usatoday--2020-08-27--Trans Americans' voting rights were already in jeopardy. The pandemic threatens to make things worse

In the last week of July , the 24-year-old looked up voter registration requirements for Washington .
“ My ID currently has my name that I was given at birth along with the gender that I was given at birth , neither of which I am now , ” Leung said .
Leung , who doesn ’ t fit into the binary of male or female genders and uses the pronoun `` they , '' was in the middle of a legal name change when the pandemic shuttered the D.C. Superior Court in March .
The April court date got @ @ @ @ @ @ @ postponed indefinitely .
Leung has n't heard from the court since .
Leung , who moved to D.C. from California , needs to register to vote in their new city .
D.C. doesn ’ t have strict voter ID laws , and Leung can register to vote using a bank statement or utility bill .
Leung hopes they won ’ t face obstacles at the polls , even if they can ’ t get an updated ID by November .
Still , every time Leung has pulled up the registration application , there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ m still a little unclear as to which name to put while in the middle of the process , ” Leung said .
Hundreds of thousands of transgender voters will face similar hurdles this election season , advocates said .
Even before coronavirus closed courts and DMVs across the country , trans voters faced the prospect of disenfranchisement in November ; 35 states have voter ID laws on the books requiring voters to bring some form of identification with them to the polls .
In many states , updating legal name and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ obstacles to voting for trans people – has become impossible .
Arli Christian , campaign strategist for the American Civil Liberties Union , has worked with several states and the federal government on updating ID policies to make them more trans-friendly .
“ It ’ s hard to go in and get legal name changes , ” Christian said .
“ Some people who are in the middle of the process of updating identification documents may have gotten stuck there , because agencies are closed … all of those barriers make it even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to get their vote in.
” The problem with voting while trans In February , before coronavirus locked down much of the country , the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law reported that 42 % of eligible trans voters – 378,450 people – could be barred from casting a ballot in November because of ID laws .
That ’ s because 46 % of trans people don ’ t have identification that lists their correct name and gender , according to the National Center for Transgender Equality .
“ It often @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in front of a judge to get a legal name change , that a trans person may have to go to various different types of medical providers to get documentation of who they are , ” Christian said .
“ So it ’ s an expensive , confusing , burdensome process.
” 'She thought my name was fake' In 2018 , a poll worker in Burlington , Vermont , refused to give a ballot to Sade Viscaria , a trans woman .
Viscaria wanted to cast a ballot for the USA ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ticket , Christine Hallquist .
Vermont doesn ’ t have restrictive voter ID laws ( only first-time voters need to show ID ) , but the poll worker didn ’ t believe that Viscaria was female , as her ID indicated , and refused to issue her a ballot .
“ She discriminated against me for being transgender and [ accused ] me of having a fake ID , ” Viscaria said in 2018 .
“ She thought my name was fake.
” Viscaria voted at another polling location , but the incident @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about trans voting access .
Those fears have prompted local and national LGBTQ+ organizations to encourage voters to arm themselves with backup identification and phone numbers for legal organizations on Election Day .
Two years ago , the National Center for Transgender Equality Action Fund launched a website dedicated to combating transgender voter disenfranchisement .
The site offers a one-page checklist for trans voters on how to prepare for voting and a trans voter hotline .
Even in California , long hailed as a beacon of trans inclusion , officials have expressed concerns @ @ @ @ @ @ @ California and Secretary of State Alex Padilla launched a statewide plan last year that requires all California poll workers to undergo training in accommodating transgender voters .
“ Every eligible voter has a right to cast a ballot free from any unnecessary burdens or intimidation , ” Padilla in a statement , noting that even though California law doesn ’ t require photo ID for voting , trans voters remain at risk of being turned away if their legal name doesn ’ t match their gender presentation .
Jody Herman , author of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic presented an opportunity to make it easier for trans Americans to vote .
“ If states increase access to voting by mail , that would be a benefit to trans voters , since they would not have to interact with poll workers or election officials if they vote by mail rather than at the polls , ” Herman said .
Herman ’ s report estimates that 965,350 transgender adults will be eligible to vote in the 2020 elections – 892,400 trans people reside in states that historically don ’ t vote by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to adopt mail-in voting , some trans people will be able to escape the scrutiny of poll workers trying to gauge their gender presentation against their gender markers .
Of the 35 states with voter ID laws , 14 don ’ t allow voting by mail without justification .
California policy favors allowing a person to vote even if their gender presentation is incongruent with their ID or name .
California is the exception , not the rule .
Although the pandemic has made voting more difficult for everyone , many trans people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rights .
Brianna Blackburn counts herself lucky in the mess of name changes during COVID-19 .
She filed for a legal name change in New Jersey in February , and even though her April court date was canceled , she was able to update her name in July .
“ It was pretty easy , actually , ” she said .
“ I did it all myself.
” Blackburn got in line at 3 a.m. the first day her DMV reopened and waited with hundreds of other people until 9 a.m. when it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Army , so a lot of things were hurry up and wait , ” she said .
“ I ’ m used to waiting .
That didn ’ t really bother me.
” Other people are likely to have a much tougher time , experts said .
Kanoa Arteaga is the microgrants program director at Trans Lifeline , a crisis hotline for transgender people .
He oversees a detailed database on the processes and fees for name and gender marker changes in every state and county .
His organization distributes small grants to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ name and gender marker changes .
“ The barriers that trans folks are facing right now are very much institutional , ” Arteaga said .
Those challenges have become “ particularly perilous ” during the pandemic as complicated processes have become confusing or altogether unmanageable , he said .
In March , Trans Lifeline saw traffic to its grants page , which contains the database on ID changes by state , quadruple .
In July , the site had 10 times its usual traffic .
To advocates , that spike signals that trans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ navigate name and gender change processes .
After transgender people complete a legal name change , the next obstacle is updating government-issued identification cards .
In many states , that can ’ t be done without amending a Social Security card , another system that has been upended by the pandemic .
“ It is virtually impossible to update Social Security cards and passports right now because most offices are shut down , ” Arteaga said .
At least 14 states require applicants to prove they have irreversibly changed gender by providing a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ words , a transgender person has to undergo surgery in order to vote .
“ That ’ s a huge barrier , ” Christian said .
“ It means that a good chunk of trans people are not able to go ahead and get updated documentation.
” Gender-related surgeries can cost $ 15,000 to $ 100,000 for the uninsured , and many insurance companies do not cover the procedures .
For those that do , the costs generally top $ 600 .
The American Medical Association has deemed gender-affirming health care as medically @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Those procedures have also been affected by the pandemic .
“ What I know is that those surgery dates are either being held in limbo or they ’ re being postponed indefinitely , ” Arteaga said .
“ And so we ’ re sort of beholden to the same systems of gatekeeping resources to trans folks that are potentially lifesaving.
” Some transgender people do n't want to medically transition .
Transition-related medical care can cause infertility .
That leaves many trans people unable to update their documents and thus unable to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ number of states have adopted gender-neutral IDs , with “ X ” gender markers .
Nineteen states and Washington , D.C. , issue IDs with the designation .
Leung is eager to have an “ X.
” “ I was just like tasting the freedom of having my identity documents reflect who I actually am , ” Leung said .
That , like a lot of things , will have to wait .
Christian , who helped many states adopt nonbinary IDs , warned that voters with nonbinary IDs might face confusion at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ states have implemented an ‘ X ’ designation ; however , it ’ s available on their state ID , but it ’ s not available in other places , ” Christian said .
Not all voter registrations reflect that their states issue nonbinary IDs .
“ It ’ s not a legal problem , and you should not get in trouble for that , ” Christian said .
“ However , it can cause administrative confusion and complication .
It may cause an agent that you ’ re working with to question @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s unnecessary scrutiny to trans folks.
” The stakes have never been higher LGBTQ+ advocates said the outcome of the presidential election may be a matter of life and death for many , particularly for trans people of color .
Monday , a day before it was set to go into effect , a federal judge halted a Trump administration rule that would have stripped health care protections for trans and nonbinary people from the Affordable Care Act .
Trump administration policies have aimed to dismantle transgender protections in schools , homeless shelters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hit , nearly a third of trans Americans lived in poverty and faced unemployment at three times the national rate , according to the U.S. Transgender Survey in 2015 .
As the pandemic has left millions jobless , transgender people have been particularly hard-hit .
When the general unemployment rate spiked at 14.7 % in April , 19 % of trans people reported losing their jobs , Human Rights Campaign reported .
In October 2018 , The New York Times reported that the Trump administration circulated a memo that defined gender as “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ birth .
For transgender , nonbinary and intersex Americans , that definition legally “ defined them out of existence , ” the Times said .
Advocates said crushing job losses , discrimination in housing and limited employment opportunities have forced many trans Americans into underground economies where they might face violence .
Twenty-six transgender people have been slain this year , which is on track to be the most deadly for trans people ever recorded .
The Trump administration has fueled that crisis by breeding bias against trans people and shutting down critical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The National Center for Transgender Equality branded this “ The Discrimination Administration.
” Perceptions that President Donald Trump feels animosity for LGBTQ+ people may have ignited queer voter participation .
NBC News reported that one in 10 super Tuesday voters identified as LGBT , a sharp jump from 2018 midterm elections , when LGBT voters made up 6 % of the electorate .
How many of those voters fall under the “ T ” remains to be seen .
Herman said that given the pandemic , it ’ s uncertain now how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ For five years , Blackburn voted in New Jersey under a name that didn ’ t fit her .
“ It ’ s a little confusing for the people that are taking a vote , ” she said .
“ But I think it ’ s been more confusing over the years since I ’ ve been on hormones and looking a lot more feminine than I used to.
” When she got her new ID in July , she stared at it for a week .
She has her plan in place @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going to vote in person , ” she said .
She doesn ’ t mind waiting in line .
This story was published in partnership with The 19th , a nonprofit , nonpartisan newsroom reporting on gender , politics and policy .

Trans Americans’ voting rights were already in jeopardy. The pandemic threatens to make things worse
Show Caption Hide Caption Why voter suppression in the US has increased since 2013 Civil rights experts point to long wait times to vote as a sign of growing voter suppression in the U.S. Just the FAQs, USA TODAY
Corvo Leung doesn’t have a plan for November.
In the last week of July, the 24-year-old looked up voter registration requirements for Washington.
“My ID currently has my name that I was given at birth along with the gender that I was given at birth, neither of which I am now,” Leung said.
Leung, who doesn’t fit into the binary of male or female genders and uses the pronoun "they," was in the middle of a legal name change when the pandemic shuttered the D.C. Superior Court in March. The April court date got pushed to June 25 before it was postponed indefinitely. Leung hasn't heard from the court since.
Leung, who moved to D.C. from California, needs to register to vote in their new city. D.C. doesn’t have strict voter ID laws, and Leung can register to vote using a bank statement or utility bill. Leung hopes they won’t face obstacles at the polls, even if they can’t get an updated ID by November. Still, every time Leung has pulled up the registration application, there's a new question.
“I’m still a little unclear as to which name to put while in the middle of the process,” Leung said.
Hundreds of thousands of transgender voters will face similar hurdles this election season, advocates said. Even before coronavirus closed courts and DMVs across the country, trans voters faced the prospect of disenfranchisement in November; 35 states have voter ID laws on the books requiring voters to bring some form of identification with them to the polls.
In many states, updating legal name and gender changes – one of the largest obstacles to voting for trans people – has become impossible.
Arli Christian, campaign strategist for the American Civil Liberties Union, has worked with several states and the federal government on updating ID policies to make them more trans-friendly.
“It’s hard to go in and get legal name changes,” Christian said. “Some people who are in the middle of the process of updating identification documents may have gotten stuck there, because agencies are closed … all of those barriers make it even harder for trans people during this pandemic to get their vote in.”
The problem with voting while trans
In February, before coronavirus locked down much of the country, the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law reported that 42% of eligible trans voters – 378,450 people – could be barred from casting a ballot in November because of ID laws. That’s because 46% of trans people don’t have identification that lists their correct name and gender, according to the National Center for Transgender Equality.
“It often means that trans people have to go in front of a judge to get a legal name change, that a trans person may have to go to various different types of medical providers to get documentation of who they are,” Christian said. “So it’s an expensive, confusing, burdensome process.”
GLAAD Media Awards: Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union honor trans daughter, Lil Nas X wins
'She thought my name was fake'
In 2018, a poll worker in Burlington, Vermont, refused to give a ballot to Sade Viscaria, a trans woman. Viscaria wanted to cast a ballot for the USA’s first transgender gubernatorial candidate on a major-party ticket, Christine Hallquist. Vermont doesn’t have restrictive voter ID laws (only first-time voters need to show ID), but the poll worker didn’t believe that Viscaria was female, as her ID indicated, and refused to issue her a ballot.
“She discriminated against me for being transgender and [accused] me of having a fake ID,” Viscaria said in 2018. “She thought my name was fake.”
Viscaria voted at another polling location, but the incident spurred a statewide investigation and national fears about trans voting access.
Those fears have prompted local and national LGBTQ+ organizations to encourage voters to arm themselves with backup identification and phone numbers for legal organizations on Election Day. Two years ago, the National Center for Transgender Equality Action Fund launched a website dedicated to combating transgender voter disenfranchisement. The site offers a one-page checklist for trans voters on how to prepare for voting and a trans voter hotline.
Even in California, long hailed as a beacon of trans inclusion, officials have expressed concerns over voter disenfranchisement. LGBTQ+ organization Equality California and Secretary of State Alex Padilla launched a statewide plan last year that requires all California poll workers to undergo training in accommodating transgender voters.
“Every eligible voter has a right to cast a ballot free from any unnecessary burdens or intimidation,” Padilla in a statement, noting that even though California law doesn’t require photo ID for voting, trans voters remain at risk of being turned away if their legal name doesn’t match their gender presentation.
Jody Herman, author of the Williams Institute study, said the pandemic presented an opportunity to make it easier for trans Americans to vote.
“If states increase access to voting by mail, that would be a benefit to trans voters, since they would not have to interact with poll workers or election officials if they vote by mail rather than at the polls,” Herman said.
Herman’s report estimates that 965,350 transgender adults will be eligible to vote in the 2020 elections – 892,400 trans people reside in states that historically don’t vote by mail. As coronavirus pushes more states to adopt mail-in voting, some trans people will be able to escape the scrutiny of poll workers trying to gauge their gender presentation against their gender markers.
Of the 35 states with voter ID laws, 14 don’t allow voting by mail without justification.
California policy favors allowing a person to vote even if their gender presentation is incongruent with their ID or name. California is the exception, not the rule. Although the pandemic has made voting more difficult for everyone, many trans people face the prospect of losing their voting rights.
Elections 2020: Mail-in voting could decide next president Many states are planning on drastically different elections this year and mail-in ballots could be a big game changer. Just the FAQs, USA TODAY
The complication of COVID-19
Brianna Blackburn counts herself lucky in the mess of name changes during COVID-19. She filed for a legal name change in New Jersey in February, and even though her April court date was canceled, she was able to update her name in July.
“It was pretty easy, actually,” she said. “I did it all myself.”
Blackburn got in line at 3 a.m. the first day her DMV reopened and waited with hundreds of other people until 9 a.m. when it opened.
“I was in the Army, so a lot of things were hurry up and wait,” she said. “I’m used to waiting. That didn’t really bother me.”
Other people are likely to have a much tougher time, experts said.
Kanoa Arteaga is the microgrants program director at Trans Lifeline, a crisis hotline for transgender people. He oversees a detailed database on the processes and fees for name and gender marker changes in every state and county. His organization distributes small grants to help trans people fund the costs of name and gender marker changes.
“The barriers that trans folks are facing right now are very much institutional,” Arteaga said. Those challenges have become “particularly perilous” during the pandemic as complicated processes have become confusing or altogether unmanageable, he said.
In March, Trans Lifeline saw traffic to its grants page, which contains the database on ID changes by state, quadruple. In July, the site had 10 times its usual traffic. To advocates, that spike signals that trans people are running into barriers as they navigate name and gender change processes.
After transgender people complete a legal name change, the next obstacle is updating government-issued identification cards. In many states, that can’t be done without amending a Social Security card, another system that has been upended by the pandemic.
“It is virtually impossible to update Social Security cards and passports right now because most offices are shut down,” Arteaga said.
At least 14 states require applicants to prove they have irreversibly changed gender by providing a doctor’s certification. In other words, a transgender person has to undergo surgery in order to vote.
“That’s a huge barrier,” Christian said. “It means that a good chunk of trans people are not able to go ahead and get updated documentation.”
Gender-related surgeries can cost $15,000 to $100,000 for the uninsured, and many insurance companies do not cover the procedures. For those that do, the costs generally top $600.
The American Medical Association has deemed gender-affirming health care as medically necessary and essential in treating gender dysphoria.
Those procedures have also been affected by the pandemic.
“What I know is that those surgery dates are either being held in limbo or they’re being postponed indefinitely,” Arteaga said. “And so we’re sort of beholden to the same systems of gatekeeping resources to trans folks that are potentially lifesaving.”
Some transgender people don't want to medically transition. Transition-related medical care can cause infertility. That leaves many trans people unable to update their documents and thus unable to vote.
Since 2017, a growing number of states have adopted gender-neutral IDs, with “X” gender markers. Nineteen states and Washington, D.C., issue IDs with the designation. Leung is eager to have an “X.”
“I was just like tasting the freedom of having my identity documents reflect who I actually am,” Leung said. That, like a lot of things, will have to wait.
Christian, who helped many states adopt nonbinary IDs, warned that voters with nonbinary IDs might face confusion at the ballot.
“Many of these states have implemented an ‘X’ designation; however, it’s available on their state ID, but it’s not available in other places,” Christian said. Not all voter registrations reflect that their states issue nonbinary IDs.
“It’s not a legal problem, and you should not get in trouble for that,” Christian said. “However, it can cause administrative confusion and complication. It may cause an agent that you’re working with to question who you are. … It’s unnecessary scrutiny to trans folks.”
The stakes have never been higher
LGBTQ+ advocates said the outcome of the presidential election may be a matter of life and death for many, particularly for trans people of color.
Monday, a day before it was set to go into effect, a federal judge halted a Trump administration rule that would have stripped health care protections for trans and nonbinary people from the Affordable Care Act. Trump administration policies have aimed to dismantle transgender protections in schools, homeless shelters and employment.
Even before the pandemic hit, nearly a third of trans Americans lived in poverty and faced unemployment at three times the national rate, according to the U.S. Transgender Survey in 2015. As the pandemic has left millions jobless, transgender people have been particularly hard-hit. When the general unemployment rate spiked at 14.7% in April, 19% of trans people reported losing their jobs, Human Rights Campaign reported.
In October 2018, The New York Times reported that the Trump administration circulated a memo that defined gender as “immutable” and determined by genitalia at birth. For transgender, nonbinary and intersex Americans, that definition legally “defined them out of existence,” the Times said.
Advocates said crushing job losses, discrimination in housing and limited employment opportunities have forced many trans Americans into underground economies where they might face violence. Twenty-six transgender people have been slain this year, which is on track to be the most deadly for trans people ever recorded.
The Trump administration has fueled that crisis by breeding bias against trans people and shutting down critical resources that protect them, advocates said. The National Center for Transgender Equality branded this “The Discrimination Administration.”
Perceptions that President Donald Trump feels animosity for LGBTQ+ people may have ignited queer voter participation. NBC News reported that one in 10 super Tuesday voters identified as LGBT, a sharp jump from 2018 midterm elections, when LGBT voters made up 6% of the electorate.
How many of those voters fall under the “T” remains to be seen. Herman said that given the pandemic, it’s uncertain now how many trans voters will face disenfranchisement.
For five years, Blackburn voted in New Jersey under a name that didn’t fit her.
“It’s a little confusing for the people that are taking a vote,” she said. “But I think it’s been more confusing over the years since I’ve been on hormones and looking a lot more feminine than I used to.”
When she got her new ID in July, she stared at it for a week. She has her plan in place for November.
“I’m going to vote in person,” she said. She doesn’t mind waiting in line.
This story was published in partnership with The 19th, a nonprofit, nonpartisan newsroom reporting on gender, politics and policy.


usatoday--2020-08-27--Biden camp says Pence, McEnany used 'debunked scare tactics and gaslighting' to distract from Trump

On the third night of the Republican National Convention , Vice President Mike Pence spoke from Baltimore 's Fort McHenry – where a victory in the War of 1812 inspired the `` Star-Spangled Banner '' – to launch a barrage of attacks against Democratic nominee Joe Biden and to outline what is at stake in the Nov. 3 election .
Leading up to Pence 's address , other Trump surrogates made their own pitches for the president 's reelection , including outgoing White House counselor Kellyanne Conway , White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany and South Dakota Gov .
Kristi @ @ @ @ @ @ @ potential Biden presidency , the former vice president 's campaign and his Democratic defenders accused the RNC speakers of making false statements and using fear to distract from the Trump 's administration 's failure to contain the coronavirus outbreak .
`` Instead of a roadmap to defeat this virus and rebuild our economy so that it works for the middle class , Vice President Pence only offered up debunked scare tactics and gaslighting in an attempt to further divide us , '' said Kate Bedingfield , Biden 's deputy campaign manager and communications @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a bleak picture of America 's future if the president is not reelected , saying voters are faced with a decision about `` whether America remains America . ''
`` You wo n't be safe in Joe Biden 's America , '' Pence declared .
`` Joe Biden would set America on a path of socialism and decline , '' he warned at another point .
In response , several Democrats pointed to the COVID-19 death toll to argue the U.S. is not safe under Trump 's watch .
`` 1,000+ Americans are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ watch .
America under Trump is the least safe place on earth , '' tweeted Sen. Chris Murphy , D-Conn. '' More Americans have died the past four months – in Donald Trump 's America – than any four month period in US history , '' said former Biden chief of staff Ronald Klain .
Part of Pence 's argument that the country would be less safe was related to the violence that has occurred during anti-police brutality protests in some cities across the country .
Pence faulted Biden for not condemning the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democratic National Convention .
Mike Gwin , deputy director of the Biden campaign 's rapid response team said , `` Trump is the sitting president and is presiding over this chaos . ''
He also pointed to polls showing voters trusted Biden more on `` law and order . ''
Hours before Pence spoke on Wednesday , Biden released a video addressing the shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha , Wisconsin , and condemning violence .
Biden said protests over police brutality are `` a right and absolutely necessary '' but `` burning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's needless violence . ''
Pence implied Biden wanted to defund the police – a claim explicitly made by other RNC speakers – even though Biden has clearly and repeatedly stated that he is against that idea , as Bates and other Biden campaign officials pointed out .
Pence also said Democrats were `` attacking America '' during their convention .
He turned a remark from Biden 's DNC speech on its head : `` Joe Biden said that we were living through a 'season of darkness . '
But as President Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ darkness , we see American greatness . ''
In response , Biden doubled down on his remark .
`` The contrast tonight could n't be clearer : We can choose four more years of fear , division , and hate .
Or we can choose a different path – one of hope , unity , and light .
Let 's overcome this era of darkness , together , '' Biden tweeted after Pence 's speech .
As White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany told a compelling and deeply personal story about her decision @ @ @ @ @ @ @ testing positive for the BRCA2 gene that increased her risk for cancer , she claimed the president `` stands by Americans with preexisting conditions . ''
Democrats quickly slammed that assertion as false because the Trump administration has urged the Supreme Court to throw out the entire Affordable Care Act , often referred to as Obamacare , which prohibits insurers from rejecting coverage for people with pre-existing conditions .
David Axelrod , a former senior adviser and campaign strategist for Barack Obama , said McEnany 's `` personal story was moving but to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the @ POTUS is fighting to protect people with pre-existing conditions was unworthy of it . ''
`` He ’ s actively trying to reverse the law that protects people with pre-existing conditions , '' Axelrod said .
Stef Feldman , policy director for the Biden campaign , said , `` You ca n't say you support people with pre-existing conditions if you want to allow insurers to deny them health insurance . ''
Bates retweeted Feldman 's post and reminded Twitter users that Trump 's effort to overturn the ACA has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has infected more than 5.8 million Americans .
`` He 's quadrupled down on this in the middle of the pandemic while botching the federal response , '' Bates said .
`` Right now , Donald Trump is in court trying to get rid of the Affordable Care Act .
If he 's successful , over 20 million people will lose their health coverage , '' tweeted Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris .
`` Things not mentioned at the RNC tonight : President Trump and the Republicans are suing to rip away @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conditions , '' Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer , D-N.Y. , tweeted .
McEnany defended her speech afterward , saying while Trump `` won ’ t support government takeover , which deprives Americans with preexisting conditions of our doctors and our plans , he will PROVIDE us with good , affordable healthcare ! ''
Trump has repeatedly said he will unveil a new health care law to take care of people with pre-existing conditions , but so far has not done so .

Jeanine Santucci, William Cummings and Savannah Behrmann, USA TODAY

Biden camp says Pence, McEnany used 'debunked scare tactics and gaslighting' to distract from Trump failures at RNC
Show Caption Hide Caption RNC: Vice Pres. Mike Pence lauds Trump White House Vice President Mike Pence closed the third night of the RNC from Fort McHenry, Maryland by trumpeting the Trump administration's accomplishments. USA TODAY, Associated Press
On the third night of the Republican National Convention, Vice President Mike Pence spoke from Baltimore's Fort McHenry – where a victory in the War of 1812 inspired the "Star-Spangled Banner" – to launch a barrage of attacks against Democratic nominee Joe Biden and to outline what is at stake in the Nov. 3 election.
Leading up to Pence's address, other Trump surrogates made their own pitches for the president's reelection, including outgoing White House counselor Kellyanne Conway, White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany and South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem.
While they railed against a potential Biden presidency, the former vice president's campaign and his Democratic defenders accused the RNC speakers of making false statements and using fear to distract from the Trump's administration's failure to contain the coronavirus outbreak.
"Instead of a roadmap to defeat this virus and rebuild our economy so that it works for the middle class, Vice President Pence only offered up debunked scare tactics and gaslighting in an attempt to further divide us," said Kate Bedingfield, Biden's deputy campaign manager and communications director.
Pence's warning about 'Biden's America'
Trump's running mate painted a bleak picture of America's future if the president is not reelected, saying voters are faced with a decision about "whether America remains America."
"You won't be safe in Joe Biden's America," Pence declared. "Joe Biden would set America on a path of socialism and decline," he warned at another point.
In response, several Democrats pointed to the COVID-19 death toll to argue the U.S. is not safe under Trump's watch.
"1,000+ Americans are being killed every day needlessly under your watch. America under Trump is the least safe place on earth," tweeted Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn.
1,000+ Americans are being killed every day needlessly under your watch.
America under Trump is the least safe place on earth. https://t.co/RnfsLXqUwh — Chris Murphy (@ChrisMurphyCT) August 27, 2020
"More Americans have died the past four months – in Donald Trump's America – than any four month period in US history," said former Biden chief of staff Ronald Klain.
Part of Pence's argument that the country would be less safe was related to the violence that has occurred during anti-police brutality protests in some cities across the country. Pence faulted Biden for not condemning the "violence and chaos" during the Democratic National Convention.
Mike Gwin, deputy director of the Biden campaign's rapid response team said, "Trump is the sitting president and is presiding over this chaos." He also pointed to polls showing voters trusted Biden more on "law and order."
Hours before Pence spoke on Wednesday, Biden released a video addressing the shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and condemning violence. Biden said protests over police brutality are "a right and absolutely necessary" but "burning down communities is not protest. It's needless violence."
Pence implied Biden wanted to defund the police – a claim explicitly made by other RNC speakers – even though Biden has clearly and repeatedly stated that he is against that idea, as Bates and other Biden campaign officials pointed out.
Pence also said Democrats were "attacking America" during their convention. He turned a remark from Biden's DNC speech on its head: "Joe Biden said that we were living through a 'season of darkness.' But as President Trump says, where Joe Biden sees American darkness, we see American greatness."
In response, Biden doubled down on his remark.
"The contrast tonight couldn't be clearer: We can choose four more years of fear, division, and hate. Or we can choose a different path – one of hope, unity, and light. Let's overcome this era of darkness, together," Biden tweeted after Pence's speech.
Kayleigh McEnany misleads on preexisting conditions
As White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany told a compelling and deeply personal story about her decision to undergo a preventative double mastectomy after testing positive for the BRCA2 gene that increased her risk for cancer, she claimed the president "stands by Americans with preexisting conditions."
Democrats quickly slammed that assertion as false because the Trump administration has urged the Supreme Court to throw out the entire Affordable Care Act, often referred to as Obamacare, which prohibits insurers from rejecting coverage for people with pre-existing conditions.
David Axelrod, a former senior adviser and campaign strategist for Barack Obama, said McEnany's "personal story was moving but to use it to leap to an assertion that the @POTUS is fighting to protect people with pre-existing conditions was unworthy of it."
"He’s actively trying to reverse the law that protects people with pre-existing conditions," Axelrod said.
Stef Feldman, policy director for the Biden campaign, said, "You can't say you support people with pre-existing conditions if you want to allow insurers to deny them health insurance."
Obamacare: Trump administration urges Supreme Court to end Affordable Care Act amid coronavirus pandemic
You can't say you support people with pre-existing conditions if you want to allow insurers to deny them health insurance. — Stef Feldman (@StefFeldman) August 27, 2020
Bates retweeted Feldman's post and reminded Twitter users that Trump's effort to overturn the ACA has continued despite the coronavirus pandemic, which has infected more than 5.8 million Americans.
"He's quadrupled down on this in the middle of the pandemic while botching the federal response," Bates said.
"Right now, Donald Trump is in court trying to get rid of the Affordable Care Act. If he's successful, over 20 million people will lose their health coverage," tweeted Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris.
Right now, Donald Trump is in court trying to get rid of the Affordable Care Act. If he's successful, over 20 million people will lose their health coverage.
Health care justice is on the ballot in November. — Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) August 27, 2020
"Things not mentioned at the RNC tonight: President Trump and the Republicans are suing to rip away protections for millions of Americans with pre-existing conditions," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., tweeted.
Things not mentioned at the RNC tonight:
President Trump and the Republicans are suing to rip away protections for millions of Americans with pre-existing conditions. — Chuck Schumer (@chuckschumer) August 27, 2020
McEnany defended her speech afterward, saying while Trump "won’t support government takeover, which deprives Americans with preexisting conditions of our doctors and our plans, he will PROVIDE us with good, affordable healthcare!"
Trump has repeatedly said he will unveil a new health care law to take care of people with pre-existing conditions, but so far has not done so.


usatoday--2020-08-27--RNC: What to expect on Day 4 of the convention: Donald Trump, live from the White House

WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump wraps up the week-long Republican convention Thursday with a nomination acceptance speech that is already contentious because of its location : the White House .
Despite objections that the executive mansion should not be used for such an overt campaign event , Trump will make his prime-time argument for a second term from a makeshift outdoor theater on the South Lawn .
His likely goals : Defend his record and attack that of Democratic challenger Joe Biden .
`` We have to win , '' Trump told Republican delegates Monday after they voted to re-nominate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` This is the most important election in the history of our country . ''
'The rules go out the window : ' Democrats deride RNC over Hatch Act , coronavirus and transgender issues Trump is accepting re-nomination amid the COVID-19 pandemic that has killed more than 179,000 Americans and put millions more out of work .
Democrats contend that holding a convention speech at the White House violates the Hatch Act , a law that prohibits federal employees from engaging in political activities on government property .
Although Trump himself is not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ say the preparations made by aides for the event and their participation in it are at odds with the law .
`` The American people know these people are unethical and illegal and doing things outside the law , ” said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi , D-Calif .
Using the White House for an event of this kind is not improper , Trump and other administration officials said .
`` The President is not subject to the Hatch Act and is free to engage in political activity at any time , '' said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it unprecedented , they said ; President Franklin D. Roosevelt was in the Executive Mansion in 1940 when he spoke via radio to the Democratic convention in Chicago that nominated him for a third term .
Trump 's White House speech will cap a fourth and final night of convention speeches by supporters who have praised Trump and sought to paint Democrats as a party of socialism and lawlessness .
The Republicans scrambled to put together a virtual convention after canceling plans for more traditional activities in Charlotte , N.C. , and Jacksonville @ @ @ @ @ @ @ speeches by Republican lawmakers and Trump aides , is scheduled to start at 8:30 p.m .
ET Trump is expected to speak shortly after 10 p.m. , and his speech will be followed by a fireworks display .
In defending their selection of the White House , Trump and aides said they had planned to hold a more traditional convention and acceptance speech in Charlotte , but had to change that because of the spread of COVID-19 .
A substitute plan for a Trump speech in Jacksonville also fell through because of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ using White House as a backdrop for the convention More : Three things President Donald Trump and the GOP need to do at their convention Before announcing he would speak on the South Lawn of the White House , Trump said the presidential residence would be cheaper and easier to secure .
In his remarks to delegates on Monday , Trump said he is looking forward to rallying his supporters during his White House speech .
`` I have to tell you I think we have the greatest base of support anywhere at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ starting to find that out , '' Trump told his backers .
During this week 's online convention , based mostly in Washington , planners played videos of Trump presiding over naturalization ceremony and issuing a pardon , with both events at the White House .
First lady Melania Trump gave her convention speech from the recently renovated White House Rose Garden .
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo addressed the convention from Israel on Tuesday in a unique and much-criticized appearance by the nation 's top diplomat .
Another Cabinet member – Housing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is on Thursday 's speaking list , just before Trump 's acceptance speech .
Congressional speakers include Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell , R-Ky. , and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy , R-Calif. Viewers will also hear from Rep. Jeff Van Drew , R-N.J. , a former Democrat who switched parties during the president 's impeachment .
Non-government Trump supporters scheduled to speak include the widow of a slain retired police officer in Missouri , a businesswoman from Wisconsin , and the parents of a U.S. aid worker killed overseas by the Islamic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani , a defense attorney for Trump during impeachment as well as Special Counsel Robert Mueller 's investigation into Russia interference during the 2016 presidential campaign .
Trump has used the convention to essentially turn the White House into a political arm of the Republican Party , said Brian Fallon , a Justice Department spokesman during the Barack Obama administration .
It is part of a pattern of disregarding standards that range from specious executive orders to threats to the Post Office over mail-in voting , he said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Fallon added , it does n't bode well if Trump decides to resist the results of the election should he lose to Biden .
`` It does not inspire confidence about how our system will respond to Trump 's lawlessness in the context of an election he refuses to concede , '' he said .
USA TODAY will stream each night of the convention and will provide live coverage and analysis as events unfold .
ABC , CBS , and NBC will air convention coverage each night beginning at 10 p.m. EDT @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at 8 p.m. MSNBC begins at 7 p.m. , and live coverage on NBC News Now will stream for free on Peacock starting at 8 p.m. Fox News ' official coverage starts at 10 p.m. and Fox Business Network will air the convention starting at 8 p.m .
The official livestream of the convention will also be available on Amazon Prime , Facebook , Twitch , Twitter and YouTube .

RNC: What to expect on Day 4 of the convention: Donald Trump, live from the White House
Show Caption Hide Caption RNC: Vice Pres. Mike Pence lauds Trump White House Vice President Mike Pence closed the third night of the RNC from Fort McHenry, Maryland by trumpeting the Trump administration's accomplishments. USA TODAY, Associated Press
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump wraps up the week-long Republican convention Thursday with a nomination acceptance speech that is already contentious because of its location: the White House.
Despite objections that the executive mansion should not be used for such an overt campaign event, Trump will make his prime-time argument for a second term from a makeshift outdoor theater on the South Lawn.
His likely goals: Defend his record and attack that of Democratic challenger Joe Biden.
"We have to win," Trump told Republican delegates Monday after they voted to re-nominate him during a meeting in Charlotte. "This is the most important election in the history of our country."
'The rules go out the window:' Democrats deride RNC over Hatch Act, coronavirus and transgender issues
Trump is accepting re-nomination amid the COVID-19 pandemic that has killed more than 179,000 Americans and put millions more out of work.
Democrats contend that holding a convention speech at the White House violates the Hatch Act, a law that prohibits federal employees from engaging in political activities on government property. Although Trump himself is not subject to the Hatch Act, Democrats say the preparations made by aides for the event and their participation in it are at odds with the law.
"The American people know these people are unethical and illegal and doing things outside the law,” said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.
Using the White House for an event of this kind is not improper, Trump and other administration officials said. "The President is not subject to the Hatch Act and is free to engage in political activity at any time," said a White House statement.
Nor is it unprecedented, they said; President Franklin D. Roosevelt was in the Executive Mansion in 1940 when he spoke via radio to the Democratic convention in Chicago that nominated him for a third term.
Republican convention uplifts Trump supporters Uplifting speeches and actions during the 2020 Republican National Convention on Tuesday night are striking cords with Trump supporters who feel the media is not accurately portraying the positive aspects of the political event. (Aug. 26) AP
Trump's White House speech will cap a fourth and final night of convention speeches by supporters who have praised Trump and sought to paint Democrats as a party of socialism and lawlessness. The Republicans scrambled to put together a virtual convention after canceling plans for more traditional activities in Charlotte, N.C., and Jacksonville, Fla.
Thursday's program, including speeches by Republican lawmakers and Trump aides, is scheduled to start at 8:30 p.m. ET
Trump is expected to speak shortly after 10 p.m., and his speech will be followed by a fireworks display.
In defending their selection of the White House, Trump and aides said they had planned to hold a more traditional convention and acceptance speech in Charlotte, but had to change that because of the spread of COVID-19. A substitute plan for a Trump speech in Jacksonville also fell through because of the virus.
RNC: Trump criticized for using White House as a backdrop for the convention
More: Three things President Donald Trump and the GOP need to do at their convention
Before announcing he would speak on the South Lawn of the White House, Trump said the presidential residence would be cheaper and easier to secure. In his remarks to delegates on Monday, Trump said he is looking forward to rallying his supporters during his White House speech.
"I have to tell you I think we have the greatest base of support anywhere at any time any election and people are starting to find that out," Trump told his backers.
During this week's online convention, based mostly in Washington, planners played videos of Trump presiding over naturalization ceremony and issuing a pardon, with both events at the White House. First lady Melania Trump gave her convention speech from the recently renovated White House Rose Garden.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo addressed the convention from Israel on Tuesday in a unique and much-criticized appearance by the nation's top diplomat.
Another Cabinet member – Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson – is on Thursday's speaking list, just before Trump's acceptance speech.
The Thursday program also includes presidential daughter Ivanka Trump.
Congressional speakers include Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif. Viewers will also hear from Rep. Jeff Van Drew, R-N.J., a former Democrat who switched parties during the president's impeachment.
Non-government Trump supporters scheduled to speak include the widow of a slain retired police officer in Missouri, a businesswoman from Wisconsin, and the parents of a U.S. aid worker killed overseas by the Islamic State.
Then there is former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, a defense attorney for Trump during impeachment as well as Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russia interference during the 2016 presidential campaign.
Trump has used the convention to essentially turn the White House into a political arm of the Republican Party, said Brian Fallon, a Justice Department spokesman during the Barack Obama administration. It is part of a pattern of disregarding standards that range from specious executive orders to threats to the Post Office over mail-in voting, he said.
If people ignore this kind of thing, Fallon added, it doesn't bode well if Trump decides to resist the results of the election should he lose to Biden.
"It does not inspire confidence about how our system will respond to Trump's lawlessness in the context of an election he refuses to concede," he said.
How to watch
USA TODAY will stream each night of the convention and will provide live coverage and analysis as events unfold.
ABC, CBS, and NBC will air convention coverage each night beginning at 10 p.m. EDT. PBS and CNN begin their coverage at 8 p.m. MSNBC begins at 7 p.m., and live coverage on NBC News Now will stream for free on Peacock starting at 8 p.m. Fox News' official coverage starts at 10 p.m. and Fox Business Network will air the convention starting at 8 p.m.
The official livestream of the convention will also be available on Amazon Prime, Facebook, Twitch, Twitter and YouTube.


usatoday--2020-08-27--Vice President Mike Pence calls election a choice on whether 'America remains America'

Speaking at the historic fort that inspired the national anthem , Vice President Mike Pence on Wednesday said the election will define the country for generations to come .
“ It 's not so much whether America will be more conservative or more liberal , more Republican or more Democrat , ” Pence said in his remarks during the Republican National Convention .
“ The choice in this election is whether America remains America.
” Pence made his convention appearance from Baltimore ’ s Fort McHenry , the site of an 1814 battle against the British that moved Francis Scott @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anthem .
A replica of the 15-star , 15-stripe “ Star-Spangled Banner ” that Key wrote about waved above the national monument as Pence spoke in front of an audience that included veterans .
`` President Trump set our nation on a path to freedom and opportunity from the very first day of this administration , '' Pence said .
`` But Joe Biden would set America on a path of socialism and decline . ''
Read USA TODAY 's live RNC coverage : 'The violence must stop , ' Mike Pence says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ called the Democratic nominee “ nothing more than a Trojan horse for a radical left.
” He said Biden would double down on the `` very policies that are leading to unsafe streets and violence in America ’ s cities . ''
And he said if voters want a president who “ falls silent when our heritage is demeaned or insulted , ” Pence said , then Trump is “ not your man.
” Trump has taken a tough stance on the football players who have knelt during the national anthem to protest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after the National Football League said in June that such “ peaceful protests ” should be allowed , Trump has said he ’ d rather the NFL not play if players choose to kneel in protest .
In 2017 , Pence walked out of an Indianapolis Colts game after some of the San Francisco 49ers knelt during the anthem .
Takeaways from Night 3 of the RNC : Pence calls Biden a 'Trojan horse ' for the radical left , Kellyanne Conway touts Trump 's record On Wednesday , Pence called for an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ convention speech that continued a “ law and order ” theme set earlier in the night .
“ Let me be clear : The violence must stop – whether in Minneapolis , Portland or Kenosha , ” Pence said , addressing without specifics the cause of the recent turmoil in Wisconsin after the shooting of Jacob Blake , an unarmed Black man shot multiple times in the back by a police officer .
`` We will have law and order on the streets of this country for every American of every race and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
'Justice must and will be done ' : Joe Biden speaks out on police shooting of Jacob Blake Pence accused Biden of not saying “ one word about the violence and chaos engulfing cities across this country ” when addressing the Democrats ' convention last week .
Hours before Pence spoke , Biden released a video addressing the shooting of Blake .
Biden said protests over police brutality are `` a right and absolutely necessary ” but “ burning down communities is not protest .
It 's needless violence.
” Joel Goldstein @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pence gave a classic speech of a vice president running for re-election .
He attacked the opposition , praised the president and sounded themes of the campaign .
`` But Vice President Pence does it on steroids with the overly-effusive praise of Trump , the embrace of the attack dog role against Biden , the exaggerated claims of the record , '' Goldstein said .
At one point , Pence joked that sometimes he thinks he 's his mother 's second-favorite candidate on the Trump/Pence ticket .
Pence 's praise included lauding the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president took to combat the coronavirus .
And he criticized Biden for saying `` no miracle is coming '' to make the virus disappear .
`` What Joe doesn ’ t seem to understand is that America is a nation of miracles , '' Pence said .
I 'm proud to report that we ’ re on track to have the world ’ s first safe , effective coronavirus vaccine by the end of this year . ''
Speaking to reporters earlier in the day , Democratic leaders preemptively attacked Trump 's handling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pelosi , D-Calif. , said the “ chaos presidency ” of Trump has failed to contain COVID-19 .
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer , D-N.Y. , said Pence ’ s own role as head of the administration 's coronavirus task force “ will be a stain on his record forever , no matter what he does afterwards.
” But Marjorie Dannenfelser , head of the anti-abortion Susan B. Anthony List , said Pence always comes across as a “ trustworthy father.
” “ He projects that sense of it 's going to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 're going to do .
Here 's the game plan , and let 's move forward , ” she said .
“ The conservative base knows them as a team.
” Pence offered plenty in his speech for the base , calling Trump `` the most pro-life president in American history '' and lauding his appointment of more than 200 conservative judges to federal courts .
David Axelrod , a former senior advisor to President Obama , tweeted that Pence did a good job appealing to the core of the GOP .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sheet and I bet a bunch of them were singing along , ” he said .
'No vaccine for racism ' : Kamala Harris delivers message of inclusion in acceptance speech Pence ’ s relationship with Trump has long been the subject of fascination , speculation – and some criticism .
“ Hypocrisy , thy name is Mike Pence , ” is the title of an ad dropped Wednesday night by the Lincoln Project , a campaign run by Republicans opposed to Trump .
Pence , who describes himself as a “ Christian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ order , ” is junior partner to a twice-divorced man who has ribbed Pence over his devoutness .
`` He ’ s certainly kept things interesting , '' Pence said in his speech when acknowledging that `` some people think we ’ re a little bit different . ''
A biographical video that introduced Pence included a clip of Trump calling his No .
2 `` as solid as a rock . ''
Ralph Reed , chairman of the Faith and Freedom Coalition and a longtime friend of Pence ’ s , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about the Trump-Pence relationship is how “ incredibly deep and strong ” their bond is .
“ I didn ’ t really see that coming , ” Reed said .
Still , Pence has had to endure endless speculation about whether Trump would swap out running mates .
Former National Security Adviser John Bolton wrote in a memoir published this summer that Trump asked if he should replace Pence with Nikki Haley , the former United Nations ambassador who addressed the convention on Monday .
Bolton called it a bad idea to jettison @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it would pay off at the ballot box .
“ That seemed to be Trump ’ s thinking as well , ” he wrote .
John Bolton : Pence was a 'consistent ally ' and equally 'stunned ' by some Trump actions Pence 's more than 36-minute speech was twice as long as last week 's vice presidential acceptance speech by Democrat Kamala Harris , according to C-SPAN .
The disparity was one of the greatest in decades .
Pence ’ s negative ratings have steadily risen since Trump selected him for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ registered voters had an unfavorable view of him in a poll by Fox News in mid-August , compared with 41 % who viewed him positively .
Four years ago , more voters viewed him positively than negatively , according to the Fox polls .
Vice presidents ’ favorability ratings tend to track closely with their bosses .
“ In Pence ’ s case , '' Goldstein said , `` he ’ s gone so all-in in terms of his enthusiastic defenses that it ’ s hard for him to be much higher than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , pet lover : What to know about Second lady Karen Pence

Vice President Mike Pence calls election a choice on whether 'America remains America'
Show Caption Hide Caption RNC: Vice Pres. Mike Pence lauds Trump White House Vice President Mike Pence closed the third night of the RNC from Fort McHenry, Maryland by trumpeting the Trump administration's accomplishments. USA TODAY, Associated Press
Speaking at the historic fort that inspired the national anthem, Vice President Mike Pence on Wednesday said the election will define the country for generations to come.
“It's not so much whether America will be more conservative or more liberal, more Republican or more Democrat,” Pence said in his remarks during the Republican National Convention. “The choice in this election is whether America remains America.”
Pence made his convention appearance from Baltimore’s Fort McHenry, the site of an 1814 battle against the British that moved Francis Scott Key to write what became the national anthem.
A replica of the 15-star, 15-stripe “Star-Spangled Banner” that Key wrote about waved above the national monument as Pence spoke in front of an audience that included veterans.
"President Trump set our nation on a path to freedom and opportunity from the very first day of this administration," Pence said. "But Joe Biden would set America on a path of socialism and decline."
Read USA TODAY's live RNC coverage: 'The violence must stop,' Mike Pence says about on-going protests during RNC speech
Pence called the Democratic nominee “nothing more than a Trojan horse for a radical left.”
He said Biden would double down on the "very policies that are leading to unsafe streets and violence in America’s cities."
And he said if voters want a president who “falls silent when our heritage is demeaned or insulted,” Pence said, then Trump is “not your man.”
Trump has taken a tough stance on the football players who have knelt during the national anthem to protest police brutality and racial injustice.
Even after the National Football League said in June that such “peaceful protests” should be allowed, Trump has said he’d rather the NFL not play if players choose to kneel in protest.
In 2017, Pence walked out of an Indianapolis Colts game after some of the San Francisco 49ers knelt during the anthem.
Takeaways from Night 3 of the RNC: Pence calls Biden a 'Trojan horse' for the radical left, Kellyanne Conway touts Trump's record
`The violence must stop'
On Wednesday, Pence called for an end to rioting and looting in his convention speech that continued a “law and order” theme set earlier in the night.
“Let me be clear: The violence must stop – whether in Minneapolis, Portland or Kenosha,” Pence said, addressing without specifics the cause of the recent turmoil in Wisconsin after the shooting of Jacob Blake, an unarmed Black man shot multiple times in the back by a police officer.
"We will have law and order on the streets of this country for every American of every race and creed and color," he said.
'Justice must and will be done': Joe Biden speaks out on police shooting of Jacob Blake
Pence accused Biden of not saying “one word about the violence and chaos engulfing cities across this country” when addressing the Democrats' convention last week.
Hours before Pence spoke, Biden released a video addressing the shooting of Blake . Biden said protests over police brutality are "a right and absolutely necessary” but “burning down communities is not protest. It's needless violence.”
Joel Goldstein, a vice presidential scholar, said Pence gave a classic speech of a vice president running for re-election. He attacked the opposition, praised the president and sounded themes of the campaign.
"But Vice President Pence does it on steroids with the overly-effusive praise of Trump, the embrace of the attack dog role against Biden, the exaggerated claims of the record," Goldstein said.
At one point, Pence joked that sometimes he thinks he's his mother's second-favorite candidate on the Trump/Pence ticket.
`Unprecedented' action on COVID-19
Pence's praise included lauding the "unprecedented" steps he said the president took to combat the coronavirus. And he criticized Biden for saying "no miracle is coming" to make the virus disappear.
"What Joe doesn’t seem to understand is that America is a nation of miracles," Pence said. I'm proud to report that we’re on track to have the world’s first safe, effective coronavirus vaccine by the end of this year."
Speaking to reporters earlier in the day, Democratic leaders preemptively attacked Trump's handling of the pandemic.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said the “chaos presidency” of Trump has failed to contain COVID-19.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said Pence’s own role as head of the administration's coronavirus task force “will be a stain on his record forever, no matter what he does afterwards.”
But Marjorie Dannenfelser, head of the anti-abortion Susan B. Anthony List, said Pence always comes across as a “trustworthy father.”
“He projects that sense of it's going to be okay. And here's what we're going to do. Here's the game plan, and let's move forward,” she said. “The conservative base knows them as a team.”
Pence offered plenty in his speech for the base, calling Trump "the most pro-life president in American history" and lauding his appointment of more than 200 conservative judges to federal courts.
David Axelrod, a former senior advisor to President Obama, tweeted that Pence did a good job appealing to the core of the GOP.
“He was playing from the base song sheet and I bet a bunch of them were singing along,” he said.
'No vaccine for racism': Kamala Harris delivers message of inclusion in acceptance speech
`A little bit different'
Pence’s relationship with Trump has long been the subject of fascination, speculation – and some criticism.
“Hypocrisy, thy name is Mike Pence,” is the title of an ad dropped Wednesday night by the Lincoln Project, a campaign run by Republicans opposed to Trump.
Pence, who describes himself as a “Christian, conservative and Republican – in that order,” is junior partner to a twice-divorced man who has ribbed Pence over his devoutness.
"He’s certainly kept things interesting," Pence said in his speech when acknowledging that "some people think we’re a little bit different."
A biographical video that introduced Pence included a clip of Trump calling his No. 2 "as solid as a rock."
Ralph Reed, chairman of the Faith and Freedom Coalition and a longtime friend of Pence’s, said the only thing that has surprised him about the Trump-Pence relationship is how “incredibly deep and strong” their bond is.
“I didn’t really see that coming,” Reed said.
Still, Pence has had to endure endless speculation about whether Trump would swap out running mates.
Former National Security Adviser John Bolton wrote in a memoir published this summer that Trump asked if he should replace Pence with Nikki Haley, the former United Nations ambassador who addressed the convention on Monday.
Bolton called it a bad idea to jettison someone so loyal without a guarantee that it would pay off at the ballot box.
“That seemed to be Trump’s thinking as well,” he wrote.
John Bolton: Pence was a 'consistent ally' and equally 'stunned' by some Trump actions
Pence's more than 36-minute speech was twice as long as last week's vice presidential acceptance speech by Democrat Kamala Harris, according to C-SPAN. The disparity was one of the greatest in decades.
Pence’s negative ratings have steadily risen since Trump selected him for the ticket in 2016. About half of registered voters had an unfavorable view of him in a poll by Fox News in mid-August, compared with 41% who viewed him positively. Four years ago, more voters viewed him positively than negatively, according to the Fox polls.
Vice presidents’ favorability ratings tend to track closely with their bosses.
“In Pence’s case," Goldstein said, "he’s gone so all-in in terms of his enthusiastic defenses that it’s hard for him to be much higher than Trump."
Military mom, teacher, pet lover: What to know about Second lady Karen Pence


usatoday--2020-08-27--Vice President Pence from RNC: 'The choice is clear'

Vice President Pence from RNC : 'The choice is clear' Vice President Mike Pence closed the third night of the @ @ @ @ @ Maryland by trumpeting the Trump administration 's accomplishments .

RNC: Vice Pres. Mike Pence lauds Trump White House
Vice President Mike Pence closed the third night of the RNC from Fort McHenry, Maryland by trumpeting the Trump administration's accomplishments.
USA TODAY, Associated Press


usatoday--2020-08-27--RNC Night 3 takeaways: Pence calls Biden a 'Trojan horse' for the radical left, Kellyanne Conway tou

WASHINGTON – Republicans spent the third night of their convention promoting their law-and-order agenda and trying to appeal to women voters whom President Donald Trump will need to win reelection .
They showcased military veterans , national security officials , and police officers talking about how Republicans love the country by embracing its heroes .
The speakers accused Democrats of allowing chaos and unrest in the name of racial justice .
`` Democrats spent four days attacking America , '' Vice President Mike Pence said during his speech at Fort McHenry in Baltimore , referring to the Democratic convention last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were living through a “ season of American darkness .
But as President Trump said , 'where Joe Biden sees American darkness , we see American greatness . '
'' The evening also revolved around women who said Trump had empowered them .
Presidential adviser Kellyanne Conway , White House spokeswoman Kayleigh McEnany and the president 's daughter-in-law Lara Trump shared personal stories , describing Trump as compassionate and someone who supported them .
`` They made me feel like I was home , '' said Lara Trump as she laid out her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump 's son , Eric .
`` Walking the halls of the Trump Organization , I saw the same family environment .
I also saw the countless women executives who thrived there , year after year .
Gender did n't matter .
What mattered was the ability to get the job done . ''
Here are key takeaways from Wednesday night : Vice President Mike Pence slammed Joe Biden , saying the Democratic presidential nominee 's proposals would leave Americans unsafe and vulnerable , calling him `` a Trojan Horse for the radical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and I will always support the right of Americans to peaceful protest , but rioting and looting is not peaceful protest , tearing down statues is not free speech , and those who do so will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law , '' Pence said .
`` Last week , Joe Biden didn ’ t say one word about the violence and chaos engulfing cities across this country , so let me be clear : the violence must stop – whether in Minneapolis , Portland , or Kenosha , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` We will have law and order on the streets of this country for every American of every race and creed and color . ''
'Miracle around the corner ' : Mike Pence vouches for Donald Trump 's pandemic response as election nears Mike Pence : We need the American people 's help to fight coronavirus now While touting Trump 's work on the economy , military , international trade deals and performance during the coronavirus pandemic , Pence compared that to Biden , who he dubbed a `` cheerleader for communist China @ @ @ @ @ @ @ open borders , '' supports `` taxpayer funding of abortion '' and would back cutting funds to law enforcement agencies .
`` The hard truth is you won ’ t be safe in Joe Biden ’ s America .
Under President Trump , we will always stand with those who stand on the Thin Blue Line , and we ’ re not going to defund the police – not now , not ever , '' Pence said .
`` Last week , Joe Biden said democracy is on the ballot , and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ballot , law and order are on the ballot . ''
He claimed that the election would be a `` crossroads '' for the country , explaining `` the choice in this election is whether America remains America . ''
The country has been wracked by strife and division since the May 25 death of George Floyd at the hands of the Minneapolis Police .
The incident sparked national protests over police brutality and racial injustice in numerous communities and prompted efforts – so far , unsuccessful – in Congress to implement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ place in Kenosha , Wisconsin when police shot a Black man , Jacob Blake , multiple times in the back and left him paralyzed , sparking further unrest .
Kellyanne Conway , one of the president 's longest-serving advisers , credited Trump with having helped her `` shatter a barrier in the role of politics '' with her role in 2016 as his campaign manager .
Conway , who announced this week she was leaving the White House to focus on her family , has been one of Trump 's most visible aides @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her remarks .
Instead , she focused on women , a theme throughout the Republican convention to appeal to more women – a demographic that polls have shown has veered away from Trump .
`` 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 , '' she said .
Conway also talked about Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ amid the opioid crisis .
`` He picks the toughest fights and tackles the most complex problems .
He has stood by me .
And he will stand up for you , '' she said .
Conways stepping back : Kellyanne Conway leaving White House to focus on family ; George Conway stepping away from Lincoln Project 'You think he should just take that sitting down ? '
: Kellyanne Conway defends Trump in feud with husband Kellyanne Conway 's husband , conservative attorney George Conway , has been one of Trump 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Lincoln Project , a group of anti-Trump Republicans that is working to defeat the president .
At the same time Kellyanne Conway announced she was leaving her White House role , George Conway said was going to step away from his role with the Lincoln Project .
George Conway 's public feuds with Trump and Kellyanne Conway 's high-profile role have put the couple in the spotlight .
Their 15-year-old daughter Claudia has made waves on social media over the past few months with her left-leaning views in TikTok videos and posts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week she was seeking a legal emancipation from her parents .
White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany gave a more personal speech in her convention appearance , praising Trump 's support when she had a preventive mastectomy and then a baby shortly afterward .
A former campaign spokeswoman who became White House press secretary this year , McEnany has spoken openly about the genetic mutation that made her vulnerable to breast cancer .
She spoke in her speech about the preventative mastectomy she had on May 1 , 2018 .
`` As I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the first calls I received was from Ivanka Trump .
As I recovered , my phone rang again .
It was President Trump calling to check on me .
I was blown away .
Here was the leader of the free world , caring about my circumstance , '' McEnany said .
McEnany , who has spoken at political rallies and urged women to support Trump , now has a daughter who is nine months old .
Choosing a preventative mastectomy was `` the hardest decision '' she has made , McEnany said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ easiest . ''
`` I want my daughter to grow up in President Donald Trump ’ s America , '' McEnany said .
Powerful women from the Midwest played a starring role Wednesday night , with Sen. Joni Ernst , R-Iowa , and South Dakota Gov .
Kristi Noem taking the podium .
Ernst , one of the few endangered Republican lawmakers who had a speaking role at the convention , highlighted the president 's work on agriculture and his trade deals and described what the future could look like under Democrats .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ races in states like Maine , Colorado , Montana and North Carolina have maintained a distance from the convention and even the president in recent months as Trump 's approval ratings have sagged .
`` Folks , this election is a choice between two very different paths , '' Ernst said .
`` Freedom , prosperity , and economic growth , under a Trump-Pence administration .
Or , the Biden-Harris path .
Paved by liberal coastal elites and radical environmentalists .
An America where farmers are punished , jobs are destroyed , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2020 Senate races : Here are the contests to watch as the COVID election comes into focus More : GOP senators tiptoe around Trump as the party faces growing political dangers ahead of Nov. 3 Noem , who has become a high-profile ally of the president in recent months and emceed Trump ’ s July 4th celebration last month at Mount Rushmore , pulled no punches in attacking Biden and Democrats .
`` From Seattle and Portland to Washington and New York , Democrat-run cities across this country are being overrun by violent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 message throughout the convention Wednesday night was clear : Republicans honor heroes like police officers , veterans , and nurses while Democrats … do not .
“ Joe Biden , Kamala Harris , and their radical allies try to destroy these heroes , because if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ – government can control us , ” Tennessee GOP Sen. Marsha Blackburn said .
“ You will never cancel our heroes.
” Wednesday ’ s lineup of speakers included Texas Rep. Dan Crenshaw ( a decorated former SEAL ) , Ret .
Army Gen. Keith Kellogg ( Pence 's National Security Advisor ) , the head of the National Association of Police Organizations , and New York Rep. Lee Zeldin who delivered his remarks from a local VFW lodge .
While some speakers spent much of their air time denouncing Biden as anti-military @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Army officer ) , others like Crenshaw opted for a less combative approach by saying America was full of heroes .
“ It ’ s the nurse who volunteers for back to back shifts caring for COVID patients because she feels that ’ s her duty , ” he said .
`` 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 .
And it ’ s the cop that gets spit on one day and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the next.
” And second lady Karen Pence , the mother of a Marine , highlighted military families who sacrifice continuously .
Interview : Karen Pence talks about helping her own family and others deal with the mental stress of COVID-19 '' 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 , '' Pence said .
`` To all of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump has touted his support for the military but he ’ s also drawn bipartisan fire for trying to undermine the NATO alliance and for pulling troops out of Syria , a move that prompted the resignation of Defense Secretary James Mattis .
And his decision to grant clemency last year to three controversial military figures facing charges of war crimes was controversial within the armed forces .
More : Trump says adding his face to Mount Rushmore would be a 'good idea . '
It would likely be impossible More : 'Meth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : South Dakota spends $ 449K on new anti-meth ad campaign Sister Dede Byrne , who served in the Army as a surgeon in Afghanistan and Egypt , said Trump was the biggest opponent of abortion in the country ’ s history .
She contrasted that by calling Democrats Joe Biden and Kamala Harris the most ardent supporters of abortion rights – ever .
“ As a physician , I can say unequivocally life begins at conception , ” said Byrne , who called the rosary her `` weapon '' of choice .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 us all to end up in heaven someday together.
” One in five voters in 2016 were Catholic , according to the Pew Research Center .
More than half ( 52 % ) voted for President Donald Trump while 44 % voted for Hillary Clinton .
In a June Pew Research Center survey , 52 % of all Catholics supported Biden ’ s candidacy although @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In October , a Catholic priest in South Carolina said he had denied Holy Communion to Biden because of the candidate ’ s views on abortion .
Biden has dropped his longstanding support for the Hyde Amendment , which blocks federal funding for abortion in most cases .
Lou Holtz , a former college football coach at Notre Dame University , also hit Biden on abortion and said he was among politicians who are “ Catholic in name only.
” Holtz said one of the key questions he considers in supporting a candidate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I trust President Trump , ” Holtz said , because “ nobody has been a stronger advocate for the unborn than President Trump.
” Holtz said he couldn ’ t say the same about Biden .
Kenosha shooting : Juvenile arrested after 2 dead , 1 injured ; federal agents to be deployed More : Jacob Blake was shot less than 3 minutes after Wisconsin police arrived at the scene , according to dispatch audio

Christal Hayes, Ledyard King and David Jackson, USA TODAY

RNC Night 3 takeaways: Pence calls Biden a 'Trojan horse' for the radical left, Kellyanne Conway touts Trump's record
Show Caption Hide Caption RNC: Kellyanne Conway, President Trump 'has stood by me' Senior political advisor Kellyanne Conway describes how President Trump empowered her career during the Republican National Convention. USA TODAY, Associated Press
WASHINGTON – Republicans spent the third night of their convention promoting their law-and-order agenda and trying to appeal to women voters whom President Donald Trump will need to win reelection.
They showcased military veterans, national security officials, and police officers talking about how Republicans love the country by embracing its heroes. The speakers accused Democrats of allowing chaos and unrest in the name of racial justice.
"Democrats spent four days attacking America," Vice President Mike Pence said during his speech at Fort McHenry in Baltimore, referring to the Democratic convention last week. "Joe Biden said we were living through a “season of American darkness. But as President Trump said, 'where Joe Biden sees American darkness, we see American greatness.'"
RNC live: GOP hits law and order theme, Pence attacks Biden
The evening also revolved around women who said Trump had empowered them. Presidential adviser Kellyanne Conway, White House spokeswoman Kayleigh McEnany and the president's daughter-in-law Lara Trump shared personal stories, describing Trump as compassionate and someone who supported them.
"They made me feel like I was home," said Lara Trump as she laid out her connection to the family after she married Trump's son, Eric. "Walking the halls of the Trump Organization, I saw the same family environment. I also saw the countless women executives who thrived there, year after year. Gender didn't matter. What mattered was the ability to get the job done."
Here are key takeaways from Wednesday night:
Pence: Election will determine if 'American remains America'
Vice President Mike Pence slammed Joe Biden, saying the Democratic presidential nominee's proposals would leave Americans unsafe and vulnerable, calling him "a Trojan Horse for the radical left."
"President Donald Trump and I will always support the right of Americans to peaceful protest, but rioting and looting is not peaceful protest, tearing down statues is not free speech, and those who do so will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law," Pence said.
"Last week, Joe Biden didn’t say one word about the violence and chaos engulfing cities across this country, so let me be clear: the violence must stop – whether in Minneapolis, Portland, or Kenosha," Pence said.
He added: "We will have law and order on the streets of this country for every American of every race and creed and color."
'Miracle around the corner': Mike Pence vouches for Donald Trump's pandemic response as election nears
Mike Pence: We need the American people's help to fight coronavirus now
While touting Trump's work on the economy, military, international trade deals and performance during the coronavirus pandemic, Pence compared that to Biden, who he dubbed a "cheerleader for communist China," claiming Biden would allow "open borders," supports "taxpayer funding of abortion" and would back cutting funds to law enforcement agencies.
"The hard truth is you won’t be safe in Joe Biden’s America. Under President Trump, we will always stand with those who stand on the Thin Blue Line, and we’re not going to defund the police – not now, not ever," Pence said. "Last week, Joe Biden said democracy is on the ballot, and the truth is our economic recovery is on the ballot, law and order are on the ballot."
He claimed that the election would be a "crossroads" for the country, explaining "the choice in this election is whether America remains America."
The country has been wracked by strife and division since the May 25 death of George Floyd at the hands of the Minneapolis Police. The incident sparked national protests over police brutality and racial injustice in numerous communities and prompted efforts – so far, unsuccessful – in Congress to implement policing reforms.
The latest incident took place in Kenosha, Wisconsin when police shot a Black man, Jacob Blake, multiple times in the back and left him paralyzed, sparking further unrest.
Kellyanne Conway: Trump helped me 'shatter a barrier' in politics
Kellyanne Conway, one of the president's longest-serving advisers, credited Trump with having helped her "shatter a barrier in the role of politics" with her role in 2016 as his campaign manager.
Conway, who announced this week she was leaving the White House to focus on her family, has been one of Trump's most visible aides but did not discuss her departure in her remarks. Instead, she focused on women, a theme throughout the Republican convention to appeal to more women – a demographic that polls have shown has veered away from Trump.
"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," she said.
Conway also talked about Trump's interactions with families who have suffered amid the opioid crisis.
"He picks the toughest fights and tackles the most complex problems. He has stood by me. And he will stand up for you," she said.
Conways stepping back: Kellyanne Conway leaving White House to focus on family; George Conway stepping away from Lincoln Project
'You think he should just take that sitting down?': Kellyanne Conway defends Trump in feud with husband
Kellyanne Conway's husband, conservative attorney George Conway, has been one of Trump's fiercest critics and is a co-founder of the Lincoln Project, a group of anti-Trump Republicans that is working to defeat the president. At the same time Kellyanne Conway announced she was leaving her White House role, George Conway said was going to step away from his role with the Lincoln Project.
George Conway's public feuds with Trump and Kellyanne Conway's high-profile role have put the couple in the spotlight.
Their 15-year-old daughter Claudia has made waves on social media over the past few months with her left-leaning views in TikTok videos and posts about her parents. She tweeted last week she was seeking a legal emancipation from her parents.
White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany gets personal
White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany gave a more personal speech in her convention appearance, praising Trump's support when she had a preventive mastectomy and then a baby shortly afterward.
A former campaign spokeswoman who became White House press secretary this year, McEnany has spoken openly about the genetic mutation that made her vulnerable to breast cancer. She spoke in her speech about the preventative mastectomy she had on May 1, 2018.
"As I came out of anesthesia, one of the first calls I received was from Ivanka Trump. As I recovered, my phone rang again. It was President Trump calling to check on me. I was blown away. Here was the leader of the free world, caring about my circumstance," McEnany said.
McEnany, who has spoken at political rallies and urged women to support Trump, now has a daughter who is nine months old.
Choosing a preventative mastectomy was "the hardest decision" she has made, McEnany said, but supporting Trump "was the easiest."
"I want my daughter to grow up in President Donald Trump’s America," McEnany said.
Joni Ernst, Kristi Noem slam 'Democrat-run cities' and 'coastal elites'
Powerful women from the Midwest played a starring role Wednesday night, with Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, and South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem taking the podium.
Ernst, one of the few endangered Republican lawmakers who had a speaking role at the convention, highlighted the president's work on agriculture and his trade deals and described what the future could look like under Democrats. Many fellow senators who are running close races in states like Maine, Colorado, Montana and North Carolina have maintained a distance from the convention and even the president in recent months as Trump's approval ratings have sagged.
"Folks, this election is a choice between two very different paths," Ernst said. "Freedom, prosperity, and economic growth, under a Trump-Pence administration. Or, the Biden-Harris path. Paved by liberal coastal elites and radical environmentalists. An America where farmers are punished, jobs are destroyed, and taxes crush the middle class."
2020 Senate races: Here are the contests to watch as the COVID election comes into focus
More: GOP senators tiptoe around Trump as the party faces growing political dangers ahead of Nov. 3
Noem, who has become a high-profile ally of the president in recent months and emceed Trump’s July 4th celebration last month at Mount Rushmore, pulled no punches in attacking Biden and Democrats.
"From Seattle and Portland to Washington and New York, Democrat-run cities across this country are being overrun by violent mobs," Noem said. "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."
GOP assembles lineup of police officers to highlight heroes
The message throughout the convention Wednesday night was clear: Republicans honor heroes like police officers, veterans, and nurses while Democrats … do not.
“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,” Tennessee GOP Sen. Marsha Blackburn said. “You will never cancel our heroes.”
Wednesday’s lineup of speakers included Texas Rep. Dan Crenshaw (a decorated former SEAL), Ret. Army Gen. Keith Kellogg (Pence's National Security Advisor), the head of the National Association of Police Organizations, and New York Rep. Lee Zeldin who delivered his remarks from a local VFW lodge.
While some speakers spent much of their air time denouncing Biden as anti-military (despite having a son as an Army officer), others like Crenshaw opted for a less combative approach by saying America was full of heroes.
“It’s the nurse who volunteers for back to back shifts caring for COVID patients because she feels that’s her duty,” he said. "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. And it’s the cop that gets spit on one day and will save a child’s life the next.”
And second lady Karen Pence, the mother of a Marine, highlighted military families who sacrifice continuously.
Interview: Karen Pence talks about helping her own family and others deal with the mental stress of COVID-19
"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," Pence said. "To all of the military spouses, thank you."
Trump has touted his support for the military but he’s also drawn bipartisan fire for trying to undermine the NATO alliance and for pulling troops out of Syria, a move that prompted the resignation of Defense Secretary James Mattis. And his decision to grant clemency last year to three controversial military figures facing charges of war crimes was controversial within the armed forces.
More: Trump says adding his face to Mount Rushmore would be a 'good idea.' It would likely be impossible
More: 'Meth. We're On It.': South Dakota spends $449K on new anti-meth ad campaign
Nun, coach question Biden’s Catholicism
Sister Dede Byrne, who served in the Army as a surgeon in Afghanistan and Egypt, said Trump was the biggest opponent of abortion in the country’s history. She contrasted that by calling Democrats Joe Biden and Kamala Harris the most ardent supporters of abortion rights – ever.
“As a physician, I can say unequivocally life begins at conception,” said Byrne, who called the rosary her "weapon" of choice. “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 us all to end up in heaven someday together.”
One in five voters in 2016 were Catholic, according to the Pew Research Center. More than half (52%) voted for President Donald Trump while 44% voted for Hillary Clinton.
In a June Pew Research Center survey, 52% of all Catholics supported Biden’s candidacy although Trump was still carrying white Catholics.
In October, a Catholic priest in South Carolina said he had denied Holy Communion to Biden because of the candidate’s views on abortion.
Biden has dropped his longstanding support for the Hyde Amendment, which blocks federal funding for abortion in most cases.
Lou Holtz, a former college football coach at Notre Dame University, also hit Biden on abortion and said he was among politicians who are “Catholic in name only.” Holtz said one of the key questions he considers in supporting a candidate is whether he deserves trust.
“I trust President Trump,” Holtz said, because “nobody has been a stronger advocate for the unborn than President Trump.”
Holtz said he couldn’t say the same about Biden.
Kenosha shooting: Juvenile arrested after 2 dead, 1 injured; federal agents to be deployed
More: Jacob Blake was shot less than 3 minutes after Wisconsin police arrived at the scene, according to dispatch audio


usatoday--2020-08-27--Lara Trump vows that Pres. Trump 'will keep America America'

Lara Trump vows that Pres .
Trump 'will keep America America' Lara Trump , daughter-in-law and senior advisor to President @ @ @ @ @ is not just a choice between political parties .

Lara Trump at RNC: President Trump "will keep America America"
Lara Trump, daughter-in-law and senior advisor to President Trump, warns this election is not just a choice between political parties.
USA TODAY, Associated Press


usatoday--2020-08-27--RNC: Kellyanne Conway praises President Trump: 'He has stood by me'

RNC : Kellyanne Conway praises President Trump : 'He has stood by me' Senior political advisor Kellyanne Conway describes how @ @ @ @ @ during the Republican National Convention .

RNC: Kellyanne Conway, President Trump 'has stood by me'
Senior political advisor Kellyanne Conway describes how President Trump empowered her career during the Republican National Convention.
USA TODAY, Associated Press


usatoday--2020-08-28--RNC: Carson rebuts claims of Trump racism, makes case for second term

RNC : Carson rebuts claims of Trump racism , makes case for second term HUD Secretary Ben Carson delivers remarks @ @ @ @ @ defending Donald Trump against claims of racism .

RNC: Ben Carson defends Trump against claims of racism
HUD Secretary Ben Carson delivers remarks at the Republican National Convention defending Donald Trump against claims of racism.
USA TODAY