President Donald Trump announced his acceptance of the Republican Party's nomination for a second term amid racial tensions and the significant loss of American lives due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

President Trump, the former real estate mogul, made his announcement at the White House on Thursday (August 27) local time. This marked the first time a president held a convention at the White House, using the South Lawn as the venue, followed by a spectacular fireworks display at the National Mall.

Trump staged a grand finale for the Republican National Convention, breaking with a long-standing tradition that presidents should separate the White House, the “People's House,” from campaigning.

About 1,500 white chairs were arranged in front of the stage, decorated with rows of American flags, and two large screens displayed a massive firework spelling out Trump's name in cursive across the sky.

Before Trump and his wife Melania made their Hollywood-style entrance from the White House to the stage, several prominent party members, including Ivanka, the president's influential daughter, delivered preliminary speeches.

In a 70-minute speech, Trump aimed to attack his opponent, “Joe Biden,” as much as possible, mentioning Biden's name dozens of times and labeling the former vice president as a far-left extremist.

“No one will be safe in Biden's America. This election will determine whether we protect the American dream. He is the destroyer of American jobs, and if given the chance, he will destroy America's greatness,” Trump declared while attacking Biden, who was leading in the polls ahead of the November 3 election.

“If the left gains power, they will destroy the suburbs and take away your guns,” Trump said, branding Biden as someone with a history of “betrayal” and “clumsiness.”

Trump's aggressive rhetoric stood in stark contrast to Biden's acceptance speech as the Democratic nominee the previous week, which lasted 25 minutes and criticized Trump's presidency without directly naming him.

While Trump's remarks warned of chaos, his second campaign is unfolding amid the most significant turmoil the United States has seen in decades.

The nation is grappling with racial injustice, reflected in the Black Lives Matter protests outside the White House, with shouts and horns echoing over the fence into the White House.

Matt MacGowan, a Republican strategist, tweeted that the party performed exceptionally well during the four-day convention, stating, “This week, Trump gained more allies, and he will receive tremendous support.”

However, Biden mocked Trump's unfounded warnings.

“When Donald Trump says you won't be safe in Biden's America, look around and ask yourself, do you feel safe in Donald Trump's America?” Biden tweeted in response.

Biden's fiery message came as the U.S. was reeling from footage of police shooting an African American man while attempting to arrest him in front of his children, sparking violent protests in Kenosha, Wisconsin, a small city that has become a battleground over racial injustice. The situation escalated when a teenager, reportedly a Trump supporter, set up a vigilante group that killed two people and seriously injured another during protests on Tuesday night (August 25).

As Democrats accused police nationwide of facing scrutiny due to institutional racism, Trump had to lead the Republican response with the notion that Americans would be more dissatisfied with chaos than with police infringing on their freedoms.

Currently, Trump's approval ratings are very low, with nearly two-thirds of Americans expressing dissatisfaction with his handling of the COVID-19 crisis. Nevertheless, Trump remains committed to his “law and order” strategy in response to the protests.

Meanwhile, the Biden team accused Trump of using racial issues to overshadow the COVID-19 crisis. Biden directly attacked Trump during an MSNBC interview, stating, “He sees violence as politically beneficial for himself, so he prefers to see more violence rather than reduce it. He is pouring gasoline on the fire.”

Former New York City Mayor and Trump's personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani, spoke before Trump took the stage.

“If Biden is elected, along with Democratic members who do not want to talk about this chaos, crime will intensify, spreading from big cities to small towns and suburbs. But if President Trump is re-elected, the damage will stop,” he said.

In addition to racial tensions, the U.S. is also dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic while attempting to reopen schools and businesses fully. COVID-19 has claimed the lives of over 180,000 Americans.

However, Trump reiterated on stage that his administration has been continuously successful, predicting that a COVID-19 vaccine will be available this year.

“And we will crush the virus together,” Trump emphasized.

The Republican National Convention on the South Lawn of the White House clearly showed no effort to maintain social distancing, with many attendees not wearing masks.

SOURCE : www.bangkokbiznews.com