Republican National Convention 2020: Day 2

The unprecedented appearance of Secretary of State Mike Pompeo at President Trump’s convention — which aides say came at the President’s own request — is a clue at how Trump views his first term foreign policy achievements. 

Staged on a hotel rooftop in Jerusalem, Pompeo sought to cast Trump as the ultimate dealmaker, his location highlighting a recent agreement between Israel and the United Arab Emirates to normalize relations that Trump helped broker.

Voters in the US consistently rank foreign policy near the bottom of their most important issues, though in a broader sense, America’s role in the world and how allies now regard the United States has played heavily in Democrats’ messaging during this election.

Trump has mostly shrugged off suggestions that America is viewed as a less reliable partner, saying his goal isn’t to make life easier for either foreign friends or foes. While he claims to have great relationships with western leaders, he has also appeared cozy with strongmen and dictators — including his praise for Turkey’s leader during a taped segment on Monday.

Ultimately, there are few experienced Republican national security voices outside the administration who have appeared willing to defend Trump’s policies. Many have said outright they oppose them. And several of Trump’s onetime aides — including his former national security adviser John Bolton and his former Defense Secretary James Mattis — have raised serious questions about his decision-making. 

That has given people once considered outside the foreign policy mainstream more clout. Sen. Rand Paul, who has rankled his party’s leadership at times with anti-interventionist views, was invited to speak Tuesday to underscore his stance.

He said Trump aimed to “end war rather than start one” and refused to “leave our blood and treasure in Middle East quagmires.”

Speaking from Jerusalem via pre-tapped remarks, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo praised President Trump's foreign policy, saying that his family is "more safe, and their freedoms more secure, because President Trump has put his America First vision into action. It may not have made him popular in every foreign capital, but it's worked."

Pompeo went on to highlight particular Trump policies in China, North Korea, the Middle East and in making NATO "stronger." Pompeo also touted the move of the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

"As a soldier, I saw, first hand, people desperate to flee to freedom. The way each of us can best ensure our freedoms is by electing leaders who don’t just talk, but deliver," Pompeo continued.

"An American hostage imprisoned in Turkey for two years, Pastor Andrew Brunson, said upon his release that he survived his ordeal with these words of scripture, 'Be faithful, endure and finish well.' If we stay the course, we will," the secretary of state said in closing.

Some context: Pompeo's decision to address the RNC from pre-tapped remarks from Jerusalem breaks with past precedent of secretaries of state not addressing political conventions and a long-standing protocol of not discussing domestic politics while abroad. It has drawn scrutiny and scorn from diplomats.

A State Department spokesperson and another source familiar with the situation defended the move by saying Pompeo would deliver the remarks in his personal capacity and that no taxpayer funds would be used.

However, in his July cable, Pompeo himself noted that "presidential and political appointees and career SES (Senior Executive Service) are subject to significant restrictions on their political activity; they may not engage in any partisan political activity in concert with a partisan campaign, political party, or partisan political group, even on personal time and outside of the federal workplace."

Earlier today, House Democrat Rep. Joaquin Castro, the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee, opened an investigation into Pompeo's controversial decision to address the RNC.

Castro said in a statement Tuesday that the "American people deserve a full investigation."

With reporting from CNN's Jeremy Diamond, Kaitlan Collins and Kevin Liptak

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Eric Trump blasted former Vice President Joe Biden in his address Tuesday night, claiming that the Democratic presidential nominee would remove the Second Amendment and "defund the police."

Trump claimed that Biden has pledged to remove the Second Amendment. “Biden has pledged to … take away your cherished Second Amendment,” the President’s son said.

He also contrasted his father’s accomplishments with Biden’s plans. According to Eric Trump, “Biden has pledged to defund the police.” 

Facts First: Biden has not pledged to remove the Second Amendment. He does support certain gun control measures. 

Biden's plan, as laid out on the campaign’s website, proposes to “end our gun violence epidemic and respect the Second Amendment, which is limited.” Along with banning the "manufacture and sale of assault weapons and high-capacity magazines," the plan includes mandating that people who own assault weapons either sell them to the federal government or properly register them with the authorities, along with other measures.

Facts First: Biden has expressly not supported calls to "defund the police." 

Biden's published criminal justice plan called for a $300 million investment in community policing efforts -- including the hiring of more officers. On June 8, Biden told CBS, "No, I don't support defunding the police." Rather, he said, "I support conditioning federal aid to police based on whether or not they meet certain basic standards of decency and honorableness. And, in fact, are able to demonstrate they can protect the community and everybody in the community." 

It's worth noting that the slogan "defund the police" means different things to different activists -- from the dissolution of police forces to partial reductions in funding.

Trump's campaign has seized on a single comment Biden made to a progressive activist in a July video chat. In that conversation, Biden repeated his opposition to defunding police. When pressed, he did say he "absolutely" agrees that some funding can be redirected to social services, mental health counseling and affordable housing, but he immediately transitioned to his previous proposal to deny federal funding to specific police departments that do not meet certain standards. Biden said in early June that decisions about funding levels should be made by local communities, since some have too many officers, but some don't have enough.

Like half-sister Tiffany Trump who spoke before him, President Trump's son Eric did not share personal stories about his father, but focused his speech on touting the President's economic, health care and foreign policy agenda.

He sought to contrast the efforts of the current administration and Joe Biden’s policy platform, saying the "American spirit" that built the Hoover Dam and "defeated fascism" would "defeat the empty, oppressive, and radical views of the extreme left" in November.

"Under President Trump, freedom will never be a thing of the past. That’s what a vote for Donald Trump represents," he added. "It is a vote for the American spirit, the American dream and the American flag."

He said Joe Biden "is a career politician who has never signed the front of a check and does not know the slightest thing about the American worker or the American business."

He also called Biden "a total pushover" on China and who would be "a giant relief for terrorists."

Trump's son, an executive vice president for the Trump Organization, used the end of his speech to send a direct message to his father.

"I miss working alongside you every day but I’m damn proud to be on the frontlines of this fight. I am proud of what you are doing for this country. I am proud to show my children what their grandfather is fighting for. I am proud to watch you give them hell. Never stop," he said.

He added, "Dad, let’s make Uncle Robert proud this week," referencing Robert Trump, the President's brother who recently died.

Trump's convention speech comes a day after New York Attorney General Letitia James sought for him to be deposed in an investigation of the Trump Organization. He did not address the issue at the convention.

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The Republican National Convention showed a video of President Donald Trump overseeing a naturalization ceremony for five new US citizens at the White House on Tuesday.

“Today America rejoices as we welcome five absolutely incredible new members into our great American family. You are now fellow citizens of the greatest nation on the face of God’s earth. Congratulations,” the President said at the ceremony, which occurred earlier in the day on Tuesday. 

The event was not open to reporters or photographers, and a video of the ceremony was later posted on the official White House YouTube channel. 

“You followed the rules, you obeyed the laws, you learned your history, embraced our values, and proved yourselves to be men and women of the highest integrity,” Trump said. “It’s not so easy. You went through a lot, and we appreciate you being here with us today.”

In his remarks, Trump called US citizenship the “most prized, treasured, cherished, and priceless possession anywhere in the world.” 

“There’s no higher honor,” the President said.

Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf administered the oath to the five people. 

“Mr. President,” Wolf said, “I want to again commend you for your dedication to the rule of law and for restoring integrity to our immigration system.”  

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Florida's lieutenant governor, Republican Jeanette Núñez, highlighted her Cuban heritage in her speech at the RNC this evening and depicted the upcoming election as a choice between capitalism and the socialism her parents left behind when they fled Fidel Castro's Cuba.

"Fellow Americans, the fabric of our nation is in peril," she said. "Daily the radical left systemically chisels away at the freedoms we cherish... [they] normalize socialism to dismantle our Constitution."

"Let me assure you, socialism does not offer opportunity, socialism deprives," she continued. "It is a falsehood that feigns promises for the masses and consistently yields only misery. They pedal dangerous ideologies and normalize socialism to dismantle our Constitution."

Núñez's appeals comes as Republicans work to make up ground in Florida, a key battleground state where Cuban-Americans, make up a powerful voting bloc. Recent polling suggests President Donald Trump is trailing Joe Biden in that state.

"Americans have a choice, we can go down a dark road of chaos, and government control or we can choose the path of freedom and opportunity that was paved by those who sacrificed everything to preserve the American dream for future generations," Núñez added.

President Donald Trump’s two “surprise” appearances during Tuesday’s convention blatantly used his presidential powers to advance a political message — advancing the impression that Republicans are exploiting his office to support his reelection.

In pre-taped videos, Trump issued a pardon for a man who robbed a bank in Nevada and later founded an organization for former inmates; the President also presided over a naturalization ceremony for new American citizen. The two acts flex the powers of the incumbency during the highest-profile political event of the calendar.

All presidents, in some way, use the powers of their office when it comes time for reelection. That includes highlighting executive orders that benefit key voting blocs or touting foreign policy achievements only available to the sitting commander-in-chief. 

But never have those moves been so blatantly staged for political gain — as they appeared to be Tuesday, with highly-produced videos meant for debut at a political convention.

Trump had already been accused of violating ethics norms by utilizing the White House for his convention speech on Thursday. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, whose speech Tuesday is unprecedented for the country’s top diplomat, is now being investigated by House Democrats for the convention speech he taped from a hotel rooftop during an official trip to Israel.

But the two appearances Trump was planning Tuesday were the most direct use of his office for political gain. Pardon power is one of the most sweeping prerogatives a president enjoys, spelled out in the Constitution. Trump has previously deployed it for political allies or people with high-profile cases.

On Tuesday, the White House released a video clip on YouTube of Trump issuing a full pardon for Jon Ponder, a former bank robber and the founder and CEO of HOPE for Prisoners, a ministry in Las Vegas that helps those who are incarcerated reintegrate back into the community.

They also posted a video of Trump overseeing a naturalization ceremony for five new US citizens. He emphasized the achievements of each of the citizens, and congratulated them on coming to the country legally.

“You followed the rules, you obeyed the laws, you learned your history, embraced our values, and proved yourselves to be men and women of the highest integrity,” the President told the participants. 

Both events occurred at the White House. Administration officials have said previously that Trump’s use of the building doesn’t violate any laws, and that staffers are permitted to participate on their own time as long as his appearances occur in the residence portion and not the West Wing.

Police officer Ryan Holets, who adopted a baby born to a homeless woman addicted to heroin in 2017, praised President Donald Trump at the Republican National Convention for his leadership combating the opioid epidemic. 

Holets was first lady Melania Trump's guest at the State of the Union address in 2018. He said his daughter, Hope, is now a “thriving two-year-old,” and that her mother is approaching three years of recovery.

“We are fortunate, America, to have a President who cares deeply for the downtrodden, and who works tirelessly to find solutions. A President who doesn’t just talk about problems, but stops and helps,” Holets said. 

He said, “President Trump is the leader we’ve needed the last four years, and he is the leader we need for the next four years. You see, Donald Trump is the right President at the right time.”

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Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds made her case for President Donald Trump on a national stage Tuesday, touting the President’s leadership after a devastating storm brought hurricane-force winds her state. But her endorsement of the administration’s “actions and outcomes” doesn’t reflect the situation for Iowans desperate for relief after this month’s derecho.

A derecho covered an area nearly 800 miles wide in the Midwest with hurricane-force winds topping 100 miles per hour. It lasted 14 hours from August 11 to 12, destroying or severely damaging thousands of homes, schools and businesses while damaging millions of acres of crops and uprooting countless trees that had stood for over a century, helping take power lines down with them. 

Reynolds submitted a 23-page disaster declaration request to the federal government seeking just under $4 billion in relief, including agriculture, public assistance, private utilities, and homes with major damage, for 27 of Iowa’s 99 counties on August 16. 

Trump tweeted he approved “the FULL Emergency Declaration for the Great State of Iowa.” 

But, as of Tuesday, the Des Moines Register reports that only one county, Linn County, “has received approval for federal individual assistance from the Trump administration.” 

Reynolds conceded during a Tuesday press conference, per the Register, that some counties wouldn’t qualify for federal individual assistance and they are “continuing to run the numbers” for other “more impacted areas.”

CNN affiliate KGAN reported last week that the individual assistance petition, which covers repairs to damaged homes and medical, child care, and vehicle expenses, is "'under review’ by FEMA and not yet approved.” 

Trump traveled to Iowa for a disaster recovery briefing last week. And in the days immediately following the storm, Vice President Mike Pence traveled to Des Moines for multiple campaign events, including a fundraiser and a coalition event billed as “Farmers and Ranchers for Trump.” He met with Reynolds and a small group of farmers before that event “to hear firsthand about the damage to their farms and property,” per a handout from his office. There was no press coverage of Pence’s meeting.

“When the winds had finished raging and the cleanup had only begun, he showed up… The President cut through the bureaucracy to do what needed to be done, and to do it quickly,” Reynolds said in her RNC remarks.

Reynolds has maintained a close relationship and has been a loyal ally to the Trump administration, carefully sidestepping opportunities to criticize the President and complimenting him during her numerous trips to the White House.

Her Tuesday evening remarks, which clocked in under four minutes, also praised Trump’s trade deals but neglected to mention the coronavirus pandemic. Iowa has seen more than 57,296 confirmed cases and more than 1,052 deaths as of Tuesday. 

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