WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 24th August, 2020) The Republican Party gathers on Monday for the national convention to formally endorse US President Donald Trump to run for re-election, summing up the accomplishments of his first term, making a case for the second and letting common people be "testifiers."
A four-day convention is pegged geographically to Charlotte, North Carolina, but due to the coronavirus limitations many of its events will be held outside the venue, including the culmination. On Thursday night, Trump is expected to deliver a live acceptance speech from the South Lawn of the White House.
Trump's associates say he is personally involved in the preparation of the event and wants it to outshine last week's Democratic convention which nominated former Vice President Joe Biden for November 3 elections.
"He will be very involved in his convention every single night. You have to wait and see what we have in store. Lot of excitement," counselor to the President Kellyanne Conway told reporters.
The convention, which full agenda is undisclosed yet, will be "a progress report" of the first four years of Trump in the White House followed by "the vision piece - why four more years, what we will be building on, what we will be tackling, what we hope to do." It will be an "uplifting, optimistic, forward-looking" event, Conway promised.
Organizers see it as "a people's convention" as opposed to what they describe as "a Hollywood-produced, old guard-led" and "swampy" Democratic gathering, dominated by the traditional establishment with former US presidents chosen as showstoppers. Republicans say their plan is to highlight common Americans who benefitted from Trump's policies or suffered from practices he is fighting.
"You are going to see and hear from many Americans whose lives have been positively impacted, measurably and consequently changed due to the efforts and the policies of President Trump and Vice President Pence. They are coming here as volunteers, they want to tell their stories," Conway said.
"[We will be] allowing the people to speak, allowing the people to be testifiers and witnesses to the Trump-Pence administration. The difference is made for them," she added.
Among invited speakers are Mark and Patricia McCloskey, who used guns to scare away anti-racist protesters in their St. Louis neighborhood and were charged with felony weapons offenses. Other guests include Tanya Weinreis, a businesswoman who kept her coffee shop afloat with coronavirus relief payments, police sergeant Ann Dorn, a widow of a retired policeman who was killed during recent riots, the parents of Kayla Mueller, a humanitarian worker murdered by Islamic State (terrorist organization, banned in Russia), according to media reports.
The convention website says that the formal nomination of Trump will be held in Charlotte on Monday. The gathering will also endorse Mike Pence as Trump's running mate, who, if the tandem is victorious, will continue to be Vice President. Pence is expected to speak on Wednesday from a historic McHenry Fort in Baltimore.
Local media say that the Republicans are looking for ways to mitigate coronavirus limitations and specifically work to ensure some in-person audience at convention events. They have chosen inspirational themes for each of the four days of the convention - "Land of Heroes" for Monday, "Land of Promise" for Tuesday, "Land of Opportunity" for Wednesday and "Land of Greatness" for Thursday.
Most polls predict Biden's victory on November 3, the Presidential election day, but the incumbent dismisses projections as inaccurate and biased. Conway called the Democratic convention "a great opportunity they missed" by preferring "to play it safe" and circumventing many topics important for voters, like the surge of violence in Democratic-run cities, turbulent relations with China, or the economic situation of the middle class.
