President Trump formally nominated
Calls election most important in US history.
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump was formally nominated for a second term at the Republican National Convention on Monday, marking an official start to this year’s presidential race and the first major – if symbolic – moment of the party’s meeting this week.
Trump made a surprise visit to the convention shortly after crossing the threshold of delegates needed for the nod. He started off his remarks with an attack on Democrats, opponent Joe Biden and criticism of mail-in ballots – an indication his message at the party’s convention will largely mirror what he has been eager to convey in the run-up to it.
“This is the most important election in the history of our country,” Trump said during nearly an hour of remarks at the Charlotte Convention Center. “This is the biggest.”
In contrast to Democrats, who nominated Biden in a virtual roll call from 57 states and territories, Trump chose a more traditional approach: an in-person event in Charlotte, North Carolina, where delegates are conducting the convention’s official business. In another potential sign of what’s to come this week, both Trump and Vice President Mike Pence made unexpected remarks during the vote.
Trump will formally accept the nomination in an address at the White House on Thursday – the marquee event of the convention – but his campaign signaled he’ll be visible on a daily basis.
The outcome of the roll call was never in question – presidential nominating conventions haven’t been contested for decades, and Trump ran virtually unopposed – but the formal roll call is nevertheless a symbolic milestone, an expression of the party’s support. Delegations from state after state offered brief speeches supporting the president before formally adding their delegates to the tally.
Pence, formally nominated earlier Monday, spoke before Trump got the delegates needed for the nomination.
“Today is about four more years,” Pence told the delegates. “This week, we will take our case to the American people.”
Trump is down in battleground polls amid a devastating pandemic and a weak economy, so the convention hands the president a chance to reset his campaign, define how he would use a second term and land a consistent line of attack against Biden as many of the nation’s voters start to tune in to the race.
Trump and his aides signaled a desire for an upbeat – and mostly live – four-day performance.
The convention opened Monday morning with Republicans slamming Democrats for supporting those who have knelt in protest during the national anthem and for removing the word “God” from their party platform – a long-standing criticism.
Republicans announced Sunday that they would forgo a party platform this year, simply adopting Trump’s campaign pledges as their own.
A pre-meeting prayer at the RNC included criticism of Catholics who support abortion rights.
The crowd in Charlotte greeted Trump with cries of “Oklahoma loves you, Mr. President!” and “Four More Years.”
“If you really want to drive them crazy, say 12 more years,” Trump said.
Trump started off by warning supporters to be wary of election chicanery, saying “bad things happened last time” and could happen again.