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CNN Live Event/Special
Wisconsin Business Owner Supports President Trump At 2020 RNC; Cissie Graham Lynch Addresses The 2020 Republican National Convention; Iowa Governor Praises President Trump At 2020 RNC. Aired 9-10p ET
Aired August 25, 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]
CRIS PETERSON, WISCONSIN DAIRY FARMER: That support and focus on negotiating new trade deals gave us the confidence to rebuild our barn and dairy operation.
Business was booming again. And business boomed right until the COVID- 19 shutdown in March.
Many people probably don't realize that our country is one of the few in the world that produces nearly all of its own food. Fewer still understand how close our food production and distribution system came to collapsing this past spring. But President Trump understood, and again took steps to provide the supports we needed.
President Trump took the necessary action knowing that agriculture is our backbone and strength, critical to our national security. Our entire economy and dairy farming are once again roaring back. One person deserves the credit and our vote, President Donald J. Trump.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What was happening prior to President Trump, you had businesses that were over-regulated. Not a friendly environment at all to start a company.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My family stopped ranching about seven years ago. The regulations became so overbearing that the ranch was slowly sold off.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I lost businesses because of these regulations.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The factories in our towns closed. The businesses in our towns have shut. It got to the point finally that Middle America needed help. President Trump came in and was able to shed light on an area that had been so long left behind.
Tax Cut and Jobs Act was huge, especially for a community like ours that has a lot of small businesses, manufacturing, deregulation, fair trade, real life policy changes that affected real Americans.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: An amazing opportunity to get ahead to have our businesses to have our children educated. Of school choice. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That is something that's huge for parents right now, especially Black moms, whose kids are trapped in failing school districts.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Before COVID hit, Black unemployment rate was at the lowest ever.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I've seen the numbers of employees go up, and they're earning a lot more for their family than what they had previously.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What this Administration has done, simplifying the government, it's really cut the handcuffs off of America again, and allowed us to grow and move forward in a way that I have never seen in my lifetime.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You pull regulation and allow small companies to go out there and be able to play in the game. That is the American Dream.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: People feel that they can support and have a family, and they can build and make us stronger as Americans.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What could be taken away if he doesn't win again?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Joe Biden said the first thing he's going to do is increase taxes on everyone.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Overregulating and making it where a small business can't grow, that's taking away the American Dream.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think with the upcoming election, people just need to think about, what is better for them and their family.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The President's job is to be the CEO of our country. And he's doing his job.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He has improved jobs. He's improved health. He's improved wages. He's cut taxes. I could go on for an hour and a half.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The plan was working.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Everybody had a job, making money, spending money, boom out of bang (ph).
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My kids are going to look up to me, and say, you are the best mom for working, raising us. It's just tremendous what I could do, I guess.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is somebody who loves his country. He's truly fighting for the American people.
LARRY KUDLOW, WHITE HOUSE CHIEF ECONOMIC ADVISER: Hello, folks, you know me, from TV and radio, I'm Larry Kudlow.
Years ago, I worked for Ronald Reagan. More recently, I helped the team craft Donald Trump's economic plan during the campaign. It was a roaring success, inheriting a stagnant economy on the front-
end of recession, the program of tax cuts, historic rollback of onerous regulations that crippled small business, unleashing energy, to become the world's number one producer, and free, fair, and reciprocal trade deals to bolster manufacturing, agriculture, technology and other sectors.
The economy was rebuilt in three years. Unemployment fell to the lowest rate of 3.5 percent. Blue-collars, African-Americans, Hispanics, women, all groups benefited enormously.
Everyone was better off. A rising tide lifted all boats. Then, came a once-in-100-year pandemic. It was awful. Health and economic impacts were tragic. Hardship and heartbreak were everywhere.
[21:05:00]
But Presidential leadership came swiftly and effectively, with an extraordinary rescue for health and safety to successfully fight the COVID virus. A great bipartisan rescue also saved the economy.
Right now, our economic health is coming back. With emergency spending and tax cuts, Americans are going back to work.
There's a housing boom, there's an auto boom, a manufacturing boom, a consumer spending boom. Stocks are in record territory. A V-shaped recovery is pointing to better than 20 percent growth in the second half of this year.
Now, looking ahead, more tax cuts and regulatory rollback will be in store, payroll tax cuts for higher wages, income tax cuts for the middle-class, capital gains tax cuts for investment, productivity, and jobs, much more regulatory relief for small businesses.
In economic terms, folks, this is no time for a $4 trillion tax hike. Coming out of the deep pandemic, who in their right mind would pick the pockets of taxpayers and drain money from their wallets and purses?
Look, our economic choice is very clear. Do you want economic health, prosperity, opportunity and optimism? Or do you want to turn back to the dark days of stagnation, recession and pessimism?
I believe there can't be better economic policies than we've had in recent years. So, I say, stay with them. Thank you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(MUSIC)
JOHN PETERSON, WISCONSIN BUSINESS OWNER: I am John Peterson, owner of a second-generation metal fabrication business called Schuette Metals. We've been stamping our products and services "Made in the USA" since 1957.
My brother and I purchased the business from my uncles, almost 38 years ago. What was a 12-person shop has now grown into a company, employing 165 people today.
Like most companies that are successful over the long run, we had to reinvent ourselves as the market changed. Six years ago, we invested heavily in our business, just as a Great Recession appeared.
Barack Obama and Joe Biden, two career politicians who knew nothing about business, couldn't get the government out of our way, and it put our business in a tailspin. Sadly, we were forced to make decisions, which included cutting staff, a torturous experience when our employees are like family.
The Obama/Biden era banking regulations left us no choice. It tied our lenders' hands, and deprived us of the lifeblood of any business, capital. We scratched and we clawed for two years, and then everything changed.
Donald Trump was elected president. And he knew what it was like to build a company and create jobs.
One of the first things he did was to cut red tape and put an end to draconian-type banking regulations. He also cut taxes on small businesses, allowing us to be more competitive, both domestically and internationally. In fact, we increased revenues by 25 percent, for two years in a row.
By getting rid of the job-killing NAFTA, and negotiating the U.S.- Mexican-Canada trade agreement, President Trump ensured a more competitive playing field for American companies.
Even with all the challenges presented by the Coronavirus, President Trump is re-building and our economy is roaring back again.
But when I hear that Joe Biden is ready to raise taxes, crush us with regulations, and to weaken our international trade position, I shudder. We simply cannot endure a Biden-induced recession. Some will struggle. Some will not survive. And working men and women of America will get crushed yet again.
This is not time to hand our government over to a washed-up career politician, who will be nothing but a puppet of the radical-Left Democrats.
As a life-long resident of Wisconsin, I'm a fan of the Badger football team.
Many may not realize that the Wisconsin Badgers and the President share three common qualities. They are smart, they're tough and they're dependable. As a businessman, I can tell you that those qualities we need in our country's leader, and that's why we need to re-elect Donald J. Trump.
Thank you, and God bless America.
[21:10:00]
(MUSIC) TEXT: TRUMP 2020 THE RNC CONVENTION.
CISSIE GRAHAM LYNCH, REV. BILLY GRAHAM'S GRANDDAUGHTER: Good evening, I'm Cissie Graham Lynch. And I'm honored to speak to you tonight about something that is so important to all of us, our faith.
As Americans, we know the first line of the First Amendment protects our freedom of religion. But what we often forget, the actual words are "Free exercise" of religion. That means living out our faith in our daily lives, in our schools, in our jobs, and yes, even in the public square.
Our Founders did not envision a quiet, hidden faith. They fought to ensure that the voices of faith were always welcomed. Not silenced. Not bullied.
But during the Obama-Biden Administration, these freedoms were under attack.
Democrats tried to make faith organizations pay for abortion-inducing drugs. Democrats tried to force adoption agencies to violate their deeply-held beliefs. Democrats pressured schools to allow boys to compete in girls' sports and use girls' locker rooms.
Those are the facts.
But then, We the People, elected Donald Trump, people of faith suddenly had a fierce advocate in the White House.
He appointed judges who respect the First Amendment.
He supported religious beliefs in court. He ensured religious ministries would not be forced to violate their beliefs.
He withdrew the policies that placed our little girls at risk.
And, on the world stage, President Trump became the first president to talk about the importance of religious freedom, at the United Nations, giving hope to people of faith around the world.
In America, we have not yet experienced physical persecution, even though the Left has tried to silence us.
Even during the pandemic, we saw how quickly life can change. Some Democratic leaders tried to ban the church services while marijuana shops and abortion clinics were declared "Essential."
But, you know what truly is essential? Our right to worship freely, and live our faith, in every aspect of life.
The Biden-Harris vision for America leaves no room for people of faith.
Whether you're a baker, a florist, or a football coach, they will force the choice between being obedient to God, or to Caesar. Because the radical-Left's God is "Government power." So, in the words of my grandfather, Billy Graham, "Let us stand for political freedom, moral freedom, religious freedom, and the rights of all Americans, and let's never give in to those who would attempt to take it from us."
Tonight, I'm proudly standing in that public square. And I hope and pray you would join me in voting to re-elect President Trump.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST, THE SITUATION ROOM WITH WOLF BLITZER: Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, and first lady, Melania Trump, they are still ahead. We'll take a quick break. We'll be right back.
[21:15:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Welcome back to Night Two of the Republican National Convention, the first lady, Melania Trump, and the Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, they are coming up.
But right now, the Anti-Abortion Activist, Abby Johnson.
(MUSIC)
ABBY JOHNSON, ANTI-ABORTION ACTIVIST: My name is Abby Johnson. And I spent eight years working for Planned Parenthood. But today, I am a pro-life activist.
When I was in college, Planned Parenthood approached me at a volunteer fair. They talked about helping women in crisis, and their commitment to keep abortion "Safe, legal and rare."
I was convinced to volunteer and later offered a full-time job as a Medical Assistant before my promotion to Director of the clinic.
I truly believed I was helping women. But things drastically changed in 2009.
In April, I was awarded Planned Parenthood's Employee of the Year award and invited to their annual gala where they present the Margaret Sanger Award, named for their Founder.
And Margaret Sanger was a racist who believed in eugenics. Her goal, when founding Planned Parenthood, was to eradicate the minority population.
Today, almost 80 percent of Planned Parenthood abortion facilities are strategically located in minority neighborhoods. And, every year, Planned Parenthood celebrates its racist roots by presenting the Margaret Sanger award.
Later, in August, my supervisor assigned me a new quota to meet, an abortion quota. I was expected to sell double the abortions performed the previous year. When I pushed back, underscoring Planned Parenthood's public-facing goal of decreasing abortions, I was reprimanded, and told, "Abortion is how we make our money." But the tipping point came a month later, when a physician asked me to assist with an ultrasound-guided abortion.
Nothing prepared me for what I saw on the screen, an unborn baby fighting back, desperate to move away from the suction. And I'll never forget what the doctor said next, "Beam me up, Scotty." The last thing I saw was a spine twirling around in the mother's womb before succumbing to the force of the suction.
On October 6th, I left the clinic, looking back only to remember why I now advocate so passionately for life. I founded and currently run "And Then There Were None," a non-profit organization that's helped nearly 600 abortion workers transition out of the industry.
For most people, who consider themselves pro-life, abortion is abstract. They can't even conceive of the barbarity.
They don't know about the Products of Conception room in abortion clinics, where infant corpses are pieced back together to ensure nothing remains in the mothers' wombs or that we joked and called it the "Pieces of Children" room.
You see, for me, abortion is real. I know what it sounds like. I know what abortion smells like. Did you know abortion even had a smell? I've been the perpetrator to these babies, to these women.
And I now support President Trump because he has done more for the unborn than any other President.
During his first month in office, he banned federal funds for global health groups that promote abortion. That same year, he overturned an Obama-Biden rule that allowed government subsidy of abortion.
He appointed a record number of pro-life judges, including two Supreme Court Justices. And importantly, he announced a new rule, protecting the rights of healthcare workers objecting to abortion, many of whom I work with every day.
[21:20:00]
Life is a core tenet of who we are as Americans. And this election is a choice between two radical anti-life activists, and the most pro- life President we have ever had. That's something that should compel you to action.
Go door-to-door, make calls, talk to your neighbors and friends, and vote on November 3rd, take action that re-elects our President, and do it with our very most vulnerable Americans in mind, the ones who haven't been born yet.
(MUSIC)
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It began as a class trip to join thousands for the annual March for Life. These Catholic young men traveled from Kentucky to stand up for what they believed in, but what happened was something very different.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Crackers with a Make America Great hat on.
You little, dirty (BEEP) crackers. Your day coming. Young Klansmen!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Look at that Make America Great Again hat!
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Social media, the news, and even celebrities launched a campaign of persecution that was completely false against a boy in a Make America Great Again hat.
DON LEMON, CNN HOST, CNN TONIGHT WITH DON LEMON: The MAGA hat carries a certain connotation that provokes a conditioned reaction.
BILL MAHER, REAL TIME WITH BILL MAHER HOST, HBO: I blame that (BEEP) kid. What a little prick.
TREVOR NOAH, THE DAILY SHOW HOST, COMEDY CENTRAL: Everyone that sees that smug look wants to punch that kid.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Nicholas Sandmann received death threats and his school was forced to close. Tonight, Nicholas tells his story.
NICHOLAS SANDMANN, FORMER COVINGTON CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT: Good evening, everyone. My name is Nick Sandmann, and I'm the teenager who was defamed by the media, after an encounter with a group of protesters, on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, last year.
Before I begin, I'd like to thank President Trump for the opportunity to share some of my story, and why it matters so much to this November's election.
In 2019, I attended the March for Life in Washington D.C., where I demonstrated in defense of the unborn.
Later that day, I bought a Make America Great Again hat because our President, Donald Trump, has distinguished himself as one of the most pro-life presidents in the history of our country, and I wanted to express my support for him, too.
Looking back now, how could I have possibly imagined that the simple act of putting on that red hat would unleash hate from the Left, and make myself the target of network and cable news networks' nationwide?
Being from Kentucky, the birthplace of Abraham Lincoln, my classmates and I visited the Lincoln Memorial.
I found myself face-to-face with Nathan Phillips and other professional protestors, looking to turn me into the latest poster child, showing why Trump is bad.
While the media portrayed me as an aggressor with a relentless smirk on my face, in reality, the video confirms, I was standing with my hands behind my back and an awkward smile on my face that had two thoughts. One, don't do anything that might further agitate the man banging a
drum in my face. And two, I was trying to follow a family friend's advice, never to do anything to embarrass your family, your school, or your community.
Before I knew what was happening, it was over. One of Mr. Phillips' fellow agitators yelled out, "We got him. It's all right here on video. And we won, Grandpa." What I thought was a strange encounter, quickly developed into a major news story complete with video footage.
My life changed forever in that one moment. The full war machine of the mainstream media revved up into attack mode. They did so without researching the full video of the incident, without ever investigating Mr. Phillips' motives, or without ever asking me for my side of the story.
And do you know why? Because the truth was not important. Advancing their anti-Christian, anti-Conservative, anti-Donald Trump narrative was all that mattered. And if advancing their narrative ruined the reputation and future of a teenager from Covington, Kentucky, well, so be it. That would teach him not to wear a MAGA hat.
I learned what was happening to me had a name. It was called being canceled, as in annulled, as in revoked, as in made void.
Canceled is what's happening to people around this country, who refuse to be silenced by the far-Left. Many are being fired, humiliated, or even threatened. And often, the media is a willing participant.
[21:25:00]
But I would not be canceled. I fought back hard to expose the media for what they did to me, and I won a personal victory.
While much more must be done, I look forward to the day that the media returns to providing balanced, responsible and accountable news coverage. I know President Trump hopes for that too.
And I know you'll agree with me when we say that no one in this country has been a victim of unfair media coverage more than President Donald Trump.
In November, I believe this country must unite around a President, who calls the media out and refuses to allow them to create a narrative instead of reporting the facts.
I believe we must join a President who will challenge the media to return to objective journalism. And together, I believe we must all embrace our First Amendment rights, and not hide in fear of the media or from the tech companies or from the outraged mob, either.
This is worth fighting for. This is worth voting for. And this is what Donald Trump stands for.
Thank you all for listening to me tonight.
And one more thing, let's Make America Great Again!
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(MUSIC)
PAM BONDI (R) FORMER FLORIDA ATTORNEY GENERAL: I'm Pam Bondi. Our Party's theme tonight is "America: The Land of Opportunity." And listening to the stories of discoveries and deliverance, you can't help but be proud to call this country home.
But for Joe Biden, it's been the land of opportunism, not opportunity.
As a career prosecutor, and former Attorney General of Florida, I fought corruption, and I know what it looks like, whether it's done by people wearing pinstripe suits or orange jumpsuits.
At the Democrats' Convention, we were told to look at Joe Biden as the model of integrity. But when you look at his 47-year career in politics, the people who benefited are his family members, not the American people.
Let's take a closer look. We all know about Joe's son, Hunter Biden. A corrupt Ukrainian oligarch put Hunter on the Board of his gas company, even though he had no experience in Ukraine or in the energy sector.
None! Yet, he was paid millions to do nothing. He only had one qualification that mattered. He was the son of the man in charge of distributing U.S. aid to Ukraine.
And recently-reported information revealed that a few months after Hunter Biden joined that corrupt company's Board, the Obama/Biden State Department began doing business with them, even when it remained under investigation for corruption.
And it gets worse. That very same company was being investigated by a Ukrainian prosecutor. Joe Biden, the Vice President of the United States threatened to withhold aid to Ukraine unless that same prosecutor was fired. And then, he was fired.
Hunter only resigned from that Board just before his dad announced his Campaign for President.
Now, let's talk about China. Fact, Joe Biden flew to China on Air Force Two with Hunter along for the ride. They said he was just there as a family member. But we know that's untrue.
In Beijing, Hunter didn't just go sight-seeing. He had meetings with his Chinese bank partners. Hunter even arranged for his dad to meet with one of the partners.
10 days later, those Chinese Communist bankers approved millions to go to Hunter's firm. And those bankers work for the Chinese Communist Party, which oppresses their people, cheated American workers for decades, and covered up a deadly virus.
To this day, Hunter controls a 10 percent stake in that firm. And Joe Biden's done more than look the other way on China. He said, "The Chinese aren't our competition. Come on, man, they're not bad folks."
Come on, Joe, talk to the folks in Middle America, who lost countless jobs to China, while your son was getting rich with them.
But there's more. Fact, there have been numerous press reports that have shown other close Biden family members benefited from Joe's 47- year political career.
[21:30:00]
Joe Biden was point person on Iraq. The President of a construction firm met with Biden's team in the White House, and then, who did they hire to build thousands of houses in Iraq?
Joe Biden's close family member, who, you guessed it, had no experience in the industry, and no experience in Iraq.
A company official bragged that it helps to have a family member, the Vice President as partner. The family member put it more bluntly, by saying, "There's a line of 747s filled with cash ready to invest."
Now, let's follow the money down South.
Again, as reported in the press, yet another close family member of Joe's set his sights on Costa Rica and Jamaica, where millions of dollars flowed from the Obama/Biden Administration in taxpayer-backed loans to projects linked to, yes, that same family member.
These aren't isolated incidents. It is a deliberate pattern of conduct. And that's just what he did as Vice President. Imagine what he'd do as President!
How many American families would be allowed to get away with this? Why should there be one standard for the elite political class and another set of rules for the rest of us?
When millions of Americans voted for Donald Trump, they knew he'd be different, and he is. He's a tough no-nonsense outsider who can't be bought or intimidated. He won't even take a paycheck from the American people. He donates his paycheck to charities across this country.
Democrats have been lecturing America about integrity for four years while their nominee has been writing the textbook on abuse of power for 40 years. If they want to make this election a choice between who's saving America and who's swindling America, bring it on.
Joe says he'll build back better. Yes, build the Bidens back better.
Our President is in this to build a safer, better, and stronger America. And he will finish what he started to keep this a real land of opportunity for everyone.
If you want to check your voting status, secure your ballot or register to vote, text VOTE to 88022.
Remember, the best is yet to come. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(MUSIC)
TEXT: The day will come when men will recognize woman as his peer,
not only at the fireside, but in councils of the nation.
Then, and not until then, will there be the perfect comradeship,
the ideal union between the sexes that shall result in
the highest development of the race.
Susan B. Anthony.
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: Women have played a very, very big role, the level of genius is unbelievable, frankly.
MERCEDES SCHLAPP, FORMER WHITE HOUSE DIRECTOR OF STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS: You're what? You've got 70 years, 80 years on this Earth? What are you going to do with it? Are you going to make that difference? Are you going to say "I was there for the big battles in our country to save America?" It's what I feel very much felt to do ever since I was a very young girl.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: In 2016, Donald Trump made his historic run for the Office of United States President, knowing the monumental task he would be undertaking.
He rested all of his hopes for winning on one woman. Because of that trust, he became the 45th President of the United States, and Kellyanne Conway became the first woman in U.S. history to manage a winning presidential campaign.
KELLYANNE CONWAY, FORMER CAMPAIGN MANAGER FOR TRUMP 2016: This President has been a champion for women, mostly because he speaks to them, as if they can handle and tackle all issues.
KIMBERLY GUILFOYLE, LEAD RE-ELECTION CAMPAIGN FUNDRAISER FOR TRUMP 2020: I don't want a job because of my gender. I want the job because I'm the best person for that position. That's it. And he respects that. And he appreciates hard work. You can't ask for anything better, especially in a boss.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: President Trump continues to place strong women into significant positions throughout his Administration, and campaign, far more than any other President in U.S. history.
BROOKE ROLLINS: That he has had and does have more women on his top team than any president before, but it actually goes down to his deputy assistants, too, his special assistants too, are awesome teams throughout the West Wing.
KATRINA PIERSON, COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTANT, FORMER NATIONAL SPOKESPERSON FOR TRUMP'S CAMPAIGN 2016: And when he called me, and said, "I want you to represent my entire campaign," I became the first Black woman to represent a Republican presidential campaign, winning presidential campaign in United States' history.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Throughout his career, Trump has always touted "Family first" as a core value.
[21:35:00]
He shows this, especially with his choices of press secretaries, choosing Sarah Sanders, the first mother to become a Press Secretary, Stephanie Grisham, the first single mother to serve as Press Secretary, and Kayleigh McEnany, who transitioned into the job, while also transitioning into the job of mom.
ROLLINS: I have four children. Kellyanne Conway has four children. Ivanka has it. I think between all the senior staff women, I have 75 kids. I'm not sure. We've lost count. But the importance of the work is never lost on any of us, and truly, it is those children that we are fighting for, and for their future.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: With these capable women placed in positions of powerful influence and authority, President Trump has proven that when the stakes are highest, he is proud to entrust many of our nation's most crucial jobs to women.
ROLLINS: The number of dedicated, amazing brilliant relentless women that are dedicated to the country, and to the President, and to preserving the American Dream is one of the greatest, if not the greatest things I'll ever be a part of.
TEXT: Nations that empower women are much wealthier, safer,
and much more politically stable.
President Donald J. Trump.
RONNA MCDANIEL, CHAIR OF THE REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE: Only the President would say, "Let's take that stay-home mom and have her run the Party." What a smart guy!
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[21:40:00]
TIFFANY TRUMP, DAUGHTER OF PRESIDENT TRUMP: Good evening. I'm Tiffany Trump. Since speaking at the Republican Convention four years ago, so much has changed for the world, for our country and for my family. Like so many students across the world, I graduated from law school during the pandemic. Our generation is unified in the facing the future in uncertain times. And many of us are considering what kind of country we want to live in.
As a recent graduate, I can relate to so many of you who might be looking for a job. My father built a thriving economy once, and, believe me, he will do it again. This election, I urge each and every one of you to transcend political boundaries. This is a fight for freedom versus oppression, for opportunity versus stagnation, a fight to keep America true to America.
I urge you to make judgment based on results and not rhetoric. If you believe in criminal justice reform, there is only one president that passed the First Step Act, giving people a second chance, a chance at a life once again.
And if you believe in expanding quality and affordable health care, only President Trump, my father, signed the Right to Try into law, the favored nations clause and other actions to lower drug prices and keep Americans from getting ripped off.
People must recognize that our thoughts, our opinions and even the choice of who we are voting for may and are being manipulated and visibly coerced by the media and tech giants. If you tune into the media, you get one biased opinion or another. And what you share, if it does not fit into the narrative that they seek to promote, then it is either ignored or deemed a lie, regardless of the truth.
This manipulation of what information we receive impedes our freedoms. Rather than allowing Americans the right to form our own beliefs, this misinformation system keeps people mentally enslaved to the ideas they deem correct. This has fostered unnecessary fear and divisiveness amongst us.
Why are so many in media and technology and even in our own government so invested in promoting a biased and fabricated view?
Ask yourselves why are we prevented from seeing certain information? Why is one viewpoint promoted while others are hidden?
The answer is control, because division and controversy breed profit. But what are the consequences when only one side of the story gets out or when only one viewpoint is acceptable?
For our education system, it meant sacrificing civil debate by creating an atmosphere where students with contrary opinions are too afraid to speak. Many students find themselves suppressed in their beliefs to fit into what the acceptable groupthink is.
In short. our nation suffers by inhibiting our diversity of thought and inclusion of ideas. Working together outside of our political comfort zones, we'll accomplish so much more.
Some cynical politicians do not seem to believe in the miracle of America. Well, I do. As Maximo Alvarez said so eloquently last night, if freedom is lost in this country, there is nowhere else to go.
Having hope is not weakness. And believing in miracles is a gift from God. So tonight, I want to tell you the uncensored truth of what we believe in.
We believe in equality of opportunity. We believe in freedom of thought and expression. Think what you want. Seek out the truth. Learn from those with different opinions. And then freely make your voice heard to the world.
We believe in school choice, because a child's zip code in America should not determine their future. We believe in freedom of religion for all faiths. And we believe in the American spirit, a country founded on ideas, not identity, a country where our differences are embraced, and the only country where the word "dream" has been attached to it. Because, in America, your life is yours to chart.
So if you're hearing these things and thinking to yourself, "That is the kind of country that I want to live in," well, whether you realize it or not, you are a Trump supporter. I encourage you to see beyond the facade that so many other politicians employ. They mask themselves in disguises of decency, as they try to pressure us to mask our own identities and beliefs.
My father is the only person to challenge the establishment, the entrenched bureaucracy, big pharma and media monopolies, to ensure that Americans' constitutional freedoms are upheld and that justice and truth prevail.
My father does not run away from challenges, even in in the face of outright hatred. Because fighting for America is something he will sacrifice anything for. He dreams big dreams for our country. And he is relentless at achieving them.
You see, "Make America Great Again" is not a slogan for my father. It is what drives him to keep his promise of doing what is right for American citizens.
The energy of change and opportunity is with us. God has blessed us with unstoppable spirit, His spirit, the American spirit. My dad has proven to be driven by that spirit. He has demonstrated his faith in his uncompromising heart and actions.
My father has made me believe that America can truly be great again. If you care about living your life without restraints, about rebelling against those who would suppress your voice, and building your American dream, then the choice in this election is clear. A vote for my father, Donald J. Trump, is a vote to uphold our American ideals.
Be true to yourself, and stay true to the dream of America. Thank you, and God bless you all.
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GOV. KIM REYNOLDS (R-IA): I'm Kim Reynolds, Governor of the great State of Iowa. I love this State, and I'm so proud to serve its people.
Iowa truly is a land of opportunity. It's the birthplace of the computer. It's a landmark of the financial services industry. And, as so many of you already know, it's filled with farmland that feeds and fuels the world.
It's also home to people who care for one another, who work hard, who love this country, and are truly grateful for the freedoms it provides.
As I like to say, Iowa is one big, small town. Neighbor helping neighbor is in our DNA. From the sick farmer who can't harvest his crops, to the single mom who loses her job, and is struggling to get back on her feet, the town, the community, helps them get through it.
But what happens when a storm rips through almost the entire State? When it's not one farmer who lost his crop but hundreds? When it's not one neighbor who is without food, but thousands?
That happened, just two weeks ago. A storm called a derecho, with hurricane-force winds of up to 140 miles per hour, wiped out millions of acres of crops, left thousands without power. It destroyed homes, wrecked lives, and left devastation in its wake. It was the worst storm in our State's history.
And Iowans did what you expect Iowans to do. They helped each other. They took care of each other. And they still are.
But someone else had our back, our President.
When the winds had finished raging, and the cleanup had only begun, he showed up. Now, you might not know that because the national media didn't report it. But the Trump Administration was here, in full force.
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The day after the storm, the President called to assure me that we had the full backing of the Federal government. And, later that week, Vice President Pence came to Iowa to again assure us that the President and his Administration were behind us.
With the help of the Trump Administration, we quickly received a major disaster declaration that will help Iowans get back on their feet. The President, he cut through the bureaucracy to do what needed to be done, and to do it quickly.
But that's not the first time President Trump showed Iowans that we can rely on him.
In 2019, when 100-year floods breached nearly every levee and devastated communities, large and small, along the Missouri River in Iowa, Nebraska and Missouri, the President approved our request for aid in record time, in just two days. Well this year, he did it in less than 24 hours.
So, whether it's providing needed relief to farmers, who were the target of China's unfair trade practices, hammering out new free and fair trade deals, or fighting for workers, and small businesses, who were hit hard by COVID-19, we have a President and a Vice President who get things done.
And because of President Trump, and his leadership, our county is able to bounce back from setbacks, and see opportunity grow and thrive. This is an Administration of action and outcomes. They are delivering every day on their promise to make America great again. And that's exactly why we need to re-elect President Donald J. Trump in November.
Thank you. And may God bless the United States of America.
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MIKE PENCE, VICE PRESIDENT, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (voice-over): America, the land of opportunity, a country where your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other.
PENCE (on camera): Abraham Lincoln's words, from 165 years ago, still resonate today because of who we are, and because of what we are.
A country where a boy born into poverty in a log cabin, raised right here on the frontier of Indiana, could educate himself, become a lawyer, become a President of the United States, who would preserve the union, abolish slavery and save the nation.
PENCE (voice-over): As a fellow Hoosier, visiting Lincoln's boyhood home has always been a treasured experience for me and my family. It's a place that made Lincoln. It shaped Lincoln, and defined the man that Lincoln would become.
PENCE (on camera): America is the land of opportunity. As President Donald Trump declared at Mount Rushmore, "In America, you can do anything, you can be anything and, together, we can achieve anything."
PENCE (voice-over): Every day, President Donald Trump is fighting to protect the promise of American liberty. Every day, our President's been fighting to expand the reach of the American Dream. And, on every single day, without fail, President Donald Trump has been fighting for you.
PENCE (on camera): So tonight, I'd like to introduce you to a few remarkable Americans who represent that solemn pledge, who embody our President's unbreakable devotion to ensuring that America is a land of unlimited opportunity for all.
PENCE (voice-over): Jack is an 8-year-old from Wisconsin, who was struggling academically and socially in school. And Jack's mom Sarah, who works three jobs, to support her son, applied for Wisconsin's School Choice Voucher Program.
SARAH, JACK'S MOTHER: We're glad that we were able to get the School Choice Voucher to go to that school.
With Jack, he would have slipped through the cracks in public schools. And having the option to go to a school that fits him has been a real game-changer for us.
And I know that because of that opportunity that he's going to succeed, and he's going to achieve that goal of being an Apparatus Engineer, if that's what he chooses to stick with.
PENCE (voice-over): Laura McLinn is the mother of another inspiring boy, Jordan.
Jordan has Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a fatal muscle weakening disorder. Jordan was at my side in Indiana, when, as Governor, I signed a law allowing terminally-ill patients to access experimental drugs not yet approved by the FDA.
In 2018, President Trump signed the landmark federal Right to Try bill into law. Thanks to the President's leadership, critically-ill patients have the right to access life-saving experimental treatments.
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LAURA MCLINN, JORDAN MCLINN'S MOTHER: We started fighting for Right to Try, which basically says, if you have a terminal illness, and there's a drug that exists, and you don't qualify for the clinical trial, there's no other way to receive it. This is a unique pathway that allows you to have access.
You made us a promise, back in Indiana, that you would do whatever it took to help Jordan, and we're so grateful that you joined us on this journey, and stuck it out until it became law, so that other people could access treatments.
PENCE (on camera): So, Jordan, if President Trump was standing, right there, what would you say to him today about Right to Try?
JORDAN MCLINN, LAURA MCLINN'S SON: Thank you for being a hero to everybody in the country.
PENCE (on camera): Judge Cheryl Allen made history in 2007, when she became the first African-American woman to be elected to serve on the Pennsylvania Superior Court.
PENCE (voice-over): It's because of leaders like Judge Allen that our nation has overcome our greatest challenges.
PENCE (on camera): In this time of racial division in the country--
JUDGE CHERYL LYNN ALLEN: Yes.
PENCE (on camera): --do you see faith and values and--
ALLEN: Absolutely.
PENCE (on camera): --the strong stand that President Trump has taken for equality of opportunity as a pathway toward bringing the country together?
ALLEN: As a senior citizen, I will leave it at that, I know what racism feels like. But I also know that but for my being in this country, I would have never been able to achieve the things that I have been able to achieve. There are injustices. But the way to deal with those injustices is for
people to sit down, across the table, and talk, and come up with solutions. I do believe that President Trump is committed to that.
In 2016, I have to confess, that I really did not know candidate Trump at the time. But I have to say that he really won me over.
PENCE (voice-over): Geno is a truck driver from Ohio, who heard politicians, for years make empty promises, about defending American jobs, only to see those promises broken, again and again.
But in 2019, when General Motors closed its plant in Lordstown, Ohio, President Donald Trump refused to stand by and watch it happen. And, as Geno observed, this President reached out to General Motors to find a way to bring jobs back to Lordstown, and plans were soon set into motion to create Lordstown Motors.
GENO DIFABIO, OHIO TRUCK DRIVER: President Trump says this is how we fix it, and I thought well that's a simple solution. There's no other President and then there's no one that has even tried to do it.
President Trump is a doer. He appreciates every one of us, and I know he does. I've seen it. When he said, "Make America Great Again," that was his task. That wasn't - that wasn't his slogan. That was his task.
And every hat you see that says MAGA on it, that's what your President is doing for you. Thank you Mr. President for keeping the promises that you made.
PENCE (voice-over): And then there's Pastor Aaron Johnson. Today, he's the Executive Director of the Tulsa Dream Center, a non-profit that provides education and medical services and food to those in need.
PENCE (on camera): A.J., you've got a great personal story, when you see the way this President, this Administration have been leaning in, to create opportunities, investments, in communities around the country, to create jobs, expanding educational choice, what does that mean to the families that you serve every day?
PASTOR AARON JOHNSON, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, TULSA DREAM CENTER: It means so much to our families. I did grow up in a single-parent home. And so, we serve over 600 boys and girls, right now, on a daily basis, even in COVID.
And so, for us, to give these moms to have an opportunity to take more money on their check, on their paycheck home back to them, to have their children be able to go to a school that they may not have the opportunity to otherwise, it means so much to us.
There's been so much greater opportunity for individuals to come together in any walk of life. People have really been able to see such a positive change, and been filled with hope, especially throughout this time.
PENCE (voice-over): Lidia left hearth and home, friends and family in Honduras, to pursue a better life, here in America. While raising their four daughters, Lidia and her husband run a small business that creates security systems.
But, just months after their business, was up and running, our nation was struck by a global pandemic. That's when President Donald Trump stepped in, and enacted the largest financial relief package in American history. Her small business stayed in business. And her American Dream kept running strong.
PENCE (on camera): What did the Paycheck Protection Program mean to your company as the Coronavirus struck?
LIDIA BRODINE: Yes, it was a huge tremendous help, and a big blessings. And so, we applied. We were accepted really quickly. We were so grateful. We can't believe how much relief we have.
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We want to continue serving our clients. We want to continue growing our economy, right? We want to all continue to move forward. So, we were able to make it, because of the support of family and friends, the government.
I tell my children, they are born here in the U.S. And I tell them, you are so blessed to live in America.
PENCE (on camera): Here at Abraham Lincoln's boyhood home, a young man would grow up to become the first Republican President of the United States. And today, another Republican President is fighting to preserve that same noble legacy of freedom.
And President Donald Trump will make certain that the torch of American opportunity illuminates every city, every town and every community in this blessed land.
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RYAN HOLETS, ADOPTED HOMELESS ADDICT'S BABY: Hi. I'm Ryan Holets. I'm a Police Officer from New Mexico.
In 2017, I had an encounter that changed my life forever. I had just started my shift and responded to a call for service at a gas station. When I arrived, I saw a man and a woman sitting on a grassy slope.
I recognized the telltale signs, a needle, a spoon. I knew immediately that they were preparing to inject themselves with heroin. Sadly, this is a common sight for me. I encounter the ravages of addiction every day.
But, nothing could prepare me for what I discovered as I approached them. The woman was very pregnant. In my shock, I asked her if she knew that she was harming her baby by doing drugs. She crumbled, and burst into tears.
Two worlds collided, as I knelt down beside her, a police officer and a homeless drug addict, brought together by forces outside of our control. As we talked, our humanity, distinct from our stations in life, was made abundantly clear. Her name was Crystal, and in the midst of her suffering, she confided that she loved her unborn baby. She wanted the best for her child.
In that moment, I saw her the way that all of you, who know and love an addict, see them, as fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, children, cousins, and friends, as human beings full of value and dignity, but robbed of their potential by this disease.
When Crystal said that she was looking for a family to adopt her baby, God showed me exactly what I had to do. Without hesitation, I told her that my family would welcome her baby through adoption.
Today, our beautiful daughter, Hope, is a thriving 2-year-old. Crystal is fast-approaching three years of recovery. She is a dear friend and a constant inspiration to me and others.
I hold a special place in my heart for those facing opioid addiction. And that's why I'm enormously grateful to the President for his leadership in fighting this deadly enemy. Through his efforts, we're turning the tide on the crisis of addiction.
President Trump declared the opioid crisis to be a public health emergency and then secured $6 billion in new federal funding to help Americans fight opioid abuse. He invested an additional $100 million to stop the opioid crisis in rural America.
And in a move that strikes at the root of the problem, he implemented a Safer Prescribing Plan, aimed at reducing opioid prescriptions by over a third within three years. This is an effort that stops addiction before it ever gains a hold in someone's life.
And it's having an impact!
Drug overdose deaths decreased in 2018 for the first time in 30 years. Many of the states hardest hit by the opioid crisis are seeing the largest drop in deaths. We're seeing that doctors are writing fewer prescriptions for opioid pain drugs. These are significant improvements that have a meaningful impact.
I think we are fortunate, America, to have a President who cares deeply for the downtrodden, and who works tirelessly to find solutions, a President who doesn't just talk about problems, but stops and helps.
President Trump is the leader we've needed the last four years. And he is the leader we need for the next four. You see, Donald Trump is the right President at the right time. Let's make sure he's re-elected on November 3rd!
I pray God's blessings on you and your family, and may God bless America.
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LT. GOV. JEANETTE NUNEZ (R) FLORIDA: Good evening, my name is Jeanette Nunez, and I'm proud to serve as Lieutenant Governor of the great State of Florida.
Tonight, I'm honored to share my story of faith, family, and American freedom.
As the daughter of Cuban immigrants, my story began in--
