Republican Convention Day 3: You won’t be safe under Joe Biden, Pence warns. ‘Donald Trump gets up every day to fight for you’
Vice President Mike Pence says Donald Trump ‘does things his own way’, but ‘gets up every day to fight for you’.
Day three of Republican National Convention has seen Vice President Mike Pence deliver his keynote speech to chants of “four more years”.
Cameron Stewart 2.00pm: ‘You won’t be safe under Joe Biden’ Pence warns
Mike Pence has warned that the safety of Americans and their cities was dependent on the re-election of Donald Trump at a time when violent riots were breaking out across the country.
In a strong law and order pitch to voters, the Vice President spoke as deadly race riots continued in Kenosha, Wisconsin, where two people were shot dead amid violence following the police shooting of African American Jacob Blake.
“My fellow Americans, we are passing through a time of testing. But in the midst of this global pandemic, just as our nation has begun to recover, we’ve seen violence and chaos in the streets of our major cities,” Mr Pence said in a keynote speech to the Republican National Convention.
“President Trump and I will always support the right of Americans to peaceful protest, but rioting and looting is not peaceful protest, tearing down statues is not free speech. Those who do so will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” the vice president said.
‘The violence must stop’
“Let me be clear: the violence must stop — whether in Minneapolis, Portland, or Kenosha. Too many heroes have died defending our freedom to see Americans strike each other down. We will have law and order on the streets of this country for every American of every race, and creed and colour.”
Mr Pence used his nomination acceptance speech at Fort McHenry in Baltimore to contrast Mr Trump’s tough stand on law with that of his Democrat opponent Joe Biden.
During last week’s Democratic National Convention he said Mr Biden “didn’t say one word about the violence and chaos engulfing cities across this country.”
“Joe Biden says America is systemically racist . and law enforcement in America has an implicit bias against minorities,’ Mr Pence said in front of a live audience that included Mr Trump and his wife Melania.
“The hard truth is you won’t be safe in Joe Biden’s America. Under President Trump we will always stand with those who stand on the thin blue line and we are not going to defund the police, not now not ever,’ he said to cheers.
Earlier Mr Trump said he would send the national guard into Kenosha to maintain order as a 17-year-old, Kyle Rittenhouse, was arrested for the murder of two men amid violent streets scenes.
We will NOT stand for looting, arson, violence, and lawlessness on American streets. My team just got off the phone with Governor Evers who agreed to accept federal assistance (Portland should do the same!)...
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 26, 2020
“We will NOT stand for looting, arson, violence, and lawlessness on American streets,” Mr Trump tweeted as he announced federal law enforcement assistance for Kenosha.
Mr Biden also criticised what he called ‘needless violence.’
“Protesting brutality is a right, and absolutely necessary,” Mr Biden said. “But burning down communities is not protest. It’s needless violence — violence that endangers lives, violence that guts businesses and shutters businesses that serve the community.”
Mr Pence’s speech was a rare moment in the spotlight for the Vice President who has kept a low profile during Mr Trump’s first term and has shown unwavering loyalty to the president.
In a wide-ranging address he attacked Mr Biden for having a dark view of America.
“Where Joe Biden sees American darkness we see greatness,’ Mr Pence said. “In these challenging times our country needs a president who believes in America.’
Speaking at Fort McHenry, the patriotic site of a battle in 1812 that was the inspiration for the lyrics of the national anthem, the Star Spangled Banner, Mr Pence said the choice in the coming election was “whether America remains America”.
“Joe Biden would set America on a path of socialism and decline, but we’re not going to let it happen.’
Much of the program on the third day of the four day convention sought to promote a more empathetic and compassionate image of Mr Trump in a move aimed at reversing his falling support among suburban women voters.
Trump’s support for women: Conway
Longtime Senior Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway spoke of how the president supported women in leadership roles, including allowing her to have a senior role in orchestrating his 2016 election win.
“A woman in a leadership role can still seem novel (but), not so for President Trump,’ Ms Conway said.
She spoke of how the president had provided women, from teachers to nurses, to small business owners and single mothers with ‘dignity opportunity and results.’
“He picks the toughest fights … he has stood by me and he will stand up for you,’ said Ms Conway, who will leave her role at the end of the month for family reasons.
Mr Trump’s daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, who is married to Eric Trump, told the convention that when she first met the Trump family they were more welcoming than she expected.
“They were warm and caring, they were hard workers, they were down to earth,’ she said, adding that the president was ‘a good man, he loves his family, he is a person of conviction.’
Mr Pence’s wife Karen gave a speech touting the administration’s support for military spouses while White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany shared her personal story of undergoing a preventive mastectomy as a testament to how Mr Trump cared about pre-existing conditions.
Speakers also focused on law and order, with Michael McHale, head of the National Association of Police Organization, said the violence now seen in many US cities showed the stark difference in the policies of Mr Trump and Mr Biden.
“The violence and bloodshed we are seeing in these and other cities isn’t happening by chance; it’s the direct result of refusing to allow law enforcement to protect our communities,” Mr McHale said.
The difference between Trump-Pence and Biden-Harris are crystal clear,’ he said, saying Mr Biden was running on ‘the most radical anti-police ticket in history.’
The program included many senior ex-military officials including retired Lt General Keith Kellogg and former navy Seal Dan Crenshaw who spoke of military sacrifice, heroism and applauded Mr Trump’s pledge to keep America militarily strong during a second term in office.
Cameron Stewart is also US Contributor for Sky News Australia
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How Day 3 of the Republican Convention unfolded
Debbie Schipp 1.20pm: Pence joined by Trump on stage as speech wraps
Mr Pence has concluded his address, joined on stage by President Trump and First Lady Melania as the crowd applauds and shouts “four more years”.
Debbie Schipp 1.10pm: ‘The violence must stop, we won’t defund police’
Mike Pence has delivered a clear pro-police message on law and order: saying “whether in Minneapolis, Portland, or Kenosha”, violence must stop.
He vowed he and President Trump would not defund the police.
Kenosha in Wisconsin has been the scene of ongoing continued protest and unrest since the police shooting of Jacob Blake, a 29-year-old black man, who has been left paralysed after being shot multiple times in the back as he tried to get into a car with his children inside.
“My fellow Americans, we are passing through a time of testing. But in the midst of this global pandemic, just as our nation has begun to recover, we’ve seen violence and chaos in the streets of our major cities,” Pence said.
“President Trump and I will always support the right of Americans to peaceful protest, but rioting and looting is not peaceful protest, tearing down statues is not free speech. Those who do so will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” Pence said.
““Let me be clear: the violence must stop – whether in Minneapolis, Portland, or Kenosha,” Pence said. “Too many heroes have died defending our freedom to see Americans strike each other down. We will have law and order on the streets of this country for every American of every race, and creed and colour.
“President Trump and I know the men and women that put on the uniform of law enforcement are the best of us. Every day when they walk out that door, they consider our lives more important than their own.”
He warned voters they “won’t be safe in Joe Biden’s America” — casting Trump as their protector against the “radical left”.
“The hard truth is … you won’t be safe in Joe Biden’s America,” he said
Debbie Schipp 1pm: Pence on virus: ‘We grieve with those who grieve’
Mike Pence has sent condolences to families who have lost loved ones to coronavirus.
“After all the sacrifice in this year like no other, all the hardship, we’re finding our way forward again,” he said.
“But tonight our hearts are with all of the families who have lost loved ones and have family members still struggling with serious illness. In this country we mourn with those who mourn, we grieve with those who grieve.”
“Our country doesn’t get through such a time unless its people find strength within.
“The response of doctors, nurses, first responders, farmers, factory workers, truckers and everyday Americans who put the health and safety of their neighbours first has been nothing short of heroic.”
Pence addresses the coronavirus pandemic at the RNC: “Tonight our hearts are with all the families who have lost loved ones and have family members still struggling with serious illness. In this country, we mourn with those who mourn, we grieve with those who grieve" pic.twitter.com/DCX3IZGlVp
— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) August 27, 2020
Anne Barrowclough 12.45pm: Pence: Trump keeps his word
Mike Pence is addressing the convention and has accepted the party’s nomination from Fort McHenry, the site of the battle that inspired the lyrics of the Star Spangled Banner. Beginning his speech with acknowledgment of the “heroes” who fought at “Fort McHenry 206 years ago, he attacked Joe Biden’s comments last week that the last four years had been a “season of darkness.”
“Where Joe Biden sees American darkness, we see American greatness,” he said.
Surrounded by his family, Mr Pence paid tribute to Donald Trump’s strength and independence.
“I’ve watched Donald Trump undergo unrelenting attacks but get up every day to fight for the American people,” he said.
“If you need a president who falls silent when demeaned or insulted, he is not your man.”
Mr Pence acknowledged that there were differences between himself and Mr Trump. But, he said, “Watching him deal with all that we’ve been through, (I’ve learned) he does things in his own way, on his own terms. Not much gets past him. He certainly keeps things interesting but more important, President Donald Trump has kept his word to the American people.”
Vice President Mike Pence to the RNC: President Trump “does things in his own way, on his own terms. Not much gets past him. And when he has an opinion, he's liable to share it. He's certainly kept things interesting" pic.twitter.com/8Jfvw9uRnx
— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) August 27, 2020
Anne Barrowclough 12.25pm: Lara Trump speaks of ‘warm family’
Eric Trump’s wife Lara has spoken, continuing the theme of family and women first.
Mrs Trump, an adviser to Mr Trump’s re-election campaign, told the convention that when she first met the Trump family: “Any preconceived notion I had of this family disappeared immediately. They were warm and caring, they were hard workers, and they were down to earth. They reminded me of my own family. They made me feel like I was home.”
"Never in a million years did I think that I would be on this stage tonight, and I certainly never thought that I’d end up with the last name Trump," Lara Trump, the President's daughter-in-law and a campaign adviser, tells the RNC pic.twitter.com/bsaiw2aROy
— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) August 27, 2020
She described the Trump Organization as a “family environment,” and highlighted the “countless women executives who thrived there.”
“Gender didn’t matter, what mattered was the ability to get the job done,” she said, something she learned directly when Mr Trump asked her to help him win her home state of North Carolina in 2016.
“Though I had no political experience, he believed in me. He knew I was capable even if I didn’t,” she said.
Anne Barrowclough 12.05pm: Trump ‘could delay’ keynote speech
White House adviser Kellyanne Conway has suggested Donald Trump could delay his keynote speech on Friday (AEST) due to concerns over the potentially lethal impact of Hurricane Laura on the Gulf Coast.
Asked by reporters if Mr Trump would postpone his address, Ms Conway said
campaign officials would not rule it out, Politico reports.
“We never say no around here, because things happen at a volume and velocity around here, and we adapt to events. As of right now, the president plans to speak tomorrow,” Ms Conway said.
The National Hurricane Centre has warned of an “unsurvivable storm surge” as the Category 4 storm bears down on western Louisiana and eastern Texas.
Anne Barrowclough 12.00pm: Pence to address Wisconsin violence
As US media reports Mike Pence will address the Wisconsin violence in his speech, it has emerged the alleged shooter in is a Trump supporter.
“President Trump and I know the men and women that put on the uniform of law enforcement are the best of us,” Mr. Pence will say, according to prepared remarks. “The American people know we don’t have to choose between supporting law enforcement and standing with African-American neighbours to improve the quality of life in our cities and towns.”
The suspected shooter, identified as Kyle Rittenhouse, 17, has been charged with first-degree intentional homicide, according to court documents.
NEW: In the 90 minutes before he was scheduled to speak, Vice President Mike Pence decided he will address the unrest unfolding in Wisconsin on the third night of the RNC https://t.co/sNJoIEyXia pic.twitter.com/PFBgOmWM1v
— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) August 27, 2020
CNN reports that the teen’s social media shows he supports Mr Trump, guns and the police.
Wisconsin governor Tony Evers has authorised 500 members of the Wisconsin National Guard to assist Kenosha authorities after three nights of violent clashes, left two people dead and one injured.
The city has experienced clashes, fires and looting since Jacob Blake, a 29-year-old Black man, was shot in the back by a white policeman on Sunday.
The 17-year-old suspect, Kyle Rittenhouse, a resident of Antioch, Ill., is in custody of the Lake County Judicial System, according to the Antioch Police Department. Mr Rittenhouse was charged with first degree intentional homicide, Antioch police said.
Anne Barrowclough 11.35am: Karen Pence acknowledges pandemic ‘heroes’
Mike Pence’s wife Karen largely avoided politics, sticking instead to the evening’s theme of “Land of Heroes” by honouring the military spouses, veterans, and first responders with anecdotes from those she has met in her role.
At the RNC, second lady Karen Pence discusses her art therapy initiative and work with veterans: “Art therapy, facilitated by a professional art therapist, is especially effective with post-traumatic stress disorder†pic.twitter.com/xqPMa2mWpy
— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) August 27, 2020
The mother of a Marine and mother-in-law to a Naval Lieutenant, Mrs Pence spoke of the military spouses with whom she has worked as “home front heroes.”
“Military spouses may experience frequent moves and job changes, periods of being a single parent while their loved one is deployed — all while exhibiting pride, strength, and determination and being a part of something bigger than themselves,” she said, thanking them.
Like Melania Trump she also acknowledged the challenges thrown at ordinary families by the coronavirus pandemic.
“In these difficult times, we’ve all seen so many examples of everyday Americans reaching out a hand to those in need,” she said, calling healthcare workers, teachers, first responders, mental health providers, law enforcement officers, grocery and delivery workers, and farmers “heroes all.”
Anne Barrowclough 11.25am: Conway: Trump elevates women
Senior White House adviser Kellyanne Conway has paid tribute to Donald Trump, saying he has helped empower women for decades. Appealing to the women’s vote, Ms Conway painted a picture of an empathetic president who has fought for the ordinary working man and woman.
Ms Conway, who announced her resignation earlier in the week due to family reasons, said: “For decades he has elevated women to senior positions in business and in government. He insists we are on equal footing with men.”
She went on: “Donald Trump and Mike Pence have lifted Americans, offering opportunity and results.
“I have seen many times Donald Trump comforting a child who has lost his parents or a parent who has lost his child, a worker who lost his job, an adolescent who lost her way to drugs. He assures them the are not alone, and that they matter.”
Bravo @KellyannePolls for the remarkable speech- honest, sincere, and from the heart. You are a true leader and a source of inspiration for women everywhere.
— Marcia Lee Kelly (@Marcialeekelly) August 27, 2020
pic.twitter.com/boC287Pr4l
Staff writers 11.15am: Trump going to Baltimore for Pence’s speech
Donald Trump is going to Baltimore’s Fort McHenry to attend Vice President Mike Pence’s speech to the Republican National Convention, CNN reports.
Staff writers 10.50am: Hurricane Laura casts shadow over convention
The Republican Convention is taking place amid not just the violence in Wisconsin, but the threat of one of the strongest hurricanes to hit the US in recent years
Hurricane Laura suddenly increased in strength overnight (AEST) to a Category 4 and is expected to strength further, with winds as high as 90kph – the threshold of a Category 5 storm. It is due to hit the coast of Louisiana late on Thursday (AEST).
Laura is a storm of historic proportions, with wind speed at landfall on track to surpass Hurricane Katrina in 2005, which made landfall near New Orleans as a Category 3 storm. While the western Gulf Coast is less densely populated than the New Orleans area, Laura, like Katrina, is expected to make landfall in the dead of night, complicating any last-minute evacuation or rescue efforts.
Laura is expected to produce waves as high as 7 metres along portions of the Louisiana coast, with as much as 15 inches of rainfall.
TV crews abandoned coastal stations, as did meteorologists with the National Weather Service’s local forecasting office.
President Trump said his administration was working with state and local governments to help the people of Texas and Louisiana, as well as those in Arkansas, where winds and rain are expected to cause flooding, topple trees and down power lines.
The Wall St Journal
Iimogen Reid 10.40am: Milwaukee Bucks boycott Orlando Magic game
The third day of the convention has begun, just hours after the Milwaukee Bucks decided to boycott their playoff game with the Orlando Magic in the wake of the Jacob Blake shooting in Wisconsin.
As the violence continued, Sen. Marsha Blackburn, a Republican from Tennessee, spoke to the convention about the importance of law enforcement in the US, calling them “heroes.”
“I want to talk to you about another kind of hero. The kind Democrats don’t recognise, because they don’t fit into their narrative. I’m talking about the heroes of our law enforcement and armed services,” Blackburn said tonight during the Republican National Convention. “Leftists try to turn them into villains. They try to cancel them. But I’m here to tell you that these heroes can’t be cancelled.”
The players did not leave their locker room after saying they would not be playing in protest against police brutality.
“The Bucks players made this decision in the wake of the Jacob Blake shooting in Wisconsin, ultimately deciding that they wouldn’t leave the locker room for the start of Game 5 against Orlando,” ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweeted.
Mr Blake was shot in the back seven times by police officers after breaking up a fight between two women. Blake survived the shooting but was paralysed from the waist down.
Milwaukee Bucks guard George Hill said the players will no longer stand by the killing of innocent black men and women.
“We’re tired of the killings and the injustice,” Mr Hill told The Undefeated.
Emily Ritchie 9.10am: National Guard sent in after Kenosha deaths
Wisconsin governor Tony Evers is authorising 500 members of the state’s National Guard to assist Kenosha authorities after three nights of violent clashes, and a 17-year-old was arrested in connection with a shooting during a protest here that left two people dead and one injured.
The city has experienced clashes, fires and looting since Jacob Blake, a 29-year-old Black man, was shot in the back by a white policeman on Sunday.
The 17-year-old suspect, Kyle Rittenhouse, a resident of Antioch, Ill., is in custody of the Lake County Judicial System, according to the Antioch Police Department. Mr Rittenhouse was charged with first degree intentional homicide, Antioch police said.
In a video cleared by Storyful from the protest, what sound like gunshots can be heard as people yell and a white male with an olive-green shirt and backward cap appears to shoot people after being chased by members in the crowd. The male in the olive-green shirt then walks with his hands up toward a police car, as people can be heard screaming in the background, “He just shot someone.”
...TODAY, I will be sending federal law enforcement and the National Guard to Kenosha, WI to restore LAW and ORDER!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 26, 2020
President Trump said he would send federal law enforcement and National Guard to Kenosha.
“We will NOT stand for looting, arson, violence, and lawlessness on American streets. My team just got off the phone with Governor Evers who agreed to accept federal assistance (Portland should do the same!),” Mr. Trump tweeted on Wednesday afternoon. ” … TODAY, I will be sending federal law enforcement and the National Guard to Kenosha, WI to restore LAW and ORDER!”
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Cameron Stewart 8.45am: Pence looks to 2024 in keynote speech
It is day three of the four day Republican National Convention with the keynote speech to be given by Vice President Mike Pence.
The 61-year-old Pence will accept his nomination to be Donald Trump’s running mate for a second term, making his speech at Fort McHenry, the patriotic site of a battle in 1812 that was the inspiration for the lyrics of the national anthem, the Star Spangled Banner.
The speech will be a rare moment on the national stage for the Vice President who keeps a low public profile and who has been fiercely loyal to Trump.
As we head into DAY 3 of #RNC2020, we can't wait to hear from @mike_pence and others as we look to honor the Land of Heroes. pic.twitter.com/w79coyFXdo
— #RNC2020 GOP Convention (@GOPconvention) August 26, 2020
It will be a chance for Pence not only to reinforce the president’s agenda of economic recovery and law and order but also a chance for the former Indiana Governor to become better known to the American public ahead of a possible bid for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024. Mr Pence’s wife Karen Pence will also speak.
Others to speak tonight during the two-and-a-half-hour program include senior Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway who has been with Trump since his election but who recently said she was leaving the White House for family reasons at the end of the month.
An important theme for the day is likely to be law and order as the convention unfolds amid the backdrop of deadly violence and riots in Kenosha, Wisconsin following the police shooting of African American Jacob Blake.
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