In a scaled-back event held on Monday to kick off its official National Convention, the Republican Party formally announced its re-nomination of President Donald Trump for the November 3, 2020 election.
The presidential nomination and roll call took place in Charlotte, North Carolina with the incumbent president receiving votes from 2,050 delegates, a unanimous vote after primaries that set turnout records for an incumbent with no serious challenger after the former Massachusetts governor, Bill Weld, dropped out of the race.
Trump, who jokingly mentioned that he might deserve additional terms in office because of the investigations of his 2016 campaign, spoke for over 50 minutes about his tenure in government, covering his administration’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, international trade deals, judicial appointments and, also, his belief that the elections would be “rigged” by the expansion of mail voting.
“If you want to really drive them crazy, you say 12 more years,” he said, instantly prompting some chants of “12 more years.”
“America is not racist”
In a bid to drive home a more inclusive and united front, the first night of the convention featured people of colour doing their best to counter the narrative that Trump’s government has been divisive, fueling pre-existing racist sentiments in the country.
Starting off, former ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley began her remarks by accusing Democrats of “blaming America first” as opposed to what Trump has done by “putting America first.” She also went on to add that under his leadership, “We did what Barack Obama and Joe Biden refused to do. We stood up for America, and we stood against our enemies.”
“In much of the Democratic Party, it’s now fashionable to say that America is racist. That is a lie. America is not a racist country. This is personal for me. I am the proud daughter of Indian immigrants. They came to America and settled in a small southern town. My father wore a turban. My mother wore a sari,” she said. “Now is the time to build on that progress, and make America even freer, fairer, and better for everyone. That’s why it’s tragic to see so much of the Democratic Party turn a blind eye toward riots and rage.”
Closing out the convention, Sen. Tim Scott spoke on how the country has been tested over the past few months, saying: “The truth is, our nations are always bending back towards fairness. We are not fully where we want to be, but God Almighty, we’re not where we used to be. We’re always striving to be better.”
Trump is set to go against the former vice president, Joe Biden, who is running on the Democratic ticket.
