INAUDIBLE). Again, thank you very much.

JON PONDER, HOPE FOR PRISONERS: I always had this unshakable sense that I know that I know that life has to be more than what it was I've been living. I caught my very first felony conviction at 16 years old and that type of behavior had led me into more and more arrest, get in trouble until the age of 37 years old. I was arrested for a string of bank robberies. And based off of my criminal history, there is a potential that a federal judge can sentence me up to 23 years in a maximum security United States Federal Penitentiary. And then that moment, I played a les make a deal with God. And I asked God to climb into the robe of that judge, whether it's 10 years or 15 years, I'm going to invest the rest of my life serving you. And I stood before that federal judge, Judge Mahan took his glasses off, lean back and said, I don't know why I'm going to do this. But he said I'm not going to give you what you deserve. Then he gave me a lesser sentence. And as he laid on that stainless steel cell shack of hands and my feet. I heard God otter into my spirit. My son I honored what you asked me to do.

[20:40:06]

He said, never forget the promise that you made to me. And ever since that day, I got up off the floor in my life with a 180-degree turn in the other direction.

RICHARD BEASLEY, FMR FBI AGENT: When Jon got that sentence, I just shook my head and said, well, Jon, you are destined for bigger things than prison. My name is Richard Beasley, I was a FBI special agent for about 25 and a half years.

PONDER: It was something about his demeanor when he walked into that room. I had this feeling like everything's going to be OK.

BEASLEY: Then when he got out, he gave me a call says, hey, Rich, let's have lunch. So I met him at the McDonald's, and he's got a Bible with him. I've seen that before where guys have used a Bible as a prop. It took me about 30 seconds to understand that this was not a proper Jon. He was a change guy. From the man that I arrested, you know, several years before,

PONDER: When I saw the way that he treated me fairly, you know, I saw the man behind the suit. I started thinking, man, if that worked for me with this law enforcement officer, how can I multiply that and get more law enforcement officers involved so that we can impact this on a larger scale?

President Trump, he had made a bunch of promises. Let me just be transparent with you first started talking about the things he was going to do. I'm sitting there going, wait a minute here. I mean, is he serious because everything that he was saying that he wanted to do was the stuff that needs to be done. And before he walked out that meeting that day, I promise I'll make it out there to, you know, come speak at one of your graduations. I heard that they were phenomenal.

When he stood there in that graduate and he went out of his way to shake the hand of every one of those 29 graduates, set them on a whole another (INAUDIBLE) of life because they had the Office of the President of the United States. The promises that he made was promises that he kept.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF UNITED STATES: Two years ago, I was honored to tell Jon Ponder his story of transformation in the Rose Garden on the National Day of Prayer. Today, I'm thrilled to welcome him back to the White House. Jon's life is a beautiful testament to the power of redemption. Jon grew up without his father, as he tells it, my mother was strong, but she wasn't able to keep us out of the gangs and off of the streets, and they were violent streets. At the age of 38, he was arrested for bank robbery. While Jon was in prison. He began reading the Bible and listening to Christian radio. One day he heard Reverend Billy Graham on the radio proclaim, Jesus wants to be Lord of your life.

On that day Jon dedicated his life to Christ. He spent the rest of his time in prison studying the Bible. When he was released, he heard a knock at his door. It was the officer who put him in jail. FBI Special Agent Richard Beasley who said, I want you to know that I've been praying for you. Now Richard and Jon are best friends. And we are grateful that Richard is here with us today. In the last 10 years since Jon was released, he has created one of the most successful reentry programs Hope for Prisoners in Las Vegas. I was led to speak there earlier this year. As Jon says, Hope for Prisoners is a movement that began as a dream in a tiny prison cell and is now making a difference in the lives of thousands truly bringing hope that there is an opportunity and a community that is working and willing to offer them a second chance.

Jon, we honor your devotion to showing returning citizens that they are not forgotten. We believe that each person is made by God for a purpose. I will continue to give all Americans including former inmates the best chance to build a new life and achieve their own American dream and a great American Dream it is. Now I'd like to ask Jon and Richard, to say a few words.

PONDER: I can't tell you how grateful I am to have the opportunity to speak to you today. Not so long ago, my life was running from the police, fearing the police, and avoiding the police, not because of anything that the police had done to me personally, but due to the animosity I had allowed to grow inside of me, making me believe that they were my enemy. But today, praise God. I am filled with hope. A proud American citizen who has been given a second chance.

[20:44:59]

My transformation began in a prison cell. While I found myself a three time convicted felon facing yet another sentence. I gave my life to Jesus and made him a promise that I was spending the rest of my days helping others like me. My first help and support came from the unlikeliest of places. The FBI agent who arrested me Richard Beasley, he is now a dear friend, and has been a source of encouragement to me throughout my entire journey. I am grateful for the men and women of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department who volunteer their time to people who return into our local community after incarceration. These are the real life heroes who put their lives on the line everyday, armed with the promise that they made to protect and to serve have made a tremendous impact in the lives of men and women, we integrate them back into our society.

My hope for America is that formerly incarcerated people will be afforded the opportunity to take advantage of the future that we live in a nation of second chances. My hope for America is that law enforcement and people into communities across the country can come together and realize that as Americans, we have more in common than we have differences. My hope for our great nation is to continue on this path we are on of being the most prosperous country in the world.

BEASLEY: I'm so proud of Jon with his life's turnaround, and for all the lives that he's helped to change. It may be hard to believe that as a retired FBI agent, one of my best friends is a person I arrested for bank robbery. When I met Jon 15 years ago, he was angry, scared, frustrated, and anxious about his future. On the drive to prison, I stopped at a convenience store and bought Jon a coffee and a doughnut. After he was sentenced, Jon sent me a necktie and a note thanking me for treating him like a gentleman. Five years later, when he got out of prison, Jon called me and wanted to meet for lunch. He was a different man. He talked about starting a reentry program for men and women coming out of prison.

Over time, Jon earned the trust and respect of the law enforcement community, many of whom volunteer in Jon's Hope for Prisoners Program. I'm grateful for President Trump's commitment to criminal justice reform. On February 20th of this year, he was the guest speaker at the Hope for Prisoners graduation. He stayed much longer than scheduled to hand out diplomas to the 29 men and women who graduated that day. Or to cite the most important man in the free world shaking hands and pledging his administration support to ex-offenders. Their families were there, the community was there. What a great second chance.

I also appreciate President Trump's support for law enforcement. I always felt like I had strong support as an FBI agent. But there's nothing worse than knowing you're being second guessed when you're doing your job. In certain parts of our country right now, law enforcement doesn't feel like they have the support from their local leaders. They're being painted with a broad brush, unfairly with calls for defunding. But as President Trump knows the overwhelming percentage of law enforcement officers are good, smart people are doing their jobs very well. And they can change the world working with people like Jon. Thank you.

TRUMP: So now I'd like to invite Jon's wife Jamie to join us as I grant Jon. I'm not sure you know this a full pardon. So I don't know if you know that, Jamie, come on over here. It's just an honor. And you've done incredible work.

PONDER: Thank you, sir.

TRUMP: And all of Las Vegas and all of Nevada and all of every place in this country is very proud of you, the job you've done. Bringing people back in your, and I was supposed to be there for five minutes. I stayed for an hour.

JAMIE PONDER, WIFE OF JON PONDER: You did.

TRUMP: Because it was so interesting to me. Congratulations to both of.

PONDER: Thank you sir.

TRUMP: Richard, thank you very much for the job you do.

BEASLEY: Thank you. TRUMP: Fantastic.

BEASLEY: Thank you.

TRUMP: OK, I think I'll give it to Jamie (INAUDIBLE).

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST: President of United States pardoning Jon Ponder in the midst of the Republican National Convention. Somewhat unprecedented. Probably, in fact, fair to say just unprecedented.

Van Jones is joining us. Van, you've worked with this White House on criminal justice issues in the past. What do you make of what we just wish you to witness. It's a presidential pardon. I mean, it is also a political convention stunt.

VAN JONES, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: You know, I love that he did it. I don't like where he did it and the way he did it. So I feel torn. But let me just say, my only complaint or criticism about the part is that I just wish there were more of them. There are so many people like him who are deserving. So many people have turned their lives around. And I work with this White House, I work with the Obama White House, I work with many governors to get more of that to happen. So it's a very good thing to show the country that redemption is possible.

[20:50:02]

But I think it cheapens it. When you do it in a political convention. You do it in a political way, because then it begins to look like you're just doing it as a stunt. And so for me, you know, I, you're sitting, you're torn. That is a beautiful story. That man, as Jake Tapper said many times he is deserving. But what we need to do is fix the whole pardon and clemency process, make it rational, take it out of Department of Justice, put it in the White House, and let's get a lot of people home and do a good job. But I don't think it's appropriate to do it at a political convention. Because I think you take up something that's very sacred, it's a sacred power the President has, only executive has it. And you wind up cheapening it, and you're using it as a political stunt when I don't think that that is necessary.

This is this is an issue that has brought people together, and we should stay together on it and not politicize it. I think in this way.

COOPER: Mr. Ponder who's clearly doing remarkable work. One of the things I thought was interesting he talked about when he was facing the judge, the judge could have given him a variable sentence and saw something in him and decided not to, according to Mr. Ponder, clearly there's an awful lot of other people who aren't so lucky when facing the criminal justice system.

JONES: And that's the challenge that we have. You know, the Obama administration did well, administratively and put a lot of protections in place of trying to get people a home earlier, Obama actually did a lot more pardons than any president before him, including also including Trump. But legislatively, they weren't able to get it done. Trump is the opposite. On the legislative side, they got the first step act done, but there are still people at the Department of Justice who are doing everything they can to drive the car in reverse. And so, you got two administrations back to back. The good thing is both working on criminal justice, but they haven't been able to get across the finish line, I think is one of the few areas that people have come together on. I'm glad he did it. But I tell you, this is not -- we shouldn't I don't want the politicization of the White House as a building. I pay for that building, you pay for that building. It shouldn't be used as a political prop or political backdrop. These sacred acts of the President should not be being used for political purposes. It's great that we're educating the public, but I don't think it should be doing -- I just -- it's going to make it very hard for people to really celebrate it and see the beauty of it. If it seems like it's justice done.

COOPER: Van Jones thanks very much. Still ahead First Lady Melania Trump, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Our coverage of the Republican National Convention continues after a quick break.

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[20:55:59]

BLITZER: Live pictures are White House a beautiful shot of Washington D.C. A lot of events taking place at the White House during this, the second night of the Republican National Convention. We'll be hearing from Melania Trump, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, but here's Jason Joyce of Maine.

JASON JOYCE, MAINE LOBSTERMAN: Good evening. My name is Jason Joyce, and I'm an eighth generation lobster fisherman from Swans Island, Maine. I make my living from lobster fishing, oyster farming and providing eco tours in the beautiful waters near Acadia National Park, where I have over 200 years of family history. I have to confess, I didn't support Trump in 2016 skeptical that he shared my conservative views. I expected him to flip flop on his campaign promises. But he his follow through and his promises including last week when he brokered a deal to end European Union tariffs of 8% on Main live lobsters and up to 20% on Main lobster products, which is great news for mains lobster men and women.

I live in an island with 370 residents and lobstering is how we provide for our families, Maine's lobstermen, our true environmentalist, we practice conservation every day. If we didn't, we'd be putting ourselves out of business.

Four years ago, the Obama-Biden administration used the Antiquities Act to order thousands of square miles of ocean off limits to commercial fishermen. They did it to cater to environmental activists. Although Maine's lobstermen don't fish there, Obama's executive order offended us greatly. It's circumvented the fisheries council's input. President Trump reversed that decision, reinstating the rules that allow stakeholder input and he supports a process that seeks and respects fisherman's views. As long as Trump is president, fishing families like mine will have a voice. But if Biden wins, he'll be controlled by the environmental extremists who wants to circumvent long standing rules and impose radical changes that hurt our coastal communities.

I strongly support President Trump's reelection. When he sees something isn't right. He's fearless in fixing it. He listens to work in people. He nominates judges who respect the constitution and the right to life. He keeps his word, like eliminating the European tariffs and moving the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. I hope you will join me this time in voting for President Trump. Stand up for your country. Thank you.

CRIS PETERSON, WISCONSIN DAIRY FARMER: Good evening. My name is Chris Peterson. My husband Gary our family and I milk 1,000 cows on a dairy farm in Grantsburg, Wisconsin, a small middle of American town. Truth be told, until I married my cute farmer from Grantsburg. A long time ago, I was a city slicker from Minneapolis, which is about 70 miles south of us. Donald Trump became president in the middle of the Great Depression for dairy farmers in Wisconsin. In 2016, prices were horrible and longtime generational farmers across the nation were going out of business. In 2017, our 120 year old barn, which served as our milking center caught fire and burned to the ground. Our cows were spared but because they needed to be milked three times a day, farmers, friends and complete strangers from all over northern Wisconsin helped haul them to other farms where they stayed until we could rebuild.

By the end of 2018, we had a new state of the art robotic milking facility that allows our cows to milk themselves three times a day. At about the same time, President Trump's economic boon began helping dairy farmers across the nation. As a businessman, President Trump understands that farming is a complicated, capital intensive and risky business. More than any president in my lifetime, he's acknowledged the importance of farmers and agriculture.