By Lauren Egan
NBC News
WASHINGTON
— President Donald Trump warned that Joe Biden would usher in violence
and chaos if elected, making the case for his own re-election as he
formally accepted his party's nomination Thursday on the final night of
the Republican National Convention.
"This
election will decide whether we will defend the American way of life or
whether we allow a radical movement to completely dismantle and destroy
it," Trump said, speaking to a crowd on the White House South Lawn. "In
the left's backward view, they do not see America as the most free,
just and exceptional nation on Earth. Instead, they see a wicked nation
that must be punished for its sins.
"Joe
Biden is not the savior of America's soul," Trump continued. "And if
given the chance, he will be the destroyer of American greatness."
Trump
accepted the nomination trailing his Democratic rival in the polls.
Facing criticism for his handling of the coronavirus pandemic, which has
killed over 180,000 people
in the U.S. and devastated the economy, Trump is leading an America
roiled by national protests against racial injustice, with the latest
wave originating in Kenosha, Wisconsin, after police shot Jacob Blake, a Black man.
The
four-day convention — forced by the pandemic to abandon the original
North Carolina location and relocate to Washington — tried to drive a
consistent message: Trump is due credit for his coronavirus response
and, if re-elected, will quash protests and rescue the injured economy.
Police funding, PPE and NAFTA: Read a fact check of President Donald Trump's acceptance speech.
Protesters gathered outside the White House grounds
Thursday night and could be heard on the South Lawn, the
much-criticized location for Trump's acceptance speech. Presidents have
traditionally avoided using the public areas of the executive mansion
for overt partisan politics.
Republicans amplified
a "law and order" message throughout the convention, warning of
violence and chaos under Democratic leadership while seeking to counter
perceptions that Trump is a racist who has purposefully inflamed racial
tensions for political benefit.
"I have
done more in three years for the Black community than Joe Biden has done
in 47 years — and when I'm re-elected, the best is yet to come," Trump
said.
Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson was the only RNC speaker to mention Blake by name.
"Before
I begin, I'd like to say that our hearts go out to the Blake family and
the other families who've been impacted by the tragic events in
Kenosha," Carson said Thursday. "History reminds us that necessary
change comes through hope and love, not senseless and destructive
violence."
Trump
referred to the recent unrest in Wisconsin briefly but made no mention
of Blake or other Black Americans whose deaths have dominated much of
the national conversation this election year.
"In
the strongest possible terms, the Republican Party condemns the
rioting, looting, arson and violence we have seen in Democrat-run cities
like Kenosha, Minneapolis, Portland, Chicago and New York," Trump said.
Trump
began his remarks by briefly acknowledging Hurricane Laura, which hit
along the Gulf of Mexico on Thursday, and announced that he would visit
the affected areas over the weekend.
The
president also addressed the coronavirus Thursday, offering an
optimistic view of the pandemic and promising a vaccine by the end of
the year — a timeline that health experts say is unrealistic.
"If
we had listened to Joe, hundreds of thousands more Americans would have
died," Trump said. "Joe Biden's plan is not a solution to the virus but
rather a surrender."
The
White House crowd embodied Trump's message that the virus is under
control, as 1,500 supporters crowded on the South Lawn for the speech.
Chairs for guests were not spaced out, and few wore masks.
White
House chief of staff Mark Meadow said "a number of people" attending
the event would be tested for the coronavirus. The campaign contracted a
firm of experts to advise on appropriate precautions for all parts of
the convention that had live audiences.
Trump's
remarks were punctuated by rounds of applause and cheers from the crowd
— a feature noticeably absent from the Democratic convention.
Trump
has raised eyebrows throughout the week over his use of government
tools to make his case for re-election, and the South Lawn setting
seemed a provocation to his critics.
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"Gathered
here at our beautiful and majestic White House — known all over the
world as the people's house — we cannot help but marvel at the miracle
that is our great American story," Trump said. "This has been the home
of larger-than-life figures like Teddy Roosevelt and Andrew Jackson who
rallied Americans to bold visions of a bigger and brighter future."
Some
have warned that members of the Trump administration could be at risk
of violating the Hatch Act, which prohibits federal employees from
engaging in certain political activities. The president and the vice
president are exempt from the law, but other White House employees are
not.
Trump's speech was followed by a
fireworks show near the Washington Monument, across the street from the
White House complex. The Trump family was serenaded by a performance
from opera signer Christopher Macchio, who performed classics such as
"Ave Maria" from the White House balcony, as guests watched from their
seats.
Trump spoke for about 1 hour and 10
minutes, the second-longest convention addresses in modern history,
following his own speech in 2016, at 1 hour and 16 minutes.
