The theme of yesterday’s convention was “Make America Work Again”, and speakers were to take aim at Obama’s record on the economy. “Even Trump’s most die-hard fans are aware he has all sorts of issues… that people, including themselves, may find objectionable”, she says. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said Clinton has “a tortured relationship to the truth”.
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Trump himself briefly appeared in a videotaped statement: “This is a movement, but we have to go all the way”, he said. But sporadic boos could be heard as some states attempted to award delegates to Trump’s Republican primary competitors.
The tallying of the votes was followed by a display of Trump’s two-track persuasion effort: Testimonials vouching for his character – delivered by his family – and searing indictments of Democratic rival Hillary Clinton’s character – delivered by the rest of the party.
But the RNC and Trump campaign whipped the vote during a brief delay in proceedings and enough delegates pulled out that the effort failed – sparking a roar of boos and chants of “roll call vote” from angry delegates who stood on their chairs and shouted their displeasure.
Trump was put over the top by his home state of NY.
While politicians at the podium heaped criticism on Clinton, Trump’s children made direct appeals in favor of Trump.
“Melania Trump said “the strengths of your dream and the willingness to work for them”, Twilight Sparkle from My Little Pony said ‘this is your dream, anything you can do in your dreams you can do now”.
Trump has previously vowed to eliminate the EPA and roll back some of America’s most ambitious environmental policies, actions that he says would revive the USA oil and coal industries and bolster national security.
Clinton said the first day of the Republican gathering had been “surreal”, comparing it to the classic fantasy film “Wizard of Oz”.
Perhaps Donald Trump benefited from the distraction as people focused on the speech rather than talking about the attempted rebellion over the rules that was quashed Monday. Iowa delegate Cecil Stinemetz said he continues to believe Trump is “the worst nominee that we have put forward for the Republican Party in the history of the Republican Party”. “Chip in now to make sure he never sets foot in the Oval Office”.
In real life, Trump came on stage to introduce what would turn out to be a disastrous speech by his wife Melania Trump, in which she delivered lines from Michelle Obama’s 2008 Democratic National Convention speech.
Trump’s campaign hoped the convention would also highlight a kinder, gentler side of the brash candidate.
In a press conference live from the RNC on Tuesday morning, Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort seemed irate while fielding questions from reporters about Melania’s speech and the suggestion that it was plagiarized.
Many Republican leaders stayed away from the convention, still wary of being associated with the divisive candidate and unsure how his nomination impacts their own political futures.
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Police officers prepare to cordon off protesters at Cleveland’s Public Square near the site of the Republican National Convention Tuesday. His vice presidential pick, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, was also formally nominated.
