Remarks for Night Four of the Republican National Convention
President Trump’s 2020 Convention honors the great American story, the American people that have written it, and how President Donald J. Trump has empowered them to succeed. The convention highlights the progress that has been made under President Trump’s leadership, the hardworking Americans that make it possible, and how he will continue to make America great. While Democrats attack our country and sow division, President Trump is implementing an agenda that puts the American people first.
House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy (CA-23)
Remarks as Prepared:
I’m Congressman Kevin McCarthy, Republican Leader of the U.S. House of Representatives.
As Americans, we carve our own destiny.
As, Americans, we look forward not backward.
Our ancestors braved the unknown.
They built this nation … brick by brick.
They lifted up millions from poverty … hunger … and disease.
They vanquished fascism and communism.
A great nation because of great people.
And no one has done more to protect and advance it than President Trump.
Republicans —are proud to stand with him and work for you.
Together we built the greatest economy the world has ever seen… and we’ll do it again.
We confronted China head on …
Tore up bad trade deals and made better ones.
Supported our men and women in uniform and took out the world’s top terrorists.
Achieved energy independence.
Defended the sanctity of life.
And restored law and order at the border.
But as every American knows, we face an invisible enemy that we didn’t ask for … or invite.
But we will defeat it.
We will defeat it because America is where innovation happens and we will develop a vaccine in record time.
We will defeat it because President Trump unleashed a Marshall Plan for Main Street … and put hard working taxpayers back on their feet.
We will defeat it because tough times don't last… Because tough Americans do.
Joe Biden and Kamala Harris think this election is about the government. They’re wrong. It’s about you, not us. Your family and your future.
And to secure what really matters... We will call on the bedrock of what makes us the greatest country in the world … the American promise.
A promise that everyone is equal under God, under the Constitution, and under the law.
A promise that government is accountable to “we, the people.”
A promise that if you work hard and play by the rules … your opportunities are endless.
As Republicans, it’s our mission
To renew the American dream.
Restore our way of life.
And rebuild the greatest economy in the world.
The socialist democrats have a different agenda.
They will…
Dismantle our institutions.
Defund our police.
And destroy our economy.
So, as you cast your vote this November … remember this…
Four years ago, President Trump promised to be your voice. He kept that promise….
But there still so much more to do.
The choice before you could not be clearer…
Forward in freedom, or backward in socialism.
Forward in prosperity, or backward in poverty.
Forward in personal liberty, or backward in governmental control.
Will you join us?
With your help, the best is yet to come.
The Honorable Ja'Ron Smith
Remarks as Prepared:
20 years ago, I moved to Washington, DC to go to Howard University. I was at a crossroads, just like America is today.
I grew up on Strandhill Road in Cleveland—a blue-collar street in a blue-collar city. When the media talks about forgotten places or the manufacturing decline in the rust belt or the plight of the working-class or the opioid epidemic, I just wonder what’s taken so long.
In the 80s, I saw my family members lose their jobs when plants closed. I saw the crack cocaine epidemic up close and personal, even in my family.
But it’s funny—when they try to explain the connection to Donald Trump—there’s usually some stock photo of people who don’t look like me.
They never seem to show people like my mom—who worked at a gas station hour by hour and worked to be a good mom inch by inch. She showed me how to persevere.
They never seem to show people like my dad—who plowed snow in the winter and paved streets in the summer—who stood by me through thick and thin and taught me strong values every day.
They never seem to show people like me. At first, I didn’t live the values my parents taught me. I won a starting spot on the varsity football team but I only had a 1.9 GPA.
But then…I broke my leg.
It took a broken leg for me to really get moving in life. It put me on the road to prioritizing school-work, getting to Howard, and working for President Trump. And when he thinks of the rust belt, he does remember people like us.
Growing up, I’d never really known a Republican—I believed all the stereotypes. It took meeting Republicans who shared my values to show me I was wrong.
Donald Trump knows that in the work of revitalizing communities, America’s strength is America’s people. And I can tell you—he really cares. But, more importantly, he takes action.
Name an issue important to black communities—and it’s been a priority for him: prison reform, re-building broken families, bringing jobs back to America—jobs in Cleveland, jobs in Detroit, jobs in Milwaukee. Jobs for the future and jobs right here, right now.
President Trump knows that means investing in human capital—in real people—not more broken government programs. That’s why he has prioritized historically black colleges and universities with two billion dollars in permanent funding.
And, in the wake of the murder of Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and LeGend Taliferro—a moment of national racial consciousness—I have seen his true conscience. I just wish every American could see the deep empathy he showed to families whose loved ones were killed in senseless violence.
And President Trump has made it clear that if you want to have a safe community, you must have a police department and that department must have the highest standards.
After decades of a broken system, broken schools, and broken communities, folks don’t want any more broken promises.
I’ll never forget Strandhill Road or the people of Cleveland. They’re tough, smart, and tell it like it is. And they’re ready for real action.
That’s President Trump. For a New Yorker, he’s got a lot of Cleveland heart.
And I am proud to say that he’s my President. God bless America.
Representative Jeff Van Drew (NJ-02)
Remarks as Prepared:
Good evening.
My name is Jeff Van Drew.
I speak to you as a member of the Republican Party – but it wasn't always that way.
How I became a Republican says a lot about today's Democrat Party.
I'm from South Jersey – where we work hard, look after our neighbors and care about our communities.
Years ago, I was a local dentist and was asked by the Democrats to run for a town council seat.
I had my doubts and explained that my views were middle of the road to conservative…but the local leaders said the Democrat Party was a big tent, and that they accepted people like me.
I was elected to Council as a Democrat, but as I won seats for county office, state legislature and then Congress, I noticed things were changing—the Democrat Party had become less accepting of American tradition, less believing in American exceptionalism, less supportive of traditional faith and family.
This was not the party that I knew.
In 2018 after being elected to Congress as a Democrat, I was already uncomfortable with a San Francisco liberal running the House, which is why my first vote in Congress was cast against Nancy Pelosi for Speaker.
But imagine how I felt after seeing members of The Squad quickly take control of the Democrat Party just weeks after being elected.
The party had moved from liberal to radical.
This new Democrat Party wasn't just for higher taxes…now they were for open borders…against our police…and against our God-given rights.
When the radical Democrats went after President Trump with impeachment, they made another mistake: Democrat leaders told me that I had to vote for impeachment or my life would be made difficult…and I wouldn't be allowed to run again.
Listen, I'm from South Jersey.
And you'd better come at me with more than just loud words and empty threats.
I voted no on impeachment – and it was an easy call.
Soon after, I met with President Trump and he made me feel more welcome in the Oval Office than Nancy Pelosi ever made me feel in her caucus… and a few days later, I officially changed parties and became a Republican.
Let me tell you about Joe Biden.
When the Democrats tried to order me around…I was ready, willing and able to say I've had enough with their radical, Socialist agenda.
Do you really believe Joe Biden is ready, willing – and most of all – able to do the same?
As Joe says, "come on, man."
Joe Biden is being told what to do by the radicals running my former party…the same radicals trying to install him as their puppet president.
When I'm at my local Diner, I tell people that America is the best nation in the world…and that President Trump has helped make it that way.
Republicans, Independents, and even Democrats, they all know that in President Trump's America, we have a strong military, strong support for our police, strong support for our Veterans and Seniors.
In President Trump's America, we have a strong supply chain, good schools, we're energy independent and protect our environment.
There are a lot of Democrats who support our President…and are disgusted for what their old Party - what my old Party – has become.
Here's my advice: be true to who you are now, not who the Democrats used to be.
That's why I am a proud Republican, and why I will be voting for Donald Trump.
Thank you.
May God Bless you, God Bless our President and God Bless the United States of America.
Stacia Brightmon
Remarks as Prepared:
My name is Stacia Brightmon.
I’m a single mother of 2 boys, and I work in Houston, Texas for S&B Engineers and Constructors as a warehouse receiving clerk.
After serving my country in the Marine Corps, I worked various jobs, but thought I needed a degree in order to have a career.
I put myself into significant debt to earn my bachelor’s degree in finance.
Despite my degree and all of my efforts, at one point my boys and I found ourselves homeless.
After being laid off yet again, I received an email from the Texas Workforce Commission about S&B’s Women in Construction Earn-While-You-Learn apprenticeship program.
I thought I’d give it a try.
I was skeptical at first.
But I said to myself, “If they were willing to take a chance on me, I should be willing to take a chance on myself.”
At the start of the program, I was making $16 an hour while I trained to become a pipefitter helper.
Looking back, it wasn’t easy, but it was worth it.
I felt empowered that I was learning new skills and able to support my family again.
I worked hard, got promoted, and even got a few raises!
Later I learned what President Donald Trump and Ivanka Trump were doing behind the scenes to make sure people like me had a chance to rise up and succeed.
President Trump started the National Council for the American Worker, and the American Workforce Policy Advisory Board.
Together with Ivanka, he wrote policies that made it easy for states and companies to give opportunities to hardworking Americans like me.
The President and Ivanka also partnered with the Ad Council to launch FindSomethingNew.org, helping to connect workers with training and apprenticeship programs where they live.
If you find yourself in a situation like mine, where you feel you have nowhere to turn, nothing to really fall back on, and feel like no one believes in you, go online to “Find Something New.org” and see that President Trump believes in you.
And more importantly believe in yourself.
Keep trying. Times will get hard.
Remember, two years ago, I was homeless.
And you know what?
Now I’m set to close on a brand-new home at the end of this month!
My message to you is to keep pushing – you can do it!
Find a training program like the one I participated in.
And like me, you’ll have an opportunity to build a career and a life you’re proud of.
So with that being said, now I’d like to talk to you about a different kind of training.
This is the Trump Campaign’s National Week of Volunteer Training.
If you’re like me, you know how important it is to put Americans back to work.
So get trained and get involved with the campaign.
Go online to www.TrumpVictory.com and sign up to keep our President fighting for us another 4 years.
Thank you and God Bless.
The Honorable Dan Scavino
Remarks as Prepared:
My name is Dan Scavino.
When I was 16 years old, I got a part-time job at a golf course just outside New York City. One day, I was cleaning golf clubs when a man pulled into the parking lot. There wasn’t a single person who didn’t know who it was. Everyone’s jaws were on the ground. It was Donald Trump. All I could think was, “nobody will ever believe this at school.”
I never would have imagined it at that moment, but I have now been at President Trump’s side for almost 30 years.
All these years later, there is a part of me that still feels a sense of wonder every day when I consider the journey we have taken together -- and taken with so many of you watching tonight.
Because my personal story with Donald Trump, in so many ways, is your story, too.
He saw potential in me. A spark. The possibility that I could be more, do more, and achieve more than even I thought was possible.
That’s how he views this country, too. We have all just scratched the surface of what we can do together.
If there is one thing I hope you will hear from me tonight, it is this -- President Trump is a kind and decent man. I wish you could be at his side with me to see his endless kindness to everyone he meets.
The media can be a fog machine, creating a partisan mist around everything that’s hard to see through.
But in 2016, you navigated through it all -- you found your way through the swamp -- and you arrived safely on the other side, with Donald Trump as your new president.
There are some things that were true then -- reasons why you chose him as our country’s leader -- that remain true today.
You know the President cannot be bought. The American people must know their President isn’t building his life, he’s building yours.
You know the President cannot be bullied. President Trump is the first leader who's been too strong, too tough, and too savvy to be crushed by the status quo Establishment and the political media class.
You know the President cannot be beaten. He’s got a fighting spirit -- like so many of you do -- and winning for America is what he does. They call it chaos, President Trump calls it change.
Just think about what we achieved together with President Trump. The strongest economy in history. The lowest unemployment rate for almost all demographic groups -- Black americans, hispanic Americans, women, and so many more.
He did that once. He will do it again. You know it. And I know it.
We all just need somebody to believe in our capacity to do great things. Donald Trump believed in me when I was a teenage golf caddie and he was already one of the wealthiest, most famous people on the planet. He saw my potential, even when I couldn’t.
He sees greatness in our country, too. And in each of you. He believes the world you dream about at night can be yours.
And we all know Donald Trump almost never sleeps.
On November 3, vote for the man who believes in America and believes in you.
Vote for my friend, your friend -- our friend -- Donald J Trump.
Thank you.
Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes
Remarks as Prepared:
Buenas Tardes. Kombangwa. Magandang Gabi. Aloha. And Good evening, I’m Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes.
I’m a proud American and proud descendant of warriors--women and men alike--from my Hawaiian, Filipino, Japanese and Spanish ancestry.
My father demonstrated his warrior spirit over 50 years ago fighting a dictator in his homeland--the Philippines. Barely escaping with his life, he started anew in America.
He arrived with nothing but faith, determination and a willingness to work hard.
He lived the American Dream, building businesses, a family and seeing me become Utah’s first minority statewide elected official.
Today, I channel my warrior roots by battling human trafficking.
I’ve led some of the largest trafficking prosecutions in America and traveled to foreign countries, working with law enforcement and NGOs to rescue people from the most brutal conditions imaginable.
Young girls and women sold into sex slavery. Young boys and men forced into labor servitude. Illegal adoptions. Organ harvesting. Human life, utterly debased.
President Donald Trump is a warrior against human trafficking. How do I know? Early in 2017, I had occasion to visit with him about our rescues.
He asked insightful questions. Expressed deep concern for victims. Overwhelmed with compassion, he promised to fight this evil.
President Trump summoned Ivanka and leaders from his cabinet, directing resources and hundreds of millions of dollars for raising awareness, liberating victims, prosecuting predators and empowering survivors.
Together they’ve done more to combat human trafficking than any Administration in modern history. That’s a promise kept!
President Trump’s taken similar aggressive action to break the chains of drug addiction and improve mental and behavioral health.
He declared the opioid epidemic a National Public Health Emergency and made available billions of dollars to confront it.
He also signed a bill creating a phone number, like 911, but for mental health. When activated, 988 will be a lifeline for those struggling with thoughts of suicide, depression, addiction, self-harm or hurting others.
It will save countless American lives.
A few months ago, my father, my warrior hero, lost his fight with cancer.
When he passed, he had by his bedside: his Bible, Book of Mormon, family photos and a pen President Trump gave me to give him.
Dad loved that pen. It represented freedom to him, the freedom that only exists when someone is willing to fight for it.
To my father, President Trump is that ultimate warrior fighting for our freedom.
If you listen to Democrats, the media, and liberal elite, they say America’s light doesn’t shine as brightly around the world as it once did.
That’s simply not true. the same light that brought my father to America inspires the desperate and downtrodden equally today.
Believe me. I interact with some of the most marginalized victims on Earth. And they love America!
They love President Trump! Because he is fighting for their freedom.
And America’s freedom.
Thank you President Trump. God bless you and America, this land of greatness!
Debbie Flood
Remarks as Prepared:
My name is Debbie Flood and I own a small foundry and machine shop in Wisconsin that manufactures cast bronze architectural hardware.
My father, a WWII veteran, started the business with some used equipment and the American dream.
Today, we are one of the only U.S. companies left who make our products from start to finish under one roof.
We really make things and we love it.
When we lost nearly 50% of our business to China in the mid-2000s, we wondered how a small company like ours could continue to compete.
At the time, Joe Biden was a senator.
He voted to normalize trade with China and helped pave the way for them to join the WTO, even though they were hurting American companies like ours.
But we are tenacious and creative.
We took a risk and purchased a 3D printer.
3D printing technology allows us to do things China can’t.
Now, we can take a customer’s idea from sketch to sample to production, in just a few weeks.
This opened up new opportunities for us.
Later, we fought our way through the Great Recession.
Then Donald Trump was elected, and we breathed a sigh of relief.
He actually fought for American workers and American craftsmen.
He actually cared about bringing back those three beautiful words, “Made in America.”
We no longer had to succeed despite government.
Now, the government was on our side, and we enjoyed a thriving economy stimulated by President Trump’s pro-business and pro-worker policies.
Thanks to the Trump Tax Cuts, I‘ve been able to raise my employees’ wages.
So they got a pay raise and a tax cut.
Even in the face of the pandemic, the President doubled down on his support for small business.
Thanks to President Trump, our business was approved for the Paycheck Protection Program.
That allowed us to keep our people working at a time when the future was uncertain.
Our President understands that the best solutions unleash the innovation of American entrepreneurs and the creativity of American workers.
Joe Biden doesn’t know anything about business. Or about creating jobs.
He’s spent 47 years in government. It is doubtful that he’ll finally figure it out in year 48.
He’s pledged to raise our taxes and bring back excessive regulation.
I own a business whose mission it is to solve problems. Anything can be solved with a little creativity.
It just takes courage, commitment, and ideas.
Those are all things that come naturally to President Trump.
And that’s why he has my support.
Ann Dorn
Remarks as Prepared:
Hello. My name is Ann Dorn. I’d like to introduce you to my husband David. Father of five. Brother to twelve. Grandfather of ten. Friend to thousands. He was the most kind, dedicated, loving life partner I could ever hope for. He had a big smile and a heart to match. He was blessed with the gift of gab, and that gift enabled him to touch souls and inspire people, especially young people. Oh, how he loved kids. And they loved him back.
Dave was all about service. He served 38 years in the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and six years as Chief of Police at the Moline Acres Police Department. After 44 years, he retired from law enforcement, but he never retired from helping a friend in need. Since he befriended every person he met, he was a very busy man.
One example of that was his friendship with a young man named Lee. Dave met him when Lee was just a kid, after members of his family were attacked and murdered. Dave took a special interest in the boy. They bonded, and their friendship grew and remained strong through the years. Lee eventually opened a pawn shop. He trusted Dave implicitly and asked him to help with security. Dave readily agreed. Whenever the shop’s alarm would go off, the alarm company called Dave, and he would investigate. If he got a call after I went to bed, he would wake me up to tell me he was going to Lee’s shop to make sure everything was alright. Most of the time, they were false alarms -- triggered by storms or animals -- but I never rested easy until I heard Dave’s key turn to unlock the door.
The alarm that went off the morning of June 2nd was for real. It was a violent night in St. Louis. Four police officers were shot. Others were hit with rocks and fireworks. At least 55 businesses were damaged, looted, or set on fire. As the Officer Wellness and CIT Coordinator with the police department, I was keenly aware of the rioting and spent the evening getting ready to mobilize support efforts for officers who were impacted. After I had gone to bed, Dave received a call from Lee’s alarm company. The front door of the pawn shop had been breached. This time, he didn’t wake me up to tell me. He probably knew I would have tried to stop him or insisted on going with him. As I slept, looters were ransacking the shop. They shot and killed Dave in cold blood and livestreamed the execution and his last moments on this earth. Dave’s grandson was watching the video on Facebook in real time, not realizing he was watching his own grandfather dying on the sidewalk.
I learned of all this around 4:00 am when our doorbell rang. The Chief of Police was standing outside. I wondered why Dave had not answered the door. It wasn’t uncommon for him to be up watching TV at that time. I called out to him several times. No reply. He wasn’t there. I let in the Chief. Fighting back tears, he uttered the words every officer’s spouse dreads.
I re-live that horror in my mind every single day. My hope is that having you re-live it with me now will help shake this country from the nightmare we are witnessing in our cities and bring about positive, peaceful change.
How did we get to this point where so many young people are so callous and indifferent towards human life?
This isn’t a video game where you can commit mayhem and then hit “reset” and bring all the characters back to life. David is never coming back. He was murdered by people who didn’t know, and didn’t care, that he would have done anything to help them.
Violence and destruction are not legitimate forms of protest. They do not safeguard black lives. They destroy them. President Trump understands this and has offered federal help to restore order in our communities. In a time when police departments are short on resources and manpower, we need that help. We should accept that help. We must heal before we can effect change, but we cannot heal amid devastation and chaos. President Trump knows we need more Davids in our communities, not fewer.
We need to come together in Peace and remember that every life is precious.
The Honorable Ben Carson
Remarks as Prepared:
Good evening, I’m Ben Carson, a retired neurosurgeon and a public servant.
Before I begin, I’d like to say that our hearts go out to the Blake family. The images everyone has seen from this tragic event in Kenosha are heart-wrenching. This action deserves a serene response, one that steers away from the destruction of a community that molded Jacob and his family into the kind of man his family and friends know today. In order to succeed in change, we must first come together in love of our fellow citizens.
It may be hard to believe now, but indeed our country, our world, have been through worse and history reminds us that necessary change comes through hope and love, not senseless and destructive violence.
Abraham Lincoln once said to an America divided, that “your purpose, then, plainly stated, is that you will destroy the government, unless you be allowed to construe and enforce the Constitution as you please, on all points in dispute between you and us. You will rule or ruin in all events.”
These words of warning are relevant today.
We have a choice: do we want big government that controls our lives from cradle to grave or do we believe in the power and wisdom of the people and their ability to self-govern with help from a limited Federal government?
Our President, Donald J. Trump, believes in the people. He is one of us. He makes promises, and he keeps them. He is transparent, and we certainly know what he’s thinking. He does not submit to political correctness or to its enforcers, the media. He is real.
Right now, we need real. We need courage. We can’t cower in the corner and hope that no one calls us a name, believing that will keep us safe. That is not courage, and that will not lead us to a good and just place. We must remember all those who sacrificed everything in order to give us freedom, and we must be willing to do the same for those who come after us.
President Trump does not dabble in identity politics. He wants everyone to succeed and believes in the adage, “a rising tide lifts all boats.” Many on the other side love to incite division by claiming that President Trump is a racist. They could not be more wrong.
Years ago, Jesse Jackson gave Donald Trump an award for the economic opportunities he created for Black people. In Palm Beach, Florida, Donald Trump led the crusade to allow blacks and Jews into private clubs and resorts. One of the first things he did as president was bring the Office of Historically Black Colleges and Universities into the White House so that it could get proper attention and financial support. Before the pandemic, African American unemployment was at an all-time low.
President Trump accomplished prison reform. He created incentives to encourage investors to become involved with economically-deprived areas of America.
He strongly supports school choice, fully recognizing that no matter what circumstances a person is born into, they can achieve success with a good education. It was true for me. When my mother forced me to read books about doctors, entrepreneurs, inventors and scientists, I began to recognize that the person who has the most to do with what happens to you in life is you. My mother always told me “Ben, you can do anything, but I will never allow you to become a victim.” It was then that I stopped listening to the people who were trying to convince me that I was a victim and that others were responsible for my victimhood.
What is racist is the fact that African Americans have the highest abortion rate.
President Trump is the most pro-life President in our country's history. He will continue to fight for those who cannot yet speak.
The vision of a “Shining City Upon a Hill" came from Jesus' Sermon on the Mount. America is that Shining City. We are the beacon of hope for the world. At this moment in time, President Donald Trump is the man with the courage, the vision, and the ability to keep it shining brightly.
Patrick Lynch
Remarks as Prepared:
This is Police Benevolent Association President Pat Lynch, speaking to you on behalf of 50,000 active and retired New York City police officers.
We are the men and women who wear a shield on our chests and put ourselves in harm’s way to protect our city, every single day.
We are endorsing our president, Donald J. Trump, for re-election because the stakes have never been higher.
Like cops across this country, we are staring down the barrel of a public safety disaster.
More than one thousand people have been shot and three hundred killed in New York City so far this year.
These aren’t numbers. These are people.
A father gunned down while holding his seven-year-old daughter’s hand.
A beloved neighborhood peacemaker killed by a stray bullet.
A 17-year-old who made all the right choices, who worked hard to go to college and earn a sports scholarship, murdered before he could tell his mother the news.
A one-year old child shot dead in his stroller.
Every day, our communities are asking us:
Why is this happening?
The answer is simple: The Democrats have walked away from us.
Democratic politicians have surrendered our streets and institutions.
The loudest voices have taken control, and our so-called “leaders” are scrambling to catch up to them.
In city after city, they have slashed police budgets.
They have hijacked and dismantled the criminal justice system.
They have passed laws that made it impossible for police officers to do our job.
The violence and chaos we’re seeing now isn’t a side effect.
It’s actually the goal.
The radical left doesn’t really want better policing.
They don’t really care about making the justice system fairer.
What they want is no policing.
What they want is a justice system that stops working altogether.
Wherever Democrats are in power, the radical left is getting exactly what they want.
And our country is suffering for it.
I have been a New York City police officer for 36 years.
I’ve never seen our streets go this bad so quickly.
I’ve never heard from so many cops, from every corner of the country, who are saying the same thing: “Our hands are tied.”
Something has to change.
If we are going to turn the tide and restore law and order, we cannot fall into the left’s trap.
There is nobody who hates bad cops more than good cops, but that doesn’t matter to the radical left.
To them, we’re all bad, because we’re all blue.
Their anti-law enforcement campaign isn’t about a single incident.
It’s about a message:
The message is: police officers are the enemy.
The message is: criminals have the right to resist arrest.
The message is: if you victimize a vulnerable person, the justice system will not hold you accountable.
The criminals have heard that message, and they are taking full advantage.
We must stop that message.
We must expose the left’s lies about police officers and the job we do.
And we will do that, because we have something they don’t.
We have a real leader.
We have President Donald J. Trump.
Unlike the Democrats, who are running in fear of the mob in the street, President Trump has never apologized for standing up for law and order.
Unlike the Democrats, who froze in the face of rioting and looting, President Trump gives law enforcement the support and tools to put a stop to it – period, end of story.
It has never been harder to be a police officer in this country.
But there are two things that keep us going:
We look at the victims, the vulnerable, the regular working people who count on us.
We know we can’t let them down.
And we hear the words of our President, who says to cops everywhere “I will never let you down.”
We’ve been fortunate to have his powerful voice defending police officers.
We know that we absolutely cannot afford to lose it.
When it comes to your safety, your families’ safety and the safety of all Americans, there is no other choice.
You won’t be safe in Joe Biden’s America.
You can have four more years of President Trump.
Or you can have no safety, no justice, no peace.
Rudy Giuliani
Remarks as Prepared:
In 2013 my city elected a self described Progressive Democrat as Mayor.
New York City, once described as America’s Crime Capital, had become by the mid-1990s America’s safest large city.
Now today my city is in shock.
Murders, shootings and violent crime are increasing at percentages unheard of in the past.
We are seeing the return of rioting and looting.
During riots this Democrat Mayor like others has often prevented the Police from making arrests.
Even when arrests are made liberal, “progressive” DAs release the rioters so as not to disrupt the looting.
New Yorkers wonder how did we get overwhelmed by crime so quickly and decline so fast?
They elected DeBlasio because of their reflexive historical instinct to vote for a Democrat just because he was a Democrat and not to consider carefully his destructive policies and inadequate background.
Don’t let Democrats do to America what they have done to New York!
Again, the Democrats are urging you to vote for an obviously defective candidate.
Biden has changed his principles so often, he no longer has any principles.
He disavowed his authorship of the 1994 Crime Bill.
He’s a Trojan Horse with Bernie, AOC, Pelosi, Black Lives Matter and his party’s entire Left Wing hidden inside his body just waiting to execute their pro-criminal, anti-police policies.
The whole unprecedented wave of lawlessness began with a truly just cause the unforgiveable police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis on May 25, 2020.
Peaceful protests began all over the land.
The condemnation of the killing was universal from President Trump to Democrat leaders.
It seemed for a ‘a few brief shining moments’ like Democrat and Republican leaders would come together with a unified proposal to reduce police misconduct.
This possibility was very dangerous to the Left.
They had a President to beat and a country to destroy, and although a bi-partisan coalition agreeing on action against police brutality would be very valuable for the country, it would also make President Trump appear to be an effective leader.
So, BLM and ANTIFA sprang into action and in a flash hijacked the protests into vicious, brutal riots.
The single biggest signal to encourage wanton lawlessness was surrendering a police headquarters to criminals in Minneapolis.
From then on BLM, ANTIFA and their criminal co-conspirators were in charge.
Soon protests turned into riots in many other American cities almost all Democrat.
Businesses were burned and crushed, people beaten, shot and killed, police officers routinely assaulted and occasionally badly beaten and killed, and the police handcuffed by Progressive Democrat Mayors from doing anything but observe the crimes and absorb the blows.
But the worst of it was the slaughter of innocent young people with their whole lives ahead of them.
The murder of 4-year old LeGen Taliferro in Kansas City shocked the nation but not BLM or their many Democrat supporters.
17-Year-Old Basketball Star Brandon Hendricks was killed in the Bronx just days after graduating High School and passed with only brief mention.
One year old Davell Gardner, Jr. was shot and killed in a stroller at a cook-out in Brooklyn and it caused no outrage.
For President Trump, and for us Republicans, all Black Lives Matter and the lives of LaGen, Brandon and Davell matter to us.
All lives matter to us.
These continuous riots in Democrat cities gives you a good view of the future under Biden.
36 of the 50 largest cities now have homicides increasing by double digits.
Chicago is far and away number one in homicide, leading number two Philadelphia by 200 murders in this year alone.
It has been like this for decades and it’s been controlled throughout by Democrats.
In fact, shamefully Obama and Biden did nothing at all to quell the carnage.
I guess these Black Lives didn't matter to them.
All five of the top cities for homicides, like the cities with the worst rioting and looting, are governed by “Progressive” Democrats using the Progressive Democrat approach to Crime which is to do nothing substantive to reduce it, to release prisoners as many and as soon as possible, and to go to war with the police, the only group with the capability to reduce crime.
During the Democrat Convention Biden read a remark from the teleprompter “Silence is Assent.” For Joe’s benefit that means if you don’t speak up, you are demonstrating your agreement to allow the condition to continue.
Well, Biden and his fellow Democrats were widely criticized for not speaking up about the out-of-control violence plaguing Democrat cities in our country.
Their silence was so deafening that it reveals an acceptance of this violence because they will accept anything they hope will defeat President Donald Trump.
However, they are making this election a choice between the Democrat policies soft on crime against the Republican program of law and order.
It is clear that a vote for Biden and the Democrats creates the risk that you will bring this lawlessness to your city, town or suburb.
It can come to where you live.
Vote for President Trump and he will fight to preserve your safety, and to protect the American way of life.
President Trump has shown us that he is an expert in quickly reversing long term destructive Democrat programs.
The first and foremost duty of government is to ensure domestic tranquility.
In the cities we discussed that Democrats have broken that solemn bond.
If Biden is elected, along with the Democrats who are unwilling to speak out against this anarchy, then the crime wave will intensify and spread from cities and towns to suburbs and beyond.
I have no doubt, and I’m sure you don’t, when President Trump is re-elected the damage will stop.
His re-election in large part will be a mandate to end the out of control violent crime and rioting in Democrat cities.
This is truly the most important election in my life time.
The Democrats want to change our system of government and the most basic values we cherish.
If they win that is exactly what they will do.
There is no question that this awesome job of restoring safety at this time, cannot be done effectively from your basement.
There is also no question that Donald Trump will do just the opposite and fight with all his strength to preserve the American system of government and our way of life.
In critical times in our history America is always blessed with the right person to handle the crisis…
Washington, Lincoln, Roosevelt, Reagan were perfect for the challenges they faced and brought our nation through.
Donald Trump with his abiding love of our country and all our people, his exceptional work ethic, his ability to inspire large numbers of people and his deep understanding of our extraordinary system of government and the strength of our American values, and a boundless love for the American people, is the man we can trust to preserve and even improve our Way of Life.
Mr. President, Make our nation safe again.
Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR)
Remarks as Prepared:
Good evening. I’m Senator Tom Cotton. A lot’s changed in four years. Back then, we gathered in a rowdy arena. Tonight, you’re probably at home, while I stand alone.
“Stands Alone.” That was the motto my old Army unit, the 506th Infantry—the original Band of Brothers. From the Normandy beaches to the Iraqi desert, we fought alongside each other, but we were always prepared to stand alone.
And so it is with our nation. We lead the free world. But we’ll stand alone if we must to defend America.
Donald Trump understands this. He puts America first. That’s why America is safer now than four years ago.
But Joe Biden would return us to a weak and dangerous past. Barack Obama’s own secretary of defense said Joe Biden has been wrong on nearly every major national-security decision over the past four decades.
So, let’s compare the records of Joe Biden and Donald Trump.
Joe Biden slashed defense spending again and again. President Trump rebuilt our military—and added the Space Force.
Joe Biden let ISIS terrorists rampage across the Middle East. President Trump eliminated ISIS’s leader—and destroyed its caliphate.
Joe Biden opposed the mission to kill Osama bin Laden. President Trump avenged the murder of hundreds of Americans by killing Iran’s terrorist mastermind, Qassim Soleimani.
Joe Biden sent pallets of cash to the ayatollahs. President Trump ripped up the dangerous Iran nuclear deal.
Joe Biden treated Israel like a nuisance. President Trump moved our embassy to Jerusalem and brokered peace deals in the Middle East.
Joe Biden coddled socialist dictators in Cuba and Venezuela. President Trump fights against communism—in America’s backyard and around the world.
And on the Communist Party of China, there is no comparison.
Joe Biden aided and abetted China’s rise for fifty years with terrible trade deals that closed our factories and laid off our workers. President Trump stands up to China’s cheating, and stealing, and lying.
Joe Biden allowed Chinese fentanyl to flood across our southern border. President Trump sanctioned Chinese drug dealers for poisoning our kids.
Joe Biden said the Chinese Communists aren’t even our competitors, aren’t “bad folks”—just months before they unleashed this plague on the world. President Trump is clear-eyed about the Chinese threat, and he’s making China pay.
But China’s not giving up—in fact, they’re rooting for Joe Biden. America’s other enemies won’t give up either. But Joe Biden would be as wrong and weak over the next four years as he has been for the last fifty.
We need a president who stands up for America—not one who takes a knee.
A strong and proud America is a safe America—safe from our enemies and safe from war.
No one who’s seen the face of war desires to see it again. Too many of our fellow Americans are already honored at the hallowed grounds of Arlington.
But if we want peace, we must be strong. Weakness is provocative. President Trump’s strength has kept us out of war.
Joe Biden won’t stand up for America. Donald Trump will. So this November, let’s stand with the president and vote to keep America great.
Carl and Marsha Mueller
Remarks as Prepared:
Marsha:
My name is Marsha Mueller. This is my husband, Carl. Our daughter, Kayla was taken as a hostage and murdered by ISIS.
From a young age, Kayla was amazing—she taught herself languages, how to write music, how to play guitar. She worked with troubled youth, military veterans, and Native Americans.
Everywhere Kayla went, people smiled.
Kayla had a gift to be able to see the world through someone else’s eyes. She became a humanitarian aid worker and when she was helping children at an orphanage in India, Kayla wrote “I find God in the suffering eyes reflected in mine, if this is how you are revealed to me, this is how I will forever seek you.”
She went to Turkey to help Syrian refugees in 2012. In August, 2013 she was asked by another aid worker to cross the border into Syria to help at a hospital. On August 4, 2013, ISIS terrorists stopped her vehicle and took her captive.
Carl:
Kayla was mostly held in a 12’ by 12’ cell in solitary confinement. It was cold and dirty. ISIS terrorists shined bright lights in her face. They shaved her head. They beat her and tortured her. The leader of ISIS, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, raped her repeatedly.
For—18 months—she endured. And we endured an agonizing back-and-forth between us, the Obama administration, and ISIS. We put all our faith in the government.
But our government let us down. President Obama refused to meet with us until ISIS had already beheaded other Americans. To this day, we’ve never heard from Joe Biden. Instead, the Obama administration hid behind policy so much that we felt hopeless when they kept us from negotiating to save Kayla’s life.
The administration showed more concern for the terrorists in Guantanamo than for the American hostages in Syria.
The military prepared a rescue mission, but the White House delayed it. By the time it went forward, Kayla had been moved to a different location.
After 18 months of brutal torture, we learned from ISIS that Kayla had been killed.
The Obama administration kept telling us they were doing everything they could. But their version of “everything” wasn’t enough.
What a difference a president makes.
Under President Trump, U.S. Army special operators conducted a raid on al-Baghdadi’s compound. After we learned that al-Baghdadi was killed, we learned something else:
The operators named themselves “Task Force 814” after August 14, Kayla’s birthday. And they named the mission Operation Kayla Mueller. To those soldiers: thank you. Kayla was looking down on you.
The Trump team gave us empathy we never received from the Obama administration. The Obama administration said it was doing everything it could. The Trump administration actually is.
Let me just say this: Kayla should be here. If Donald Trump had been President when Kayla was captured, she would be here today.
When Kayla was a hostage, I’d go outside at night and look at the moon. I’d look at the moon and I’d promise her I’d do everything I could to get her home.
Now, when I see the moon—I’m reminded of my promise to her I couldn’t keep.
Marsha:
All Kayla wanted was to make it home. We are still working to find her and, God willing, we will bring her home.
Kayla was born a miracle—we were told we would never have a second child. But God gave us Kayla. And she gave herself to the world.
Eight months into Kayla’s captivity, another hostage was able to smuggle out a letter Kayla had written. As we read it, we could see that God was holding her in His arms. In her words, she “felt tenderly cradled in freefall.”
She also wrote:
I have been shown in darkness, light and have learned that even in prison, one can be free. I am grateful…
I have had many hours to think how only in your absence have I finally at 25 years old come to realize your place in my lifeTop of Form…
None of us could have known it would be this long but know I am also fighting from my side in the ways I am able and I have a lot of fight left inside of me…
I am not breaking down and I will not give in no matter how long it takes.
Kayla taught me so many things as her mom. She’s still teaching us.
Carl and I support Donald Trump because of his commitment to make and keep America great, not with the power of the government, but with the passion of people like Kayla—Americans who, even in the darkest days, always have more fight left inside of them. Americans who don’t just talk—they act.
That was our daughter. That’s President Trump. As long as we stay strong like Kayla, as long as we refuse to break, we will be great.
Alice Johnson
Remarks as Prepared:
Good evening, I’m Alice Marie Johnson.
I was once told that the only way I would ever be reunited with my family would be as a corpse. But by the grace of God and the compassion of President Donald John Trump, I stand before you tonight…and I assure you, I’m not a ghost! I am alive, I am well, and most importantly, I am free.
In 1996, I began serving time in prison -- Life plus 25 years. I had never been in trouble. I was a first-time, nonviolent offender. What I did was wrong. I made decisions that I regret.
Some say, ‘You do the crime. You do the time.’ However, that time should be fair and just. We’ve all made mistakes, and none of us want to be defined forever based on our worst decision.
While in prison, I became a playwright, a mentor, a certified hospice volunteer, an ordained minister, and received the Special Olympics Event Coordinator of the year award for my work with disabled women. Because the only thing worse than unjustly imprisoning my body, is trying to imprison my mind.
My transformation was described as “extraordinary.” Truth is, there are thousands of people just like me, who deserve the opportunity to come home.
I never stopped fighting for my freedom. My Christian faith -- and the prayers of so many -- kept hope alive.
When President Trump heard about me -- about the injustice of my story -- he saw me as a person. He had compassion. And he acted.
Free in body thanks to President Trump. But free in mind thanks to the almighty God.
I couldn’t believe it. I always remembered that God knew my name, even in my darkest hour. But I never thought a President would!
When I was released on June 6, 2018, I ran across that road and hugged my grandchildren for the first time.
I’ll never forget that feeling! And then I remembered the promise I had made to the men and women I left behind — that I would never stop fighting for them. And I haven’t. I’m using my voice to tell their stories. And I pray that my face reminds you of those forgotten faces.
Six months after President Trump granted me a second chance, he signed the First Step Act into law. It was REAL justice reform. And it brought joy, hope, and freedom to thousands of well-deserving people. I hollered Hallelujah! My faith in justice and mercy was rewarded. Imagine getting to hug your loved ones again. It’s a feeling I will never forget. And to think, this first step meant so much to so many. I can’t wait because we’re just getting started.
The nearly 22 years I spent in prison were not wasted. God had a purpose and plan for my life. I was not delayed or denied; I was destined for such a time as this!
I pray that you will not just hear this message, but that you will be inspired by my story, and your compassion will lead you to take action for those who are forgotten.
That’s what our President, Donald Trump, did for me. And, for that, I will be forever grateful.
God bless you. God bless President Trump. And God bless America.
