Remarks for Night Three of the Republican National Convention – Part One
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.
South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem
Remarks as Prepared:
Good evening, I’m Governor Kristi Noem of South Dakota.
I’m here tonight because I believe America is an exceptional nation founded on three principles - equality, freedom, and opportunity.
But today, our founding principles are under attack.
This year, the choice for Americans is between a man who values these ideals and all that can be built because of them / and a man who isn’t guided by these ideals and coincidentally, has built nothing.
Remember, America’s battle for independence and fight for self-governance was something that had never been done before. Men of great intellect and wisdom like James Madison / the Father of our Constitution / hoped our constitutional republic would last for ages, mitigate the problems that would naturally arise from political factions, and prevent tyranny.
Our Constitution gave only a few, narrowly defined powers to the federal government. Most powers were left to the states, so that those closest to the people could decide the laws that would govern their activities.
Madison also authored much of the Bill of Rights because he understood the natural tendency of government to increasingly encroach on the people’s consent and thus our freedom. He urged his colleagues to adopt these amendments to enshrine in our Constitution the ideals laid out in the Declaration of Independence:
That all power comes from the people; and
That government is created and ought to be exercised for the benefit of the people.
Our Constitution guarantees:
The right to speak, to assemble, and to worship;
The right to arm ourselves as a counterbalance to a standing army; and
The right to a fair and equitable criminal justice system.
We must fight to protect these foundational rights from government interference and indifference.
America is unique in the world. Government’s power at all levels is limited to the confines of our Constitution, which protects our God-given liberties and civil rights. We are not - and will not - be the subjects of an elite class of so-called experts. We the people are the government.
At times, our country has struggled to live up to our founding principles. Another great American, Abraham Lincoln, knew that struggle better than anybody.
When he was just 28 years old, Honest Abe saw wild and furious passions, “worse than savage mobs,” he said, taking the place of reasoned judgment. He was alarmed by the increasing disregard for the rule of law throughout the country.
He was concerned for the people who had seen their property destroyed, their families attacked, and their lives threatened or even taken away. These good people were becoming tired of, and disgusted with, a government that offered them no protection.
Sound familiar?
It took 244 years to build this great nation - flaws and all - but we stand to lose it in a tiny fraction of that time if we continue down the path taken by the Democrats and their radical supporters.
From Seattle and Portland to Washington and New York, Democrat-run cities across this country are being overrun by violent mobs. The violence is rampant. There’s looting, chaos, destruction, and murder. People that can afford to flee have fled. But the people that can’t - good, hard-working Americans - are left to fend for themselves.
The Republican Party’s commitment to individual rights and self-government is as necessary today as it was in 1860 when we won our first presidential election.
Our party respects individuals based on who they are. We don’t divide people based on their beliefs or their roots. We don’t shun people who think for themselves. We respect everyone equally under the Constitution and treat them as Martin Luther King, Jr. wished, according to the content of their character and not the color of their skin.
In just four years, President Trump has lifted people of all races and backgrounds out of poverty. He shrunk government and put money back into the pockets of hardworking, ordinary Americans. He has advanced religious liberty and protected the Second Amendment. You can look back 50 years, and you won’t find anyone that has surpassed President Trump’s success on these four issues alone.
President Trump places the American people, American liberty, American security, and the American Constitution before all else. He honors the fact that the American people provide the “consent of the governed” on which legitimate government depends.
History chooses its heroes for the time in which they live. At our founding, Madison was one of the chosen. When the nation’s very existence was challenged it was Lincoln’s turn. Thanks to these men, America is a land of hope. Their examples have been repeated in countless ways by simple Americans following their consciences. But, there is another American hero to be recognized. That is the common American. This is who President Trump is fighting for. He's fighting for you.
Scott Dane
Remarks as Prepared:
I’m Scott Dane. I represent loggers and truckers in Minnesota. But I also represent a way of life.
Logging has been a part of the Great American Story from the beginning. In fact, if you go to the U.S. Capitol Rotunda and look up, you can see loggers on one of the panels—New England settlers carving out a new world from the wilderness.
Logging is the most dangerous job in the country but we embrace that risk because we know America was built by strong people building things together.
America needs us to keep building and we can’t wait to be part of it.
But the last time Joe Biden was in the White House, Minnesota lost over half of its mills, thousands of jobs, and experienced nearly a decade of decline. The administration just didn’t seem to care. In 47 years in Washington, Joe Biden hasn’t done anything for the timber industry.
When plants closed in Duluth, Sartel, and International Falls, they were just numbers on a paper to the Obama-Biden administration. To me, they were people and jobs and families.
Under Obama-Biden, radical environmentalists were allowed to kill the forests. Wildfire after wildfire shows the consequences. Managed Forests—the kind my people work in, are healthy forests.
Under President Trump, we’ve seen a new recognition of the value of forest management in reducing wildfires. And we’ve seen new support for our way of life—where a strong back and a strong work ethic can build a strong middle class.
We want to build families where we’re raised and stand by communities that have stood by us. We want that way of life available for the next generation and we want our forests there too.
President Trump, thank you for helping us do just that.
Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN)
Remarks as Prepared:
America is a nation of heroes. In times of difficulty, we’re reminded that they’re all around us.
They’re in line with us at the grocery store, and in the pew with us at church.
They’re the regular Americans who step up to volunteer and serve when we need them most.
They’ve stood at the forefront throughout this pandemic.
The Emergency Room nurses who go back shift after shift.
The medical researchers developing a vaccine and therapies to combat what the Chinese Communist regime unleashed on the world.
The Double Springs Church of Christ members, lifting our country up in prayer and providing for those impacted.
But tonight, I want to talk to you about another kind of hero. The kind Democrats don’t recognize, because they don’t fit into their narrative.
I’m talking about the heroes of our law enforcement and armed services.
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.
Tennessee is full of them—after all, we’re the volunteer state.
My dad served in the Army in World War II. When he came home he put on another uniform and for thirty years, volunteered to help our underfunded Sheriff’s department.
I’m reminded of him whenever I see compassion and selflessness in others.
When I see law enforcement officers put their lives on the line every single day to keep our communities safe, in spite of the hatred thrown at them.
When I see the heroes who volunteer to serve our country -- putting their lives on the line for our freedom.
Many of those heroes call Tennessee home - we could not be more proud of the brave men and women of the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell.
The common thread between them is a deep-seated desire to serve a cause larger than themselves.
They don’t believe their country owes them anything. They believe they owe their country, and their fellow man.
As hard as Democrats try, they can’t cancel our heroes. They can’t contest their bravery, and they can’t dismiss the powerful sense of service that lives deep in their souls.
So they try to defund them —our military, our police, even ICE — to take away their tools to keep us safe.
Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, and their radical allies try to destroy these heroes, because if there are no heroes to inspire us—government can control us.
They close our churches, but keep the liquor stores and abortion clinics open. They say we can’t gather in groups at church, but encourage protests, riots, and looting in the streets.
If the Democrats had their way, they would keep you locked in your house until you become dependent on the government for everything. That sounds a lot like Communist China to me —maybe that’s why Joe Biden is so soft on them. Why Nancy Pelosi says that “China would prefer Joe Biden.”
Yeah, I bet they would.
But President Trump has stood up for our heroes every day.
He’s stood by our law enforcement, our military, and the freedoms we hold dear.
He’s made good on his promise to put America first.
And I hope you will stand with me as we send him back for four more years with a clear message to the Democrats: you will never cancel our heroes.
Representative Dan Crenshaw (TX-02)
Remarks as Prepared:
I’m Congressman Dan Crenshaw.
8 years ago, in the fields of Helmand Province, Afghanistan, a close of friend and teammate laid down cover fire against Taliban insurgents so that I could walk – blind and bloodied – to the Medevac helicopter and survive.
But he didn’t. Dave was killed two months later. He died a hero to this great country.
Here’s the truth about America: we are a country of heroes. I believe that, so should you.
We are a people with a common set of ideals conceived in liberty.
A people that has sacrificed time and again — for our freedom, and the freedom of others.
That’s something no other country — ever, anywhere — can claim.
Since 9/11 I’ve seen America’s heroes up close. Some of them saved my life. Some of them saved many other’s lives. Many of them never made it home.
These heroes acted as if the whole struggle depended on them alone, as if any weakness on their part would be a reflection on the whole nation. That’s called duty, and America has a long history of it.
Our enemies fear us because Americans fight for good, and we know it….it gives us strength. And when our heroes are trusted and equipped, then freedom prevails.
The defeat of ISIS was the result of America believing in our heroes, our President having their backs and rebuilding our military so we’d have what we needed to finish the mission.
The cowering of Iran and the restoration of the deterrence once lost is the result of America believing in her own might again.
But America’s heroism is not relegated to the battlefield.
Every single day we see them… if you just know where to look.
It’s the nurse who volunteers for back to back shifts caring for COVID patients because she feels that’s her duty.
It’s the parent who will re-learn algebra because there’s no way they’re letting their kid fall behind while schools are closed.
It’s the cop that gets spit on one day and will save a child’s life the next.
America is the country where the young military wife with two young children answers the unexpected knock at the door, looks the man in uniform in the eye, and — even as her whole world comes crashing down — stands up straight, holds back tears, and takes care of her family…because she must.
This is what heroism looks like. It's who we are – a nation of heroes, and we need you now more than ever. We need to remind ourselves what heroism really is.
Heroism is self-sacrifice, not moralizing and lecturing over others when they disagree.
Heroism is grace, not perpetual outrage.
Heroism is rebuilding our communities, not destroying them.
Heroism is renewing faith in the symbols that unite us, not tearing them down.
You see, America is a fabric woven from the threads of history’s best stories, best attributes, and greatest ideas. The American spirit reflects the oldest and most important virtues: self-sacrifice, courage, tolerance, love of country, grace, and passion for human achievement.
We can decide right now that American greatness will not be rejected nor squandered. As the American founding was grounded in individual liberty, so will be our future.
But if we are to rediscover our strength, then it must be an endeavor undertaken by each and every one of us.
We must become the heroes that we so admire.
America was built by them and our future will be protected by them. It will be protected by you.
God Bless America.
The Honorable Keith Kellogg
Remarks as Prepared:
In 1967, at the age of 22, I volunteered to serve my country in Vietnam. From the jungles of Vietnam to the deserts of Iraq-I have gone where my nation asked.
I have borne witness to soldiers’ last moments on earth, their lives spent in the hope and promise of a better future for all Americans.
I was in the Pentagon on September 11, 2001—I lost friends there that day. In the years that followed, I watched my daughter, son, and son-in-law deploy to Afghanistan. I have looked into the eyes of my grandchildren as they said goodbye to their fathers and hugged them one last time.
I lived service. I understand sacrifice. I know leadership.
Over the past three and a half years, I have witnessed every major foreign policy and national security decision by the President. I have been in the room where it happened. I saw only one agenda and one guiding question when tough calls had to be made…is this decision right for America?
When President Donald Trump took office, decades of failed foreign policy had crippled us. He faced wars without end in sight, creation of failed states like Libya and Syria, a past that allowed a terrorist caliphate to grow, and leadership in Washington that allowed our military to atrophy while we spent trillions of dollars abroad instead of investing at home.
President Trump has reversed the decline of our military and restructured our national security strategy. With historic investment and vision, our military is now better equipped, better resourced and better manned than any military in the world.
President Trump demolished the terrorist ISIS Caliphate in the Middle East and eliminated its leader, al-Baghdadi, one of the world’s most brutal murderers.
President Trump took decisive action against Iranian terrorist mastermind Qasim Soleimani—a man responsible for the deaths of hundreds of American servicemen in Iraq.
When our NATO allies failed to meet their commitments as we upheld ours, President Trump demanded parity. NATO members have now increased their contributions over $100 Billion this year and NATO’s Secretary General credits … President Donald J. Trump.
President Trump challenged, and continues to challenge, an increasingly provocative and militant China.
But make no mistake, President Trump is no hawk. He wisely wields the sword when required, but believes in seeking peace instead of perpetual conflict.
Just over a week ago, our President brokered a peace agreement between the United Arab Emirates and Israel, the first in the Middle East in over 25 years.
And this week, Afghan negotiators, with help from American officials, will start peace negotiations between the Taliban and the Afghan government to end America’s longest war.
Ask yourself, has this President kept his promises…to keep us out of needless conflicts and to pursue ending wars without end? Has he defended your interests in renegotiating trade deals that previously hurt Americans and our national security? Has he fulfilled his Commander in Chief role by decisively going after our Nation’s enemies?
You and I know, the answer is yes. The choice is clear. This is the most important election of our lifetimes. The next four years will decide the course of our country for decades to come. I am asking you to stand up and be counted, so we never have to look back and recall what it was once like in America when men and women were free, our families were secure -- and we had a President who served the people.
God Bless America.
Thank you and good night.
Representative Lee Zeldin (NY-01)
Remarks as Prepared:
I’m Congressman Lee Zeldin, coming to you tonight from the VFW hall in [INSERT LOCATION], New York.
Tonight we’re celebrating America as a Land of Heroes. I’ve seen my fair share -- from the heroes policing the streets of Suffolk County, to those patrolling war-torn provinces of Iraq.
This is personal.
I grew up in a law enforcement household and, today, I serve as a Lt. Colonel in the Army Reserve. On active duty, I deployed to Iraq as an 82nd Airborne paratrooper.
My generation of post-9/11 service members has huge shoes to fill following in the footsteps of veterans like those of our nation’s greatest generation who once put humanity on their shoulders and saved the world.
It’s been said, our Nation at times asks ordinary men to do extraordinary things.
Americans always rise to the challenge.
All over our country there are everyday heroes who serve and sacrifice for the greater good.
Farmers, truckers, craftsmen -- the heroes who keep our country running. The ones who our
President, Donald Trump, fights for with his policies and actions.
This year, we’ve especially relied on one particular group of everyday heroes. Our frontline medical workers.
My twin daughters, Mikayla and Arianna, were born over fourteen weeks early. They weighed just a pound and a half.
At 2 weeks old, Mikayla went into septic shock, had a stroke and underwent brain surgery leaving a third of the left side of her brain as a hole. Her doctors didn’t believe Mikayla would survive, fearing dire, permanent consequences even if she did.
Through the miracles of modern medicine, the power of prayer, and her will to live, my daughters are now starting high school and doing great, with no long term consequences from those first few months in the NICU.
Needless to say, doctors and nurses hold a special place in my heart. They saved my baby girls.
So when my hometown Suffolk County Executive told me late one Saturday night in April that the county’s stockpile of PPE was depleted because of COVID-19, I immediately thought of our doctors and nurses.
Jared Kushner was on the phone with me right away and late into that night, wanting to help however possible.
The very next day, President Trump announced he was immediately sending 200,000 n-95 masks to Suffolk. It actually ended up being almost 400,000.
That number quickly grew to a staggering 1.2 million items of PPE in just one month, including masks, gowns, and more.
The President sent thousands of ventilators to New York. He deployed the USS Comfort and converted the Javits Center to ensure our hospitals would never be overwhelmed.
The administration delivered public, private, and semi-automated lab testing approvals at blinding speed.
The President’s phenomenal effort delivered for our frontline workers. In the midst of a once-in-a-century pandemic -- an unforeseeable crisis sent to us from a faraway land -- the President delivered for our everyday heroes.
We weren’t Republicans or Democrats. We were Americans first, working together to get through this as one nation, with the Trump administration eager to do everything in its power to assist us however possible.
For our nation to be even stronger, more prosperous, safer, freer and more secure than ever before, to make our country greater than ever, we must re-elect President Trump.
We are the land of the free, because of the brave, and we are the land of opportunity right now, because we have a President who wants to empower the best of who we are, to be the best of what we can be.
There’s never been a nation greater than ours, never a people more resilient than ours, and never a future for America more promising than ours, right now. Let’s do our part and Keep America Great.
Tera Myers
Remarks as Prepared:
Good Evening, my name is Tera Myers. Tonight I am here as a wife and mother to share how education freedom has personally impacted my family, especially the life of my son Samuel.
Before Samuel was even born I was told his life wouldn’t be worth living.
When early tests revealed he had Down Syndrome, our doctor encouraged me to terminate the pregnancy. He said “If you do not, you will be burdening your life, family and your community.”
I knew my baby was a human being created by God and that made him worthy of life. I am thankful that President Trump values the life of the unborn.
When we went to register Samuel for kindergarten we were told to just “put him where he would be comfortable, don't stress him out by trying to teach him”.
When we pushed for him to attend his neighborhood school with his sisters, we were told to “just go home and let us do what we do.”
When I inquired about functional learning I was told “this is all you get, like it or not”.
I did not like it. One size did not fit all.
So I helped fight to pass legislation in Ohio for a special needs scholarship, so that all students could choose the right program for their needs.
I worked to start a new functional learning program at our local private school.
Finally, Samuel had an appropriate place to learn.
Recently Samuel was invited to the White House to meet with our President and share his thoughts on Education Freedom. He said “School Choice helped my dreams come true. My school taught me the way I learn best and I was able to fit in. I made many friends and became a part of my community. My teachers helped me become the best I can be”.
President Trump shook my hand and said “Wonderful job Mom, your son is amazing”. Unlike the doctor who told me to end Samuel’s life before it even began, President Trump did not dismiss my son, he showed Samuel he valued him and was proud of what he accomplished.
President Trump gave Samuel an equal seat at the table.
Tonight, I would like to extend my thanks to President Trump and his administration for their work towards making every student’s dream of a meaningful education a reality.
And for fighting to ensure every child in America has an equal seat at the table of Education Freedom, and an equal opportunity in life.
Thank you and may God Bless America!
The Honorable Kayleigh McEnany
Remarks as Prepared:
I’m Kayleigh McEnany.
Most of you know me as a supporter of President Trump, but tonight I’m here to share with you how he supported me-- both as a new mom and as an American with a preexisting condition.
It was days before Christmas, and I was 21-years-old when I got a call that changed my life.
It was my doctor, informing me that I had tested positive for the BRCAII genetic mutation— a mutation that put my chances of breast cancer at 84%.
It was the same mutation that my mom had, compelling her to get a preventative mastectomy-- removing her breast tissue but protecting her from a disease that has taken far too many of our mothers, our sisters, our friends.
In my family, 8 women were diagnosed with breast cancer — several in their 20s.
I now faced the same prospect. For nearly a decade, I was routinely at my cancer hospital, getting MRIs and ultrasounds and participating in necessary surveillance.
During these visits, I crossed paths with brave women, battling cancer and fighting through chemotherapy. They were a testament to American strength. They are American heroes.
On May 1, 2018, I followed in my mother’s footsteps, choosing to get a preventative mastectomy.
I was scared. The night before I fought back tears, as I prepared to lose a piece of myself.
But the next day, with my mom, dad, husband, and Jesus Christ by my side, I underwent a mastectomy, almost eliminating my chance of breast cancer— a decision I now celebrate.
During one of my most difficult times, I expected to have the support of my family, but I had more support than I knew.
As I came out of anesthesia, one of the first calls I received was from Ivanka Trump.
Days later, as I recovered, my phone rang. It was President Trump, calling to check on me.
I was blown away.
Here was the leader of the free world caring about me.
Though I didn’t personally know the President at the time, I know him well now and I can tell you that this President loves the American people, stands by Americans with preexisting conditions, and supports working moms.
When I started working for President Trump, my husband and I became pregnant with our first child, I would see President Trump at rallies. He would routinely ask me how my baby was doing.
The same way President Trump has supported me, he supports you.
I see it every day.
I’ve heard him say the hardest part of his job is writing to loved ones of fallen soldiers.
I’ve seen him offer heartfelt outreach to grieving parents who lost their children to crime in the streets.
I’ve watched him fight for Americans who lost their jobs.
President Trump fights for the American People because he cares about stories like these.
Now, my daughter is 9-months-old. She’s a beautiful, sweet little girl.
and I choose to work for this President for her.
When I look into my baby’s eyes, I see a new life, a miracle for which I have a solemn responsibility to protect.
That means protecting America’s future— a future President Trump will fight for
where our neighborhoods are protected.
where life is sacred.
where God is cherished-- not taken out of our schools, removed from our Pledge, and erased from our history.
I want my daughter to grow up in President Donald Trump’s America.
Choosing to have a preventative mastectomy was the hardest decision I have made.
But supporting President Trump, who will protect my daughter & our children’s future, was the easiest.
Second Lady Karen Pence
Remarks as Prepared:
Good evening! I’m Karen Pence. My husband is Vice President Mike Pence.
100 years ago, today, the 19th Amendment was adopted into the US Constitution, guaranteeing women the right to vote. Because of heroes like Susan B. Anthony and Lucy Stone, women today, like our daughters, Audrey and Charlotte, and future generations, will have their voices heard and their votes count.
The women’s suffrage movement was the gateway that led to women having the opportunities to achieve monumental milestones and accomplish significant achievements in both civic and governmental roles.
This evening, we look at heroes in our land.
As Second Lady of the United States for the past 3 and a half years, I have had the honor of meeting many heroes across this great country.
The Pences are a military family. Our son, Michael, serves in the US Marines, and our son in law, Henry, serves in the US Navy.
And one of my key initiatives is to elevate and encourage military spouses. These men and women, like our daughter, Charlotte, and our daughter in law, Sarah, are the home front heroes.
I have been privileged to hear so many stories of selfless support, volunteer spirit, and great contributions to the Armed Forces and our communities. Military spouses may experience frequent moves, 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. To all of the military spouses, thank you.
President Trump and Vice President Pence have been supporting our United States Armed Forces, including our military families, on a significant scale. While traveling throughout our nation to educate military spouses about policy solutions President Trump has promoted, involving real, tangible progress in military spouse employment, I have been inspired to meet heroes like Lisa Bradley and Cameron Cruse.
These military spouses decided to start their own business, R. Riveter, named after the Rosie the Riveter campaign used to recruit women workers during World War II. R. Riveter makes beautiful handbags designed and manufactured exclusively by military spouses. Many of those spouses live all over the country. They prepare and send their section of the bags to the company located in North Carolina where the final product is assembled.
Military spouse hero Jilan Hall-Johnson in Billings, Montana is a culinary artist who had dreamed of starting her own restaurant. Working with the Small Business Administration’s Development Center, Jilan started her restaurant, the Sassy Biscuit. And she just opened a second restaurant in Dover, New Hampshire.
And as the Second Lady, I’ve also been able to bring awareness to a form of therapy for our heroic veterans suffering from PTSD. Art therapy, facilitated by a professional art therapist, is especially effective with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Master Gunnery Sergeant Chris Stowe, a Marine veteran I met in Tampa, who deployed for combat in Iraq and Afghanistan ……..said nothing had helped him deal with the trauma from his service in the Marines until he finally agreed to meet with the art therapist at Walter Reed Medical Center. Chris credits art therapy with saving his marriage and his life. And Chris went on to establish a glass blowing workshop to help other vets.
Many of our veteran heroes struggle as they transition back into civilian life. Sometimes the stress is too difficult to manage alone. A few weeks ago, I had the honor of speaking with some amazing Americans who answer the Veterans Crisis Line. One in particular, Sidney Morgan, especially impacted me. A veteran herself, Sidney said it is the highest honor of her life to be on the other end of the phone to hold a veteran’s hand every step of the way until they physically walk into a clinic to receive help they deserve and she can pass their hand to someone ready to help.
In these difficult times, we’ve all seen so many examples of everyday Americans reaching out a hand to those in need, those who “in humility have considered others more important than themselves.” We’ve seen healthcare workers, teachers, first responders, mental health providers, law enforcement officers, grocery and delivery workers, and farmers, and so many others. Heroes all!
100 years ago, today, women secured the right to vote. So let’s vote, America! Let’s honor our heroes! Let’s reelect President Trump and Vice President Pence for 4 more years!
God bless our heroes. God bless the United States of America.
Thank you.
Kellyanne Conway
Remarks as Prepared:
Good Evening. One hundred years ago, courageous warriors helped women secure the right to vote. This has been a century worth celebrating, but also a reminder that our democracy is young and fragile. A woman in a leadership role still can seem novel.
Not so for President Trump. For decades, he has elevated women to senior positions in business and in government. He confides in and consults us, respects our opinions, and insists that we are on equal footing with the men. President Trump helped me shatter a barrier in the world of politics by empowering me to manage his campaign to its successful conclusion. With the help of millions of Americans, our team defied the critics, questionable polls and conventional wisdom — and we won.
For many of us, “women’s empowerment” is not a slogan. It comes not from strangers on social media or sanitized language in a corporate handbook. It comes from the everyday heroes who nurture us, who shape us, and who believe in us. I was raised in a household of all women. They were self-reliant and resilient. Their lives were not easy. Money was tight, but we had an abundance of what mattered most: family, faith, freedom.
I learned that in America, limited means does not make for limited dreams. The promise of America belongs to us all. This is a land of inventors and innovators, of entrepreneurs and educators, or pioneers and parents, all contributing to the success and the future of a great nation and her people.
These everyday heroes have a champion in President Trump.
The teacher who took the extra time to help students adjust to months of virtual learning. The nurse who finished a 12-hour shift and then took a brief break only to change her mask, gown and gloves to do it all over again. The small business owner striving to reopen after the lockdown was lifted, and then again after her store was vandalized and looted. The single mom with 2 kids, 2 jobs, 2 commutes and still no health insurance 10 years after she was fed an empty promise. The 96-year old veteran who improbably survived D-Day at Normandy only to face uncertainty at home about whether he can access quality, timely care.
President Trump and Vice President Pence have lifted Americans, provided them with dignity, opportunity and results. I have seen firsthand, many times the President comforting and encouraging a child who has lost a parent, a parent who has lost a child, a worker who lost his job, an adolescent who has lost her way to drugs. “Don’t lose hope” he has told them, assuring them that they are not alone, that we see them, we hear them and that we are here to help them.
There always will be people who have far more than us. Our responsibility is to focus on those who have far less than us. When President Trump asked me to coordinate the White House efforts on combatting the drug crisis, he said, “This is personal, Kellyanne. So many lives have been ruined by addiction and we’ll never even know it because people are ashamed to reach out for help, or they’re not sure who to turn to in their toughest hour.
Rather than look the other way, President Trump stared directly at this drug “crisis next door" and, through landmark, bipartisan legislation has helped secure historic investments in surveillance, interdiction, education, prevention, treatment and recovery. We have a long way to go, but the political inertia that cost lives and the silence and stigma that prevents people in need from coming forward is melting away.
This is the man I know and the President we need. He picks the toughest fights and tackles the most complex problems. He has stood by me, and he will stand up for you.
In honor of the women who empowered me and for the future of the children we all cherish, thank you and God bless you.
Sister Dede Byrne
Remarks as Prepared:
Good evening. I’m Sister Dede Byrne. I belong to the community of the Little Workers of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary.
Last fourth of July, I was honored to be one of the President’s guests at his “Salute to America” celebration.
I must confess that I recently prayed while in chapel, begging God to allow me to be a voice and instrument for human life, and now here I am, speaking at the Republican National Convention.
I guess you better be careful for what you pray for!
My journey to religious life was not a traditional route…if there is such a thing.
In 1978, as a medical school student at Georgetown University, I joined the Army to help pay for my tuition and ended up devoting 29 years to the military, serving as a doctor and a surgeon in places like Afghanistan and Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula.
After much prayer and contemplation, I entered my religious order in 2002 and worked serving the poor and sick in Kenya, Haiti, Sudan, Iraq and in D.C.
Humility is at the foundation of our order, which makes it very difficult to talk about myself, but I can speak about my experience working for those fleeing war torn and impoverished countries around the world. Those refugees all share a common experience. They have all been marginalized; viewed as insignificant, powerless and voiceless.
And while we tend to think of the marginalized as living beyond our borders, the truth is, the largest marginalized group in the world can be found in the United States. They are the unborn.
As Christians, we first met Jesus as a stirring embryo in the womb of an unwed mother and saw him born nine months later in the poverty of the cave. It’s no coincidence that Jesus stood up for what was just and was ultimately crucified because what he said wasn’t politically correct or fashionable.
As followers of Christ, we are called to stand up for life and against the politically correct or fashionable today. We must fight against a legislative agenda that supports and even celebrates destroying life in the womb. In fact, the laws we create define how we see our humanity. And we must ask ourselves, what are we saying when we go into a womb and snuff out an insignificant, powerless, voiceless life.
As a physician, I can say unequivocally life begins at conception.
While what I have to say may be difficult for some to hear, I am saying it because I’m not just pro-life, I’m pro-eternal life and I want all of us to end up in heaven someday together.
Which brings me to why I’m here tonight. Donald Trump is the most pro-life President that this nation has ever had, defending life at all stages. His belief in the sanctity of life transcends politics. President Trump will stand up against Biden/Harris who are the most anti-life presidential ticket ever, even supporting the horrors of late-term abortion and infanticide.
Because of his courage and conviction, President Trump has earned the support of America’s pro-life community. Moreover, he has a nationwide army of religious standing behind him. You’ll find us with our weapon of choice…the rosary!
Thank you Mr. President. We are all praying for you.
Lou Holtz
Remarks as Prepared:
I’m Lou Holtz. Many of you might know me as Coach Holtz – or maybe “that football guy.”
It is a pleasure, a blessing, and an honor for me to explain why I believe that President Trump is a consistent winner, an outstanding leader, and deserves to be re-elected as our President.
First I want you to know that I grew up in a one-bedroom house in West Virginia. I may have been poor, but the lessons my parents taught me were priceless.
They taught me that life is about making choices. Wherever you are, good or bad, don’t blame anyone else. Go get an education. Get to work. You can overcome any obstacles and always remember, that in this great country of ours - anyone can amount to something special.
I’ve lived by those principles of hard work and responsibility my whole life – living out the American story. And it works!
But there are people today; like politicians, professors and protestors and of course President Trump’s naysayers in the media who like to blame others for problems.
They don’t have pride in our country. And because they no longer ask “what can I do for my country, only what the country should be doing for them,” they don’t have pride in themselves.
That’s wrong.
When I was an Army officer, I served with so many great Americans who embraced their responsibility to our country. I am so proud of their sacrifice and the opportunity it has provided for so many millions.
America remains the land of opportunity no matter what the other side says or believes.
You know, there is a statue of me at Notre Dame - I guess they needed a place for the pigeons to land. But if you look closely you will see three words there. Trust, Commitment, and Love.
All my life I’ve made my choices based on these three words. I used these rules to make choices about everything – my beloved wife of 59 years, athletes I coached, and of course politicians, even President Trump.
I ask myself three things.
One – can I trust them?
When a leader tells you something, you’ve got to be able to count on it. That’s President Trump. He says what he means, he means what he says, and he’s done what he said he would do at every single turn.
One of the important reasons he has my trust is because nobody has been a stronger advocate for the unborn than President Trump. The Biden-Harris ticket is the most radically pro-abortion campaign in history. They and other politicians are “Catholics in Name Only” and abandon innocent lives. President Trump protects those lives.
I trust President Trump.
The second question I ask is – Are they committed to doing their best?
President Trump always finds a way to get something done. If you want to do something bad enough, you will find a way. If not, you will find an excuse, and excuses are a lot easier to find than solutions. President Trump finds solutions.
President Trump is committed.
And the third question I ask is – do they love people. Do they care about others?
To me this is very clear. President Trump has demonstrated through his prison reform, advocating for school choice, and welfare reform that he wants Americans from all walks of life to have the opportunity to succeed and live the American dream.
President Trump loves our Country, and our great people.
Trust. Commitment. Love.
In President Trump we have a President we can trust, who works hard at making America greater, and who genuinely cares about people.
If I apply this test to Joe Biden – I can’t say yes to any of these three questions.
I used to ask our athletes at Notre Dame, “If you did not show up who would miss you and why?”
Can you imagine what would happen to us if President Trump had not shown up in 2016 to run for President? I am so glad he showed up.
Thank you for showing up Mr. President!
I encourage everyone who loves this country, who loves America, to show up in November for President Trump.
Thank you!
Michael McHale
Remarks as Prepared:
Hi I’m Michael McHale, but my friends call me “Mick”. I proudly served for 27-years with the Sarasota, Florida Police Department and currently serve with the Sarasota Manatee Airport Authority Police Department. I am also the president of the National Association of Police Organizations.
Our organization recently endorsed Donald Trump for re-election as President of the United States. Our endorsement recognized his strong support for the men and women on the front lines, particularly during these challenging times. We value his support of aggressive federal prosecution of those who attack our police officers, his signing of the Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Act, and his backing of legislation, which permanently authorized funds to support 9/11 first responders and their families.
Law enforcement officers across the nation take an oath to run towards danger when everyone else is running away – and they do so willingly to protect our families and communities.
And when it comes to rogue police, let me be clear: nobody hates bad cops more than good cops. I’m proud that the overwhelming majority of American police officers are the best of the best and put their lives on the line without hesitation. And good officers need to know that their elected leaders and the department brass have their backs.
Unfortunately, chaos results when elected officials in cities like Portland, Minneapolis, Chicago, and New York make the conscious and very public decision not to support law enforcement. Shootings, murders, looting and rioting occur unabated. The violence we are seeing in these and other cities isn’t happening by chance; it’s the direct result of elected leaders refusing to allow law enforcement to protect our communities.
I’m shocked and disgusted by how far left Joe Biden has swung and how anti-law enforcement he has become. And Kamala Harris’ legislation to further restrict police would make our American communities and streets even more dangerous than they already are.
Like many others on the left who want to defund the police, Senator Harris’ legislation provides less training, not more, for law enforcement. Conversely, President Trump supports the creation of a national standard for training on de-escalation and communication to give officers more tools to resolve conflict without violence.
The differences between Trump/Pence and Biden/Harris are crystal clear. We invite those who value the safety of their family and loved ones to join the hundreds of thousands of members of the National Association of Police Organizations and support the re-election of President Donald J. Trump! Thank you.
Representative Elise Stefanik (NY-21)
Remarks as Prepared:
I'm Congresswoman Elise Stefanik and I am honored to represent New York's 21st Congressional District - the cradle of the American Revolution.
It’s where almost 250 years ago, brave patriots fought in the Battles of Saratoga to turn the tide of the Revolutionary War. It’s where forty years ago in Lake Placid, a team of amateur hockey players out-hustled, out-skated, and defeated the Soviet Union, stunning the world and giving us the unforgettable Miracle on Ice. And today, it's home to Fort Drum and the historic 10th Mountain Division, the most deployed unit in the U.S. Army since 9/11. Where I saw firsthand President Trump graciously thank and honor our men and women in uniform and sign the largest pay raise for our troops in a decade.
Since our nation's founding, generation after generation of everyday Americans served and sacrificed to preserve and strengthen the American Dream. The vision of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness – and the idea that if you work hard and dream big, you can achieve anything you imagine.
I believe in the American Dream because I've lived it. Like millions of Americans, I grew up in a small business family where I learned the values of hard work and determination. I was the first person in my immediate family to graduate from college, ran for Congress to serve Upstate New York, and am proudly the youngest Republican woman ever elected to Congress in history.
I am honored to support President Trump for re-election because I know that he is the only candidate who will stand up for hardworking families and protect the American Dream for future generations.
Since his first day in office, President Trump has fought tirelessly to deliver results for all Americans, despite the Democrats' baseless and illegal impeachment sham and the media's endless obsession with it. I was proud to lead the effort standing up for the Constitution, President Trump, and most importantly the American people. This attack was not just on the President, it was an attack on you - your voice and your vote.
But the American people were not swayed by these partisan attacks. Our support for President Trump is stronger than ever before. We know what’s at stake in this historic election. Americans from all walks of life are unified in support of our President. It's why more Republican women than ever are running for office this year. We understand that this election is a choice between the Far-Left Democratic Socialist agenda versus protecting and preserving the American Dream.
President Trump is working to safely re-open our Main Street economy. He understands that the engine of our country is fueled by the ingenuity and determination of American workers, entrepreneurs, and small businesses. Joe Biden wants to keep them locked up in the basement and crush them with $4 trillion in new taxes.
Now we face a critical choice: Joe Biden's Far-Left Socialist policies that will weaken America or President Trump who will stand up for the American people and the Constitution. I believe in the wisdom and spirit of the American people to elect the only candidate who is capable of protecting the American Dream, President Trump.
Thank you to the North Country for the opportunity to serve as your voice supporting his re-election.
God bless the United States of America, the greatest country on Earth.
Madison Cawthorn
Remarks as Prepared:
Good evening, I am Madison Cawthorn, and I am running to represent North Carolina’s 11th congressional district.
This is a time of great adversity for our country. And I know something about adversity.
At 18, I was in a horrific car accident that left me paralyzed from the waist down. Instantly, my hopes and dreams were seemingly destroyed. I was given a one percent chance of surviving. Thanks to the power of prayer, a loving community, and skilled doctors, I made it.
It took me over a year to recover. My first public outing in a wheelchair was to a baseball game. Before my accident, I was 6’ 3”. I stood out in a crowd. But as I was wheeled through the stadium, I felt invisible.
At 20, I thought about giving up. However, I knew I could still make a difference. My accident gave me new eyes to see, and new ears to hear. God protected my mind and my ability to speak. I say to people who feel forgotten, ignored, and invisible: I see you. I hear you.
At 20, I made a choice. In 2020, our country has a choice. We can give up on the American idea, or we can work together to make our imperfect union more perfect.
I choose to fight for the future, to seize the high ground and retake the Shining City on a Hill. While the radical left wants to dismantle, defund, and destroy, Republicans, under President Trump’s leadership, want to rebuild, restore and renew.
I just turned 25. When I’m elected this November, I’ll be the youngest member of Congress in over 200 years.
If you don’t think young people can change the world, then you don’t know American history.
George Washington was 21 when he received his first military commission.
Abe Lincoln was 22 when he first ran for office.
James Madison was 25 when he signed the Declaration of Independence.
In times of peril, young people saved this country abroad and at home. We held the line, scaled cliffs, crossed oceans, liberated camps and cracked codes.
Yet, today political forces want to usher in the digital dark ages – a time of information without wisdom and tribalism without truth.
National leaders on the left have normalized demagoguery and a radicalized identity politics that rejects MLK’s dream.
MLK’s dream is our dream - - for all Americans to be judged solely on their character. Millions of people risk their lives to come here because they believe in the dream of MLK and the American dream. Join us, as we, the party of freedom, double down on ensuring the American Dream for all people.
We are committed to building a new town square. It welcomes all ideas and people. Here, we will have freedom of speech, not freedom from speech.
To liberals, let’s have a conversation. Be a true liberal, listen to other ideas and let the best ones prevail.
To conservatives, let’s define what we support and win the argument in areas like health care and the environment.
In this new town square, you don’t have to apologize for your beliefs or cower to a mob. You can kneel before God but stand for our flag.
The American idea my ancestors fought for during the Revolutionary War is as exciting and revolutionary today as it was 250 years ago. I say to Americans who love our country – young and old – be a radical for freedom. Be a radical for liberty. Be a radical for our republic. For which I stand.
One nation. Under God. With liberty and justice for all.
Thank you.
Chen Guangcheng
Remarks as Prepared:
My name is Chen Guangcheng.
Standing up to tyranny is not easy. I know.
When I spoke out against China’s “one child” policy and other injustices, I was persecuted, beaten, and put under house arrest by the government.
In April, 2012, I escaped and was given shelter in the American embassy in Beijing. I am forever grateful to the American people for welcoming me and my family to the United States where we are now free.
The Chinese Communist Party is an enemy of humanity. It is terrorizing its own people and it is threatening the well-being of the world.
In China, expressing beliefs or ideas not approved by the CCP - religion, democracy, human rights - can lead to prison. The nation lives under mass surveillance and censorship.
The CCP is focused on power and control, and acts without regard to the law or to human rights. Countless activists have disappeared or are under house arrest. Just consider the sad plight of the Uyghurs in concentration camps.
Outside its borders, the CCP ignores international treaties and norms, whether it is violating the rights of Hong Kong, cheating on trade deals, threatening Taiwan, or exploiting the World Health Organization.
The coronavirus pandemic, originating in China—and covered up by the CCP—has caused mass death and social upheaval around the world.
In the same way, the virus of the CCP is threatening the people of the world. The policy of appeasement of former administrations—including Obama and Biden—has allowed the CCP to infiltrate and corrode different aspects of the global community.
The Chinese Communist Party goes through the dance of diplomacy . . . but it seeks to make the rest of the world bow to its authoritarian vision. The CCP is waiting patiently for the US and other democracies to bend to its will under fear of economic retribution.
The US must use its values of freedom, democracy, and the rule of law, to gather a coalition of other democracies to stop China’s aggression. President Trump has led on this and we need the other countries to join him in this fight. A fight for our future.
Standing up to fight unfairness is not easy. I know. So does President Trump . . . but he has shown the courage to wage that fight.
We need to support, vote, and fight for President Trump . . . for the sake of the world.
Thank you.
Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA)
Remarks as Prepared:
Hello everyone and thank you for inviting me into your home this evening. It’s truly a privilege.
My name is Joni Ernst. I was raised on a small family farm here in Iowa, where I learned the importance of faith, hard work and service.
I worked my way through college, then dedicated my life to serving my country, as a local official, a battalion commander in the military, and as a U.S. Senator.
Service… it’s more than a word to me – it’s a mission. A way of life.
It’s what brought me to Cedar Rapids, Iowa in 2008 when I was in the National Guard. We saw historic floods that swept through the communities. We lent a helping hand to our fellow Iowans who were literally under water.
We thought we had seen the worst. But, twelve years later, these same communities have faced an even more devastating disaster: the recent derecho storm.
If you don’t live in Iowa, you may not have heard much about it at first. While reporters here in the state were in the trenches covering the equivalent of a category two hurricane, most of the national media looked the other way. To them, Iowa is still just flyover country.
Houses, farms were destroyed. About one-third of our crops here were damaged.
In some cases, these storms wiped out a lifetime of work, and yet Iowa farmers didn’t hesitate to grab their chainsaws and check on their neighbors. Our farmers live every day with that sense of service. The stewards of the land -- the ones who feed and fuel the world.
President Trump quickly signed an emergency declaration for Iowa to provide relief.
And, of course, when President Trump came to Cedar Rapids, the national media finally did too.
For years, I’ve worked closely with the president for farmers in Iowa and across the country.
We scrapped Obama and Biden’s punishing Waters of the United States rule, which would have regulated about 97 percent of land in Iowa - in some cases, even puddles. It would have been a nightmare for farmers.
The president delivered on major trade deals with Japan and the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement.
And, he implemented the sale of E15 fuel year-round. That means more choices for you at the pump, and more jobs for farmers in the heartland. This is something the Obama-Biden administration failed to do in eight years.
In fact, I can’t recall an administration more hostile to farmers than Obama-Biden, unless you count the Biden-Harris ticket.
The Democratic Party of Joe Biden is pushing this so-called Green New Deal. If given power, they would essentially ban animal agriculture and eliminate gas-powered cars. It would destroy the agriculture industry, not just here in Iowa, but throughout the country.
When the pandemic hit, President Trump heard us in our call for assistance for our farmers. Knowing we have an ally in the White House is important.
Folks, this election is a choice between two very different paths.
Freedom, prosperity, and economic growth, under a Trump-Pence administration.
Or, the Biden-Harris path. Paved by liberal coastal elites and radical environmentalist. An America where farmers are punished, jobs are destroyed, and taxes crush the middle class.
That is our choice. And it’s a clear one.
Thank you and God bless.
Burgess Owens
Remarks as Prepared:
Ladies and Gentlemen, I’m Burgess Owens.
Shackled in the belly of a slave ship, an 8-year-old named Silas Burgess came to America to be sold on an auction block.
By the grace of God, and the courage of slaves who believed in freedom, Silas escaped through the Underground Railroad and settled in the great state of Texas.
He went on to become a successful entrepreneur. He built his community's first church, first elementary school, and purchased 102 acres of farmland.
I’m here today, a candidate for Congress, because of my great great grandfather, Silas Burgess.
I was raised in the South during the days of Jim Crow and the KKK. Even through the challenges of segregation, we were taught that anything is possible in America.
When I was 22 years old, I thought all my dreams had come true when I was drafted by the New York Jets. 10 years later, with a Pro Bowl nod and a Super Bowl Championship under my belt, I left the NFL to start a business.
I thought I could never fail...but I did. And I lost everything.
As I moved my family of 6 into a 1 bedroom basement apartment in Brooklyn, NY, I faced a crossroads: feel sorry for myself.. or get to work.
I worked as a Chimney Sweep during the day and a Security Guard at night. It was humbling to be recognized cleaning a chimney by someone who once cheered for me in an NFL stadium.
But those hard days would pay off, and eventually I began a rewarding career in the corporate world.
We live in a country where we’re encouraged to “Dream Big.”
Where “second chances” are at the core of our American identity.
We don’t hear that same message from Nancy Pelosi’s congress.
Career politicians and even a former bartender, want us to believe that’s impossible.
They want us to believe that what I did, what my great-great grandfather did, is impossible for ordinary Americans.
As patriots, we know better!
This November, we stand at a crossroads.
Mobs torch our cities while popular members of Congress promote the same socialism my father fought against in World War II.
We have a Democrat candidate for President who says that I’m “not black” if I don't vote for him.
Now, more than ever, we need leaders who stand by their principles and won’t compromise their values for political opportunities.
Now, more than ever, we need leaders who will stand up to the lawlessness supported by the radical left.
This November, we have an opportunity to reject the mob mentality and once again be the America my great-great grandfather believed in.
During the Trump administration, business ownership among blacks, Hispanics, and females have reached all-time highs.
Those same groups enjoyed record low unemployment and unprecedented prosperity... and we’re just getting started!
I’m running for Congress because we don’t need more career politicians. We need a few more chimney sweeps.
We need more leaders like President Trump who understand the freedoms that make up the fabric of America.
My fellow Americans, specifically my Democrat and Independent friends, it is time for us to unite and to put aside partisan barriers.
Help us win back the House, keep the Senate and give our President 4 more years... I promise we’ll make you proud!
Thank you.
