2016 Presidential Campaign Blog

What They Are Saying About: Donald Trump's 2016 Republican National Convention Speech

Donald Trump and Mike Pence

What They Are Saying About: Donald Trump's 2016 Republican National Convention Speech

Donald Trump’s RNC address could mark the start of an American revival (New York Post, 7/21/16)
Donald Trump needed to give the speech of his life–he did that, and much more. He laid out an inspiring American Manifesto for our troubled times.

And he did it his way.

Not surprisingly, from start to finish, it is muscular and bold, leavened only by appeals to racial harmony and pledges of compassion for all.
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He would unleash America’s energy production, use trade deals to help blue-collar workers and fix the broken immigration system so that cheap labor doesn’t undercut wages and overwhelm our social safety net. He would insure public safety, rebuild the military and destroy global terrorism. And he forcefully and repeatedly cemented the image of the GOP as the pro-police party, a strong contrast with Democrats, who are recklessly becoming the anti-police party.

Trump laid out such a huge undertaking, sweeping in its goals and potential impacts, that achieving even half of it would lead to an economic revival and end the nation’s crisis of confidence. If he focused on just what he outlined last night, and he should, Trump would be a very busy man every minute for the next four years.

In that context, he addressed the inevitable sense that little change can come in a nation so polarized and gridlocked by reminding the raucous convention that he wasn’t even supposed to be standing before them. And in a line that captured his remarkable attack on the political status quo, he said, “The politicians have talked about this for years, but I’m going to do it.”
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He was blistering on Hillary Clinton, saying her legacy as secretary of state was “death, destruction and weakness.” Nor did he spare President Obama, accusing him of using “the pulpit of the presidency to divide us by race and color” and said he “has made America a more dangerous environment for everyone.”
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If he wins, and can deliver on his vision, remember this speech. Like Ronald Reagan’s in 1976, Trump’s 2016 address could mark the start of a desperately-needed American revival. As he said near the end, “America is back.”

Trump offers vision of unyielding leadership in a lawless, dangerous time (Washington Post, 7/21/16)
CLEVELAND — Trump’s speech proved once again that he would continue to throw out the traditional campaign rulebook that might dictate softer language and broader appeals. He offered his grim portrait of the country and a law-and-order message in the hope of summoning an army of disaffected and forgotten voters large enough to topple the political status quo in November.

Throughout this election year, it has been evident that the forces of change are in control, which puts Trump’s Democratic rival Hillary Clinton at an obvious disadvantage.
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“Every day I wake up determined to deliver for the people I have met all across this nation that have been neglected, ignored and abandoned,” he said.
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He offered himself as a singular leader uniquely equipped to lead the country through the turmoil he described. His self-portrait was not that of someone eager to join forces with Republican majorities in Congress but that of a strong, even autocratic, leader who by sheer force of personality could deliver a dramatic national turnaround.
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Running through a litany of problems in the Middle East that have happened over the past seven-plus years, Trump said of his rival: “The legacy of Hillary Clinton is death, destruction, terrorism and weakness.”
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On Thursday, Trump embraced that message in the opening minutes of his speech, asserting that this is a “moment of crisis” for the country that threatens “our very way of life.” He painted a picture of an America out of control, with rising crime in big cities, police being shot and illegal immigrants streaming across the border.
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Trump said the answer to the problems he outlined is a policy of putting America first. “Americanism, not globalism, will be our credo,” he said. Government would be run not for elites but for those left out or left behind who no longer have a voice. To them he declared, “I am your voice.”

Trump proved during the primaries that there is a sizable audience for his harsh critique of the status quo and receptivity to a candidate who pledges strength and firmness above all else. That was enough to win the nomination. His Thursday night speech significantly raised the volume on that message.

Donald Trump Accepts GOP Nomination, Promises to Fix America (Wall Street Journal, 7/21/16)
Donald Trump ended his party’s convention Thursday the way he began his history-making campaign: attacking the political establishment...

“I have joined the political arena so that the powerful can no longer beat up on people who cannot defend themselves,” the first-time politician whose populist message helped him defeat more than a dozen more experienced lawmakers and capture the Republican presidential nomination said.

The speech painted a grim view of the U.S. economy and world affairs under President Barack Obama, and Mr. Trump presented himself as uniquely equipped to lead the nation in a “moment of crisis.”

“Nobody knows the system better than me, which is why I alone can fix it,” he said.
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He intensified his attack on Mrs. Clinton, the one issue that is guaranteed to galvanize the Republican Party in November. Arguing that her tenure as secretary of state under President Barack Obama fomented instability abroad, including the expansion of Islamic State, he said, “This is the legacy of Hillary Clinton: death, destruction, terrorism and weakness.”
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“America is far less safe—and the world is far less stable—than when Obama made the decision to put Hillary Clinton in charge of America’s foreign policy,” he said, to chants of “lock her up” from the audience. “I am certain it is a decision President Barack Obama truly regrets.”
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He returned to familiar campaign themes of opposing international-trade deals and cracking down on illegal immigration. But, citing recent episodes of gun violence and attacks on police officers, he put fresh emphasis on law and order.

“Beginning on January 20th of 2017, safety will be restored,” he said. “The first task for our new administration will be to liberate our citizens from the crime and terrorism and lawlessness that threatens our communities.”

Donald Trump calls for an 'America First' approach as he accepts Republican presidential nomination (Cleveland.com, 7/21/16)
CLEVELAND, Ohio – The themes of Donald Trump's improbable takeover of the Republican Party rang loudly here Thursday as he accepted the GOP's nomination for president.

Painting a dreadful picture of affairs at home and abroad, Trump outlined an "America First" movement that would dramatically reshape the country's relationships across the globe.
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"America is a nation of believers, dreamers and strivers that is being led by a group of censors, critics and cynics," Trump said from the Republican National Convention stage at Quicken Loans Arena. "Remember: All of the people telling you you can't have the country you want, are the same people saying, 'Trump doesn't have a chance of being here tonight.' ... No longer can we rely on those elites in the media and politics who will say anything to keep a rigged system in place.

"Instead, we must choose to believe in America. History is watching us now."

Trump, introduced by his daughter Ivanka, as the "people's champion," spent considerable time on trade, his signature issue. He promised to overhaul existing pacts, such as the North American Free Trade Agreement, or NAFTA, with foreign countries.
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"Hillary Clinton's legacy does not have to be America's legacy," Trump continued. "The problems we face now – poverty and violence at home, war and destruction abroad – will last only as long as we continue relying on the same politicians who created them."

Posted by Mike on 07/22/2016 | Permalink

Donald J. Trump Republican Nomination Acceptance Speech. Transcript of Prepared Remarks. July 21, 2016. Cleveland, Ohio

Donald Trump and Mike Pence

DONALD J. TRUMP REPUBLICAN NOMINATION ACCEPTANCE SPEECH

(Cleveland, OH) July 21, 2016 - This evening, Donald J. Trump spoke at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. During his speech, Mr. Trump took strong positions on how he will Make America Safe Again, Make America Work Again, Make America First Again, and Make America One Again.

A transcript of the prepared remarks can be viewed via below:

Friends, delegates and fellow Americans: I humbly and gratefully accept your nomination for the presidency of the United States.

Who would have believed that when we started this journey on June 16th of last year we – and I say “we” because we are a team – would have received almost 14 million votes, the most in the history of the Republican Party, and that the Republican Party would get 60 percent more votes than it received four years ago. The Democrats, on the other hand, received almost 20 percent fewer votes than they got eight years ago. 1

Together, we will lead our party back to the White House, and we will lead our country back to safety, prosperity, and peace. 2 3 4

We will be a country of generosity and warmth. But we will also be a country of law and order.

Our Convention occurs at a moment of crisis for our nation. The attacks on our police, and the terrorism in our cities, threaten our very way of life. Any politician who does not grasp this danger is not fit to lead our country. 5 6 7 8 9

Americans watching this address tonight have seen the recent images of violence in our streets and the chaos in our communities. 10 11

Many have witnessed this violence personally, some have even been its victims. 12

I have a message for all of you: the crime and violence that today afflicts our nation will soon come to an end. Beginning on January 20th 2017, safety will be restored. 13 14

The most basic duty of government is to defend the lives of its own citizens. Any government that fails to do so is a government unworthy to lead. 15

It is finally time for a straightforward assessment of the state of our nation.

I will present the facts plainly and honestly.

We cannot afford to be so politically correct anymore. 16 17 18

So if you want to hear the corporate spin, the carefully-crafted lies, and the media myths—the Democrats are holding their convention next week.

But here, at our convention, there will be no lies. We will honor the American people with the truth, and nothing else.
These are the facts:

Decades of progress made in bringing down crime are now being reversed by this Administration’s rollback of criminal enforcement. 19 20 21 22

Homicides last year increased by 17% in America’s fifty largest cities. That’s the largest increase in 25 years. 23 24

In our nation’s capital, killings have risen by 50 percent. 25 26

They are up nearly 60% in nearby Baltimore. 27   In the President’s hometown of Chicago, more than 2,000 people have been the victims of shootings this year alone. And almost 4,000 have been killed in the Chicago area since he took office. 28 29 30 31 32 33 34

The number of police officers killed in the line of duty has risen by almost 50% compared to this point last year. 35 36

Nearly 180,000 illegal immigrants with criminal records, ordered deported from our country, are tonight roaming free to threaten peaceful citizens. The number of new illegal immigrant families who have crossed the border so far this year already exceeds the entire total from 2015. They are being released by the tens of thousands into our communities with no regard for the impact on public safety or resources. 37 38 39 40 41

One such border-crosser was released and made his way to Nebraska. There, he ended the life of an innocent young girl named Sarah Root. She was 21 years-old, and was killed the day after graduating from college with a 4.0 Grade Point Average. Her killer was then released a second time, and he is now a fugitive from the law. 42 43 44 45

I’ve met Sarah’s beautiful family. But to this Administration, their amazing daughter was just one more American life that wasn’t worth protecting. One more child to sacrifice on the altar of open borders. 46 47 48

What about our economy?

Again, I will tell you the plain facts that have been edited out of your nightly news and your morning newspaper:

Nearly Four in 10 African-American children are living in poverty, while 58% of African-American youth are not employed. 49 50 51

2 million more Latinos are in poverty today than when President Obama took his oath of office less than eight years ago. 52 53

Another 14 million people have left the workforce entirely. 54

Household incomes are down more than 4 thousand dollars since the year 2000 – 16 years ago. 55 56

Our trade deficit in goods reached nearly 800 billion dollars last year alone. 57 58

The budget is no better. 59 60

President Obama has almost doubled our national debt to more than 19 trillion dollars, and growing. 61

Yet, what do we have to show for it? Our roads and bridges are falling apart, our airports are in Third World condition, and forty-three million Americans are on food stamps. 62 63 64 65 66

Now let us consider the state of affairs abroad.

Not only have our citizens endured domestic disaster, but they have lived through one international humiliation after another.

We all remember the images of our sailors being forced to their knees by their Iranian captors at gunpoint. 67

This was just prior to the signing of the Iran deal, which gave back to Iran 150 billion dollars and gave us nothing – it will go down in history as one of the worst deals ever negotiated. 68 69 70 71 72

Another humiliation came when president Obama drew a red line in Syria – and the whole world knew it meant nothing. 73 74 75

In Libya, our consulate – the symbol of American prestige around the globe – was brought down in flames. 76 77

America is far less safe – and the world is far less stable – than when Obama made the decision to put Hillary Clinton in charge of America’s foreign policy. I am certain it is a decision he truly regrets. 78 79

Her bad instincts and her bad judgement – something pointed out by Bernie Sanders – are what caused so many of the disasters unfolding today. 80 81
Let’s review the record.

In 2009, pre-Hillary, ISIS was not even on the map. Libya was stable. Egypt was peaceful. Iraq was seeing a reduction in violence. Iran was being choked by sanctions. Syria was under control.

After four years of Hillary Clinton, what do we have?

ISIS has spread across the region, and the world. 82 83 84

Libya is in ruins, and our Ambassador and his staff were left helpless to die at the hands of savage killers. 85 86 87 88

Egypt was turned over to the radical Muslim brotherhood, forcing the military to retake control. 89 90

Iraq is in chaos. 91

Iran is on the path to nuclear weapons. 92 93

Syria is engulfed in a civil war and a refugee crisis that now threatens the West. 94 95 96

After fifteen years of wars in the Middle East, after trillions of dollars spent and thousands of lives lost, the situation is worse than it has ever been before. 97 98 99 100

This is the legacy of Hillary Clinton: death, destruction, terrorism and weakness. 101 102 103

But Hillary Clinton’s legacy does not have to be America’s legacy.

The problems we face now – poverty and violence at home, war and destruction abroad – will last only as long as we continue relying on the same politicians who created them. 104 105 106 107

A change in leadership is required to produce a change in outcomes.

Tonight, I will share with you my plan of action for America.

The most important difference between our plan and that of our opponents, is that our plan will put America First.

Americanism, not globalism, will be our credo.

As long as we are led by politicians who will not put America First, then we can be assured that other nations will not treat America with respect.

This will all change when I take office.

The American People will come first once again.

My plan will begin with safety at home – which means safe neighborhoods, secure borders, and protection from terrorism. There can be no prosperity without law and order.

On the economy, I will outline reforms to add millions of new jobs and trillions in new wealth that can be used to rebuild America.

A number of these reforms that I will outline tonight will be opposed by some of our nation’s most powerful special interests.

That is because these interests have rigged our political and economic system for their exclusive benefit. 108 109 110

Big business, elite media and major donors are lining up behind the campaign of my opponent because they know she will keep our rigged system in place. 111 112 113

They are throwing money at her because they have total control over everything she does.

She is their puppet, and they pull the strings.

That is why Hillary Clinton’s message is that things will never change.

My message is that things have to change – and they have to change right now.

Every day I wake up determined to deliver a better life for the people all across this nation that have been ignored, neglected and abandoned.

I have visited the laid-off factory workers, and the communities crushed by our horrible and unfair trade deals. 114 115 116

These are the forgotten men and women of our country. People who work hard but no longer have a voice. 117 118

I AM YOUR VOICE.

I have embraced crying mothers who have lost their children because our politicians put their personal agendas before the national good.

I have no patience for injustice, no tolerance for government incompetence, no sympathy for leaders who fail their citizens. 119 120

When innocent people suffer, because our political system lacks the will, or the courage, or the basic decency to enforce our laws – or worse still, has sold out to some corporate lobbyist for cash – I am not able to look the other way.

And when a Secretary of State illegally stores her emails on a private server, deletes 33,000 of them so the authorities can’t see her crime, puts our country at risk, lies about it in every different form and faces no consequence – I know that corruption has reached a level like never before. 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132

When the FBI Director says that the Secretary of State was “extremely careless” and “negligent,” in handling our classified secrets, I also know that these terms are minor compared to what she actually did. They were just used to save her from facing justice for her terrible crimes. 133

In fact, her single greatest accomplishment may be committing such an egregious crime and getting away with it – especially when others, who have done far less, have paid so dearly. 134 135

When that same Secretary of State rakes in millions of dollars trading access and favors to special interests and foreign powers I know the time for action has come. 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144

I have joined the political arena so that the powerful can no longer beat up on people who cannot defend themselves.

Nobody knows the system better than me, which is why I alone can fix it. I have seen firsthand how the system is rigged against our citizens, just like it was rigged against Bernie Sanders – he never had a chance. But his supporters will join our movement, because we will fix his biggest issue: trade deals that strip our country of its jobs and wealth. 145 146 147

Millions of Democrats will join our movement, because we are going to fix the system so it works fairly, and justly, for each and every American.

In this cause, I am proud to have at my side the next Vice President of the United States: Governor Mike Pence of Indiana.

We will bring the same economic success to America that Mike brought to Indiana. 148 149

He is a man of character and accomplishment. He is the right man for the job.

The first task for our new Administration will be to liberate our citizens from the crime and terrorism and lawlessness that threatens their communities.

America was shocked to its core when our police officers in Dallas were so brutally executed. 150 151 152

Immediately after Dallas, we have seen continued threats and violence against our law enforcement officials. 153 154

Law officers have been shot or killed in recent days in Georgia, Missouri, Wisconsin, Kansas, Michigan and Tennessee. 155 156 157 158 159 160

On Sunday, more police were gunned down in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Three were killed, and three were badly injured. 161

An attack on law enforcement is an attack on all Americans. 162 163 164

I have a message to every last person threatening the peace on our streets and the safety of our police: when I take the oath of office next year, I will restore law and order to our country. 165 166

I will work with, and appoint, the best and brightest prosecutors and law enforcement officials to get the job done.

In this race for the White House, I am the Law And Order candidate.

The irresponsible rhetoric of our President, who has used the pulpit of the presidency to divide us by race and color, has made America a more dangerous environment for everyone.

This Administration has failed America’s inner cities. It’s failed them on education. It’s failed them on jobs. It’s failed them on crime. It’s failed them in every way and on every level. 167 168

When I am President, I will work to ensure that all of our kids are treated equally, and protected equally.

Every action I take, I will ask myself: does this make life better for young Americans in Baltimore, Chicago, Detroit, Ferguson who have the same right to live out their dreams as any other child in America?

To make life safe for all our citizens, we must also address the growing threats we face from outside the country: we are going to defeat the barbarians of ISIS. 169

Once again, France is the victim of brutal Islamic terrorism. Men, women and children viciously mowed down. Lives ruined. Families ripped apart. A nation in mourning. 170 171 172 173

The damage and devastation that can be inflicted by Islamic radicals has been proven over and over – at the World Trade Center, at an office party in San Bernardino, at the Boston Marathon, at a military recruiting center in Chattanooga, and many more. 174 175 176 177

Only weeks ago, in Orlando, Florida, 49 wonderful Americans were savagely murdered by an Islamic terrorist. This time, the terrorist targeted our LGBTQ community. 178 179

As your President, I will do everything in my power to protect our LGBTQ citizens from the violence and oppression of a hateful foreign ideology.

To protect us from terrorism, we need to focus on three things.

We must have the best intelligence-gathering operation in the world.

We must abandon the failed policy of nation-building and regime change that Hillary Clinton pushed in Iraq, Libya, Egypt and Syria. Instead, we must work with all of our allies who share our goal of destroying ISIS and stamping out Islamic terror. This includes working with our greatest ally in the region, the State of Israel. 180 181 182 183

Recently I have said that NATO was obsolete, because it did not properly cover terror, and also, that many of the member countries were not paying their fair share. As usual, the United States has been picking up the cost. 184

Shortly thereafter, it was announced that NATO will be setting up a new program in order to combat terrorism -- a true step in the right direction. 185

Lastly, we must immediately suspend immigration from any nation that has been compromised by terrorism until such time as proven vetting mechanisms have been put in place. 186 187 188

My opponent has called for a radical 550% increase in Syrian refugees on top of existing massive refugee flows coming into our country under President Obama. She proposes this despite the fact that there’s no way to screen these refugees in order to find out who they are or where they come from. 189 190 191 192

I only want to admit individuals into our country who will support our values and love our people. Anyone who endorses violence, hatred or oppression is not welcome in our country and never will be.

Decades of record immigration have produced lower wages and higher unemployment for our citizens, especially for African-American and Latino workers. 193 194 195 196 197

We are going to have an immigration system that works, but one that works for the American people.

On Monday, we heard from three parents whose children were killed by illegal immigrants—Mary Ann Mendoza, Sabine Durden, and Jamiel Shaw. 198

They are just three brave representatives of many thousands who have suffered so gravely.

Of all my travels in this country, nothing has affected me more deeply than the time I have spent with the mothers and fathers who have lost their children to violence spilling across our border. 199 200

These families have no special interests to represent them.

There are no demonstrators to protest on their behalf.

My opponent will never meet with them, or share in their pain.

Instead, my opponent wants Sanctuary Cities. 201 202

But where was the sanctuary for Kate Steinle? 203

Where was the Sanctuary for the children of Mary Ann, Sabine and Jamiel?

Where was the Sanctuary for all the other Americans who have been so brutally murdered, and who have suffered so horribly?

These wounded American families have been alone.

But they are alone no longer.

Tonight, this candidate and the whole nation stand in their corner to support them, to send them our love, and to pledge in their honor that we will save countless more families from suffering the same awful fate.

We are going to build a great border wall to stop illegal immigration, to stop the gangs and the violence, and to stop the drugs from pouring into our communities. 204 205 206

I have been honored to receive the endorsement of America’s Border Patrol Agents, and will work directly with them to protect the integrity of our lawful immigration system. 207 208

By ending catch-and-release on the border, we will end the cycle of human smuggling and violence. Illegal border crossings will go down. Peace will be restored. 209 210

By enforcing the rules for the millions who overstay their visas, our laws will finally receive the respect they deserve. 211 212

Tonight, I want every American whose demands for immigration security have been denied – and every politician who has denied them – to listen very closely to the words am about to say.

On January 20th of 2017, the day I take the oath of office, Americans will finally wake up in a country where the laws of the United States are enforced.

We are going to be considerate and compassionate to everyone. But my greatest compassion will be for our own struggling citizens.

My plan is the exact opposite of the radical and dangerous immigration policy of Hillary Clinton. 213

Americans want relief from uncontrolled immigration. Communities want relief. Yet Hillary Clinton is proposing mass amnesty, mass immigration, and mass lawlessness. 214 215 216

Her plan will overwhelm your schools and hospitals, further reduce your jobs and wages, and make it harder for recent immigrants to escape from poverty and join the middle class.

I have a different vision for our workers.

It begins with a new, fair trade policy that protects our jobs and stands up to countries that cheat.

It’s been a signature message of my campaign from day one, and it will be a signature feature of my presidency from the moment I take the oath of office. 217

I have made billions of dollars in business making deals – now I’m going to make our country rich again. 218

I am going to turn our bad trade agreements into great trade agreements.

America has lost nearly one-third of its manufacturing jobs since 1997, following the enactment of disastrous trade deals supported by Bill and Hillary Clinton. 219 220

Remember, it was Bill Clinton who signed NAFTA, one of the worst economic deals ever made by our country. 221 222 223

Never again.

I am going to bring back our jobs to Ohio, and Pennsylvania, and New York, and Michigan and to all of America – and I am not going to let companies move to other countries, firing their employees along the way, without consequence. 224 225 226

My opponent, on the other hand, has supported virtually every trade agreement that has been destroying our middle class. 227 228 229 230 231

She supported NAFTA, and she supported China’s entrance into the World

Trade Organization – another one of her husband’s colossal mistakes. 232 233 234 235 236

She supported the job-killing trade deal with South Korea. 237 238 239 240

She has supported the Trans-Pacific Partnership – which will not only destroy our manufacturing, but it will make America subject to the rulings of foreign governments. 241 242 243 244 245

I pledge to never sign any trade agreement that hurts our workers, or that diminishes our freedom and independence.

Instead, I will make individual deals with individual countries. No longer will we enter into these massive transactions, with many countries, that are thousands of pages long – and which no one from our country even reads or understands. 246

We are going to enforce all trade violations against any country that cheats.

This includes stopping China’s outrageous theft of intellectual property, along with their illegal product dumping, and their devastating currency manipulation. 247 248 249

Our horrible trade agreements with China, and many others, will be totally renegotiated.

That includes renegotiating NAFTA to get a much better deal for America – and we’ll walk away if we don’t get the deal that we want. 250

Our country is going to start building and making things again.

Next comes the reform of our tax laws, regulations and energy rules.

While Hillary Clinton plans a massive tax increase, I have proposed the largest tax reduction of any candidate who has run for president this year – Democrat or Republican. 251 252 253

Middle-income Americans and businesses will experience profound relief, and taxes will be greatly simplified for everyone.

America is one of the highest-taxed nations in the world. Reducing taxes will cause new companies and new jobs to come roaring back into our country. 254 255

Then we are going to deal with the issue of regulation, one of the greatest job-killers of them all. Excessive regulation is costing our country as much as 2 trillion dollars a year, and we will end it. 256 257

We are going to lift the restrictions on the production of American energy.

This will produce more than 20 trillion dollars in job-creating economic activity over the next four decades. 258 259

My opponent, on the other hand, wants to put the great miners and steel workers of our country out of work – that will never happen when I am President. 260

With these new economic policies, trillions of dollars will start flowing into our country. 261 262

This new wealth will improve the quality of life for all Americans.

We will build the roads, highways, bridges, tunnels, airports, and the railways of tomorrow. This, in turn, will create millions more jobs.

We will rescue kids from failing schools by helping their parents send them to a safe school of their choice.

My opponent would rather protect bureaucrats than serve American children.

We will repeal and replace disastrous Obamacare. You will be able to choose your own doctor again. 263 264 265 266

And we will fix TSA at the airports!

We're going to work with all of our students who are drowning in debt to take the pressure off these young people just starting out their adult lives.

We will completely rebuild our depleted military, and the countries that we are protecting, at a massive cost to us, will be asked to pay their fair share. 267 268 269

We will take care of our great Veterans like they have never been taken care of before. My just-released Ten Point Plan has received tremendous veteran support. We will guarantee those who serve this country will be able to visit the doctor or hospital of their choice. My opponent dismissed the VA scandal – one more sign of how out of touch she really is. 270 271 272 273 274

We are going to ask every Department Head in government to provide a list of wasteful spending projects that we can eliminate in my first 100 days. The politicians have talked about it, I’m going to do it.

We are also going to appoint justices to the United States Supreme Court who will uphold our laws and our Constitution. 275   The replacement of our beloved Justice Scalia will be a person of similar views, principles, and judicial philosophy. This will be one of the most important issues decided by this election.

My opponent wants to essentially abolish the 2nd amendment. I, on the other hand, received the early and strong endorsement of the National Rifle Association and will protect the right of all Americans to keep their families safe. 276 277 278

At this moment, I would like to thank the evangelical and religious community in general who have been so good to me and so supportive. You have much to contribute to our politics, yet our laws prevent you from speaking your minds from your own pulpits. 279

An amendment, pushed by Lyndon Johnson, many years ago, threatens religious institutions with a loss of their tax-exempt status if they openly advocate their political views. I am going to work very hard to repeal that language and protect free speech for all Americans. 280

We can accomplish these great things, and so much more – all we need to do is start believing in ourselves and in our country again. 281

It is time to show the whole world that America Is Back – bigger, and better and stronger than ever before.

In this journey, I'm so lucky to have at my side my wife Melania and my wonderful children, Don, Ivanka, Eric, Tiffany, and Barron: you will always be my greatest source of pride and joy.

My Dad, Fred Trump, was the smartest and hardest working man I ever knew.

I wonder sometimes what he’d say if he were here to see this tonight.

It’s because of him that I learned, from my youngest age, to respect the dignity of work and the dignity of working people. He was a guy most comfortable in the company of bricklayers, carpenters, and electricians and I have a lot of that in me also.

Then there’s my mother, Mary. She was strong, but also warm and fairminded. She was a truly great mother. She was also one of the most honest and charitable people have ever known, and a great judge of character.

To my sisters Mary Anne and Elizabeth, my brother Robert and my late brother Fred, I will always give you my love—you are most special to me.

I have had a truly great life in business.

But now, my sole and exclusive mission is to go to work for our country – to go to work for you.

It’s time to deliver a victory for the American people.

But to do that, we must break free from the petty politics of the past.

America is a nation of believers, dreamers, and strivers that is being led by a group of censors, critics, and cynics.

Remember: all of the people telling you that you can’t have the country you want, are the same people telling you that I wouldn’t be standing here tonight.

No longer can we rely on those same people in the media, and politics, who will say anything to keep a rigged system in place.

Instead, we must choose to Believe In America.

History is watching us now. It’s waiting to see if we will rise to the occasion, and if we will show the whole world that America is still free and independent and strong.

I'm asking for your support tonight so that I can be your champion in the White House.

My opponent asks her supporters to recite a three-word loyalty pledge. It reads: “I’m With Her”. 282

I choose to recite a different pledge.

My pledge reads: “I’M WITH YOU – THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.”

I am your voice.

So to every parent who dreams for their child, and every child who dreams for their future, I say these words to you tonight:

I’m with you, I will fight for you, and I will win for you.

To all Americans tonight, in all of our cities and in all of our towns, I make this promise:

We Will Make America Strong Again.

We Will Make America Proud Again.

We Will Make America Safe Again.

And We Will Make America Great Again.

God bless You And Good Night.

**END**

1 (Jim Hoft, “Stunning Final Analysis=> GOP Primary Turnout Up 62% This Year – Dem Primary Turnout Down 21% This Year,” The Gateway Pundit, 7/4/16) 2 (Karla Bowsher, “U.S. Is No Longer Among the 10 Most Prosperous Countries,” Yahoo, 11/6/15) 3 (Katy Barnato, “Safety And Security Fears Hit US Prosperity: Report,” CNBC, 11/2/15) 4 (Terry Miller, “U.S. Economic Freedom Continues to Fade,” The Wall Street Journal, 1/31/16) 5 (Judson Berger, “Anatomy Of The Terror Threat: Files Show Hundreds Of US Plots, Refugee Connection,” FOX News, 6/22/16) 6 (Steve Nesius, “Orlando Nightclub Shooting Victims' Names Released,” CBS News, 6/12/16) 7 (Oren Dorell, “2016 Already Marred By Nearly Daily Terror Attacks,” USA Today, 7/15/16) 8 (Jeffrey M. Jones and Joseph Carroll, “Impact of Terrorism on the Daily Lives of Americans,” Gallup, 10/31/01) 9 (Peter Bergen, “Dallas: An Act Of Domestic Terrorism,” CNN, 7/8/16) 10 (Mark Berman, “‘We Have A Problem.’ Homicides Are Up Again This Year In More Than Two Dozen Major U.S. Cities.,” The Washington Post, 5/14/16) 11 (F. Brinley Bruton, Alexander Smith, Elizabeth Chuck, And Phil Helsel, “Dallas Police 'Ambush': 12 Officers Shot, 5 Killed During Protest,” NBC News, 7/8/16)

12 (Ian Lovett, “American Student, Nicolas Leslie, Died in Attack in Nice, France,” The New York Times, 7/18/16) 13 (Alyssa Davis, “In U.S., Concern About Crime Climbs to 15-Year High,” Gallup, 4/6/16) 14 (Eric Lichtblau and Monica Davey, “Homicide Rates Jump in Many Major U.S. Cities, New Data Shows,” The New York Times, 5/13/16) 15 (Jim Talent, “A Constitutional Basis for Defense,” Heritage, 6/1/10) 16 (“Lawmaker: Report Shows FBI Ignored Accused Fort Hood Shooter Nidal Hasan Out Of Political Correctness,” CBS News, 7/19/12) 17 (K.T. McFarland, “After San Bernardino: How Political Correctness Could Get Us All Killed,” FOX News, 12/4/15) 18 (Douglas Ernst, “DHS Report Before Orlando Massacre: Don’t Offend Muslims While Combating Extremism,” The Washington Times, 6/14/16)

19 (Eric Lichtblau and Monica Davey, “Homicide Rates Jump in Many Major U.S. Cities, New Data Shows,” The New York Times, 5/13/16) 20 (Monica Davey and Mitch Smith, “Murder Rates Rising Sharply in Many U.S. Cities,” The New York Times, 8/31/15) 21 (Mark Berman, “‘We Have A Problem.’ Homicides Are Up Again This Year In More Than Two Dozen Major U.S. Cities.,” The Washington Post, 5/14/16) 22 (Andrea Noble, “Police Grasp For Answers As Homicides, Violent Crimes Spike In U.S. Cities,” The Washington Times, 5/15/16) 23 (Niall McCarthy, “America's Major Cities Saw An Increase In Homicides Last Year,” Forbes, 1/28/16) 24 (Max Ehrenfreund and Denise Lu, “More People Were Murdered Last Year Than In 2014, And No One’s Sure Why,” The Washington Post, 1/27/16) 25 (“District Crime Data at a Glance,” D.C. Metropolitan Police Department, Accessed 7/19/16) 26 (Max Ehrenfreund and Denise Lu, “More People Were Murdered Last Year Than In 2014, And No One’s Sure Why,” The Washington Post, 1/27/16) 27 (Jess Bidgood, “The Numbers Behind Baltimore's Record Year in Homicides,” The New York Times, 1/15/16) 28 (“Chicago Shooting Victims,” Chicago Tribune, Accessed 7/19/16) 29 (“Index Crime Offenses/Crime Rate Comparison 2015/2014,” Crime in Illinois 2015, Accessed 7/20/16) 30 (“Index Crime Offenses/Crime Rate Comparison 2014/2013,” Crime in Illinois 2014, Accessed 7/20/16) 31 (“Index Crime Offenses/Crime Rate Comparison 2013/2012,” Crime in Illinois 2013, Accessed 7/20/16) 32 (“Index Crime Offenses/Crime Rate Comparison 2012/2011,” Crime in Illinois 2012, Accessed 7/20/16) 33 (“Index Crime Offenses/Crime Rate Comparison 2011/2010,” Crime in Illinois 2011, Accessed 7/20/16) 34 (“Chicago Police Department Crime Index Offenses 2005-2009,” Crime in Illinois 2009, Accessed 7/20/16) 35 (Gregg Zoroya, “26 Police Killed So Far In 2016, Up 44% From 2015,” USA Today, 7/9/16) 36 (Max Kutner, “Number Of Fatal Shootings Of Police Officers Is Up 44 Percent,” Newsweek, 7/8/16)

37 (Jessica Vaughan, “The Non-Departed: 925,000 Aliens Ordered Removed Are Still Here,” Center for Immigration Studies, 6/30/16) 38 (Stephen Dinan, “Illegal Border Crossings Of Families This Year Already Surpasses All Of 2015,” The Washington Times, 6/17/16) 39 (“FOIA Request by FAIR Reveals ICE Low-Balled the Number of Offenses Committed by Criminal Aliens It Released,” Federation For American Immigration Reform, 6/16/16) 40 (Mark Krikorian, “Declining Deportations and Increasing Criminal Alien Releases,” Subcommittee on Immigration and the National Interest, 5/19/16) 41 (Michael Patrick Leahy, “Eleven Refugees Diagnosed with Active Tuberculosis Around Akron, Ohio,” Breitbart, 7/19/16) 42 (Sarah R. Saldana, “U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Response Letter,” Office of Senator Ben Sasse, 3/31/16) 43 (Kathy A. Bolten, “Who's To Blame For Fugitive Illegal Immigrant?,” The Des Moines Register, 4/17/16) 44 (Senator Joni Ernst, “Senator Ernst Honors Life of Sarah Root, Demands Answers Over Failure to Detain Illegal Immigrant,” Office of Senator Joni Ernst, 4/18/16) 45 (“Illegal Immigrant Goes Free After Fatal DUI Crash, May Now Be in Honduras,” FOX News, 4/11/16) 46 (Alia Conley, “'You Had A Horrible Killing Here In Omaha': After Trump's Speech, Sarah Root’s Mother Meets With Him, Says He Has Her Vote,” Omaha World-Herald, 5/7/16) 47 (Kim Palmer, “Ohio Judge Sentences Mexican Man To Life In Prison For Rape, Murder,” Reuters, 4/27/16) 48 (Eliott C. McLaughlin, “Police Chief Blames Immigration, Crime Policies In Murder Of California Woman,” CNN, 8/10/15)

49 (Carmen DeNavas-Walt and Bernadette D. Proctor, “Income and Poverty in the United States: 2014,” U.S. Census Bureau, 9/15) 50 (Eileen Patten And Jens Manuel Krogstad, “Black Child Poverty Rate Holds Steady, Even As Other Groups See Declines,” Pew Research, 7/14/15) 51 (Employment Status Of The Civilian Noninstitutional Population By Age, Sex, And Race, Bureau of Labor Statistics, 9/15) 52 (“Income, Poverty, And Health Insurance Coverage In The United States: 2008,” U.S. Census Bureau, 9/09) 53 (“Income And Poverty In The United States: 2014,” U.S. Census Bureau, 9/15) 54 (Susan Jones, “Record 94,708,000 Americans Not in Labor Force; Participation Rate Drops in May,” CNS News, 6/3/16) 55 (“Real Median Household Income in the United States,” Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Accessed 7/19/16) 56 (Drew DeSilver, “For Most Workers, Real Wages Have Barely Budged For Decades,” Pew Research Center, 10/19/14) 57 (“U.S. Trade In Goods And Services, 1992-Present,” U.S. Census Bureau, 7/6/16) 58 (“U.S. International Trade In Goods And Services,” U.S. Census Bureau, 7/6/16) 59 (“The 2009 Long-Term Budget Outlook,” Congressional Budget Office, 6/09) 60 (“The 2016 Long-Term Budget Outlook,” Congressional Budget Office, 7/16) 61 (“The Daily History Of The Debt Results,” TreasuryDirect, Accessed 7/19/16)

62 (John W. Schoen, “Bad Roads, Bridges Could Pare $4T From GDP In A Decade,” CNBC, 5/12/16) 63 (Bart Jansen, “Study: 58,000 U.S. Bridges Found To Be 'Structurally Deficient',” USA Today, 2/18/16) 64 (“Joe Biden Says LaGuardia Airport Like a ‘Third World Country’,” NBC New York, 2/6/14) 65 (Rene Marsh, “How U.S. Airports Lag Behind The Rest Of The World,” WWLP, 5/28/16) 66 (“Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program: Number Of Persons Participating,” USDA Food and Nutrition Service, Accessed 7/19/16) 67 (Barbara Starr, Jim Sciutto, Jim Acosta, Stephen Collinson and Tom LoBianco, “10 U.S. Sailors In Iranian Custody,” CNN, 1/12/16) 68 (Implementation Day, “The Historic Deal that Will Prevent Iran from Acquiring a Nuclear Weapon,” The White House, 1/16/16) 69 (“The U.S. Response To Iran’s Cheating Is A Worrying Omen,” The Washington Post, 7/6/15) 70 (Elise Labott, “John Kerry: Some Sanctions Relief Money For Iran Will Go To Terrorism,” CNN, 1/21/16) 71 (Jay Solomon and Laura Meckler, “Hillary Clinton Opened Door to Key U.S. Shift Toward Iran Nuclear Deal,” The Wall Street Journal, 9/8/15) 72 (Isabel Kershner, “Iran Deal Denounced by Netanyahu as ‘Historic Mistake’,” The New York Times, 7/14/15) 73 (“Syrian Attack Should Prompt U.S. Investigation Into Chemical Weapons,” The Washington Post, 8/21/13) 74 (Fred Hiatt, Op-Ed, “Obama’s Foreign Policy Reveals The Effects Of Disengagement,” The Washington Post, 7/27/14) 75 (Ben Wolfgang, “Obama ‘Red Line’ Erased As Bashar Assad’s Chemical Weapons Use Goes Unchecked By U.S. Military,” The Washington Times, 5/17/15) 76 (David D. Kirkpatrick and Steven Lee Myers, “Libya Attack Brings Challenges for U.S.,” The New York Times, 9/12/12) 77 (Sarah Aarthun, “4 Hours Of Fire And Chaos: How The Benghazi Attack Unfolded,” CNN, 9/13/12)

78 (Scott Wilson, “Obama Makes Surprise Visit To Afghanistan,” The Washington Post, 5/25/14) 79 (Jo Becker and Scott Shane, “Hillary Clinton, ‘Smart Power’ and a Dictator’s Fall,” The New York Times, 2/27/16) 80 (Danny Freeman, “Sanders on Clinton: 'In Terms of Her Judgment, Something Is Clearly Lacking',” NBC News, 4/10/16) 81 (“State of the Union Transcript,” CNN, 6/5/16) 82 (“CIA Director Grave Warning: ISIS Dangerous As Ever,” CNN, 6/16/16) 83 (Nicole Gaouette, “U.S. General: Number Of ISIS Fighters In Libya Doubles,” CNN, 4/8/16) 84 (Paul Bedard, “Security Committee Chair: Hillary, Obama To Blame For ISIS,” Washington Examiner, 12/9/15) 85 (David D. Kirkpatrick and Steven Lee Myers, “Libya Attack Brings Challenges For U.S.,” The New York Times, 9/12/12) 86 (Nancy A. Youssef, “Hillary’s Libya Post-War Plan Was ‘Play It By Ear,’ Gates Says,” The Daily Beast, 10/20/15) 87 (Oren Dorell, “Democrats Join GOP To Blame State In Benghazi,” USA Today, 1/15/14) 88 (Josh Lederman and Kathleen Hennessey, “White House: Blame To Share For Failed Libya Aftermath,” Associated Press, 4/11/16) 89 (Matt Bradley and Reem Abdellatif, "Egyptian Military Ousts President Morsi," The Wall Street Journal, 7/4/13) 90 (Jeffrey Fleishman, "In Egypt, Hillary Clinton Offers Support For Islamist President," LA Times, 7/15/12)

91 (Tim Arango, “Days of Chaos in Baghdad: Protest or Meltdown?,” The New York Times, 5/2/16) 92 (George Jahn, “AP Exclusive: Document Shows Less Limits On Iran Nuke Work,” Associated Press, 7/18/16) 93 (Nasser Karimi, “Iran's FM Extolls Country's Ability To Restore Nuke Program,” Associated Press, 7/19/16) 94 (“Mr. Obama Stands By Silently As Russia Continues Its Onslaught In Syria,” The Washington Post, 2/9/16) 95 (Hugh Naylor, “Death By Siege In Syria’s Civil War: Hundreds Of Thousands At Risk,” The Washington Post, 1/23/16) 96 (AFP, "Kerry: Refugee Crisis ‘A Near Existential’ Threat To Europe,” The Times of Israel, 2/13/16) 97 (Tom Bowman, “After 15 Years, The State Of The War In Afghanistan,” NPR, 7/5/16) 98 (Daniel Trotta, “Iraq War Costs U.S. More Than $2 Trillion: Study,” Reuters, 3/14/13) 99 (“Conflict Casualties,” Defense Manpower Data Center, Accessed 7/20/16) 100 (Michael Schmidt and Eric Schmitt, “Leaving Iraq, U.S. Fears New Surge Of Qaeda Terror,” The New York Times, 11/5/11) 101 (Holly Yan, “How Did This Happen? Iraq, Syria, Gaza And Libya All In Flames,” CNN, 7/16/14) 102 (Lucy Madison, “Hillary Clinton On Benghazi: ‘I Do Feel Responsible’,” CBS News, 1/23/13) 103 (Scott Shane and Jo Becker, “A New Libya, With ‘Very Little Time Left’,” The New York Times, 2/27/16) 104 (“Income, Poverty, And Health Insurance Coverage In The United States: 2008,” U.S. Census Bureau, 9/09) 105 (“Income And Poverty In The United States: 2014,” U.S. Census Bureau, 9/15) 106 (Carmen DeNavas-Walt and Bernadette D. Proctor, “Income and Poverty in the United States: 2014,” U.S. Census Bureau, 9/15) 107 (Niall McCarthy, “America's Major Cities Saw An Increase In Homicides Last Year,” Forbes, 1/28/16)

108 (Gabriel Debenedetti, “Clinton Donors Disagree on Whether It’s Time To Worry,” Politico, 1/22/16) 109 (Matea Gold, Tom Hamburger and Anu Narayanswamy, “Two Clintons. 41 Years. $3 Billion.,” The Washington Post, 11/19/15) 110 (Heather Long, “71% Of Americans Believe Economy Is 'Rigged',” CNN Money, 6/28/16) 111 (Josh Gerstein, Tarini Parti, Hadas Gold and Dylan Byers, “Clinton Foundation Donors Include Dozens Of Media Organizations, Individuals,” Politico, 5/15/15) 112 (Philip Rucker, Tom Hamburger And Alexander Becker, “How The Clintons Went From ‘Dead Broke’ To Rich: Bill Earned $104.9 Million For Speeches,” The Washington Post, 6/26/14) 113 (Maggie Haberman And Steve Eder, “Clintons Earned $30 Million In 16 Months, Report Shows,” The New York Times, 5/15/15)

114 (Kathleen Ronayne and Jill Colvin, “Trump Talks Trade At Shuttered NH Factory,” Associated Press, 6/30/16) 115 (Meg Bernhard, “In N.H., Donald Trump Takes Aim At US Trade Deals,” Boston Globe, 7/1/16) 116 (Robert E. Scott, “Manufacturing Job Loss,” Economic Policy Institute, 8/11/15) 117 (Alyssa Davis, “U.S. Economic Confidence Stuck at Lower Level,” Gallup, 7/19/16) 118 (Tami Luhby, “Middle Class No Longer Dominates In The U.S.,” CNN Money, 12/9/15) 119 (Karen DeYoung, “State Department Inspector General Issues Alert Over $6 Billion In Contracting Money,” The Washington Post, 4/3/14) 120 (Adam Kredo, “State Dept. misplaced $6B under Hillary Clinton: IG report,” The Washington Times, 4/4/14)

121 (“Statement By FBI Director James B. Comey On The Investigation Of Secretary Hillary Clinton’s Use Of A Personal E-Mail System,” Federal Bureau Of Investigation, 7/5/16) 122 (Stephen Braun And Jack Gillum, “AP Fact Check: Clinton Email Claims Collapse Under FBI Probe,” AP, 7/5/16) 123 (Joel B. Pollak, “Two More Ways Hillary Clinton Committed Perjury At Benghazi Committee,” Breitbart, 7/6/16) 124 (“FBI Director Debunks Another Clinton Lie,” GOP, 7/7/16) 125 (“Clinton's Top Five Email Lies,” GOP, 7/5/16) 126 (Melanie Hunter, “FBI Director: 'It Is Possible Hostile Actors Gained Access to Secretary Clinton's Personal Email Account,” CNS News, 7/5/16) 127 (Steven Lee Myers, “F.B.I. Findings Damage Many of Hillary Clinton’s Claim.,” The New York Times, 7/5/16) 128 (Rachael Bade And Josh Gerstein, “Clinton Expressed Worries About Exposure Of Personal Emails At State Dept.,” Politico, 5/25/16) 129 (Julian Hattem, “FBI Didn’t Record Clinton Interview, Did Not Administer Sworn Oath,” The Hill, 7/7/16) 130 (“Hillary Clinton Email Investigation, Part 1,” C-SPAN, 7/7/16) 131 (Dan Berman, Evan Perez and Pamela Brown, “Clinton Questioned By FBI As Part Of Email Probe,” CNN, 7/3/16) 132 (Paula Reid and Hanna Fraser-Chanpong, “Report: FBI Pulls Deleted Emails From Hillary Clinton's Server,” CBS News, 9/22/15) 133 (“Statement By FBI Director James B. Comey On The Investigation Of Secretary Hillary Clinton’s Use Of A Personal E-Mail System,” Federal Bureau Of Investigation, 7/5/16) 134 (Kelley Beaucar Vlahos, “Ex-Officials Prosecuted For Mishandling Gov’t Info See ‘Double Standard’ In Clinton Case,” FOX News, 8/17/15) 135 (Ari Melber, Brad Gold, Marti Hause and Jonathan Berger, “How Hillary Clinton's Email Case Compares to Similar FBI Probes,” NBC News, 7/6/16)

136 (Ken Silverstein, “Shaky Foundations,” Harper's Magazine, 11/18/15) 137 (“Why The Clinton Foundation Is So Controversial,” The Economist, 2/7/16) 138 (Matthew Mosk, Brian Ross and Cho Park, “How Clinton Donor Got On Sensitive Intelligence Board,” ABC News, 6/10/16) 139 (Sarah Westwood, “Clinton Aides Rushed Top Secret Clearance For Foundation Donor,” The Washington Examiner, 6/16/16) 140 (Peter Baker and Charlie Savage, “In Clinton List, A Veil Is Lifted On Foundation,” The New York Times, 12/18/08) 141 (Fredreka Schouten, “Bill Clinton Discloses Foundation Donors,” USA Today, 12/18/08) 142 (“Clinton Thanks Amar Singh,” The Indian Express, 1/7/11) 143 (Jo Becker and Mike McIntire, “Cash Flowed To Clinton Foundation As Russians Pressed For Control Of Uranium Company,” The New York Times, 4/23/15) 144 (James Grimaldi and Rebecca Ballhaus, “Speaking Fees Meet Politics For Clintons,” The Wall Street Journal, 12/30/15) 145 (Pam Fessler, “NPR: Bernie Sanders And Donald Trump Say The Voting System Is Rigged, Is It?,” NPR, 6/14/16) 146 (Meghan Keneally and Ryan Struyk, ” Breaking Down the Numbers Behind Bernie Sanders' 'Very Steep' Path to Contested Convention,” ABC News, 5/2/16) 147 (David Weigel, “Democratic Superdelegates: The Villains Of A ‘Rigged’ System, According To Sanders’s Supporters,” The Washington Post, 6/7/16) 148 (Eric Morath, “Mike Pence, Donald Trump’s VP Pick, Can Tout Job Gains and Economic Growth in Indiana,” The Wall Street Journal, 7/16/16) 149 (Travis H. Brown, “Pence's Playbook Nets Over 100,000 Jobs In Indiana,” Forbes, 7/26/14)

150 (Adrian Sainz And Steve Megargee, ““Authorities: Highway Gunman Motivated By Police Shootings,” Associated Press, 7/9/16) 151 (F. Brinley Bruton, Alexander Smith, Elizabeth Chuck, And Phil Helsel, “Dallas Police 'Ambush': 12 Officers Shot, 5 Killed During Protest,” NBC News, 7/8/16) 152 (Jason Lange, “Three Countries Urge Caution Traveling To U.S. Amid Protests, Violence,” Reuters, 7/10/16) 153 (Lisa Marie Pane, “Attacks On Police: Inspired Or Directed By Militant Groups?,” Associated Press, 7/10/16) 154 (Greg Schreier, “Police Agencies On Edge, On Guard Amid Heightened Threats,” Associated Press, 7/10/16) 155 (Gary Fineout and Kate Brumback, “Authorities: 911 Caller Ambushed, Shot Officer In Georgia,” Associated Press, 7/8/16) 156 (Jim Salter, “Police Chief: Missouri Officer Shot in the Neck Is Paralyzed,” ABC News, 7/18/16) 157 (“Wisconsin Police Officer Recovering After Shooting,” CBS News, 7/18/16) 158 (Steve Almasy and Sara Weisfeldt, “Police Officer Shot And Killed In Kansas City, Kansas,” CNN, 7/19/16) 159 (Ralph Ellis, “Michigan Shooting: Inmate Kills 2 Bailiffs, Sheriff Says,” CNN, 7/12/16) 160 (“Authorities: Tennessee Highway Gunman Motivated By Police Shootings,” Chicago Tribune, 7/8/16) 161 (“3 Officers Dead, Four Wounded In Ambush In Baton Rouge,” Associated Press, 7/17/16) 162 (F. Brinley Bruton, Alexander Smith, Elizabeth Chuck, And Phil Helsel “Dallas Police 'Ambush': 12 Officers Shot, 5 Killed During Protest,” NBC News, 7/8/16) 163 (Jason Lange, “Three Countries Urge Caution Traveling To U.S. Amid Protests, Violence,” Reuters, 7/10/16) 164 (Adrian Sainz And Steve Megargee, “Authorities: Highway Gunman Motivated By Police Shootings,” Associated Press, 7/9/16)

165 (“Protests Against Police Violence Continue For 4th Night Across U.S.,” CBS News, 7/10/16) 166 (Matt Sedensky and Sharon Cohen, “'America Is Weeping': Taking Stock After 3 Days Of Tragedy,” Associated Press, 7/8/16) 167 (Aamer Madhani, “Chicago's Murder Rate Soars 72% In 2016; Shootings Up More Than 88%,” USA Today, 4/1/16) 168 (Kevin Rector And Justin Fenton, “Per Capita, Baltimore Reaches Its Highest Ever Homicide Rate,” The Baltimore Sun, 11/17/15) 169 (Chelsea J. Carter, “Video Shows ISIS Beheading U.S. Journalist James Foley,” CNN, 8/20/14)

170 (“Hollande: 'France Is Under the Threat of Islamic Terrorism',” FOX News, 7/14/16) 171 (Angela Dewan, Jason Hanna and Euan McKirdy, “Attack In Nice: Truck Driver Identified As 31-Year-Old Tunisia Native,” CNN, 7/16/16) 172 (“Driver In Nice Truck Attack Researched Route Ahead Of Massacre,” FOX News, 7/17/16) 173 (Benoit Morenne, “France Observes First National Day of Mourning,” The New York Times, 7/16/16) 174 (Hayley Tsukayama, Mark Berman and Jerry Markon, “Gunman Who Killed 49 In Orlando Nightclub Had Pledged Allegiance To ISIS,” The Washington Post, 6/13/16) 175 (Michael Cooper, Michael S. Schmidt and Eric Schmitt, “Boston Suspects Are Seen as Self-Taught and Fueled by Web,” The New York Times, 4/23/13) 176 (Kristina Sgueglia, “Chattanooga Shootings 'Inspired' By Terrorists, FBI Chief Says,” CNN, 12/16/15) 177 (“Chattanooga Shooting A 'Terror Attack,' FBI Director James Comey Says,” FOX News, 12/16/15) 178 (Ralph Ellis, Ashley Fantz, Faith Karimi and Eliott C. McLaughlin, “Orlando Shooting: 49 Killed, Shooter Pledged ISIS Allegiance,” CNN, 6/13/16) 179 (Laura J. Nelson, Hailey Branson-Potts and Brittny Mejia, “In A Month Of Pride, The Gay Community Becomes A Target Of Terror,” Los Angeles Times, 6/12/16) 180 (Hillary Clinton, “Clinton Defends Her Iraq War Vote,” MSNBC Hardball with Chris Matthews, 3/14/16) 181 (Secretary Hillary Clinton, Remarks At The State Department Treaty Room, Washington, DC, 8/18/11) 182 (Reena Ninan, “Secretary Clinton Says Syrian President Assad 'Must Go',” ABC News, 4/1/12) 183 (Secretary Hillary Clinton, Remarks At The State Department Treaty Room, Washington, DC, 8/18/11)

184 (Ivana Kottasova, “These NATO Countries Are Not Spending Their Fair Share On Defense,” CNN Money, 7/8/16) 185 (Julian E. Barnes, “NATO Moving to Create New Intelligence Chief Post,” The Wall Street Journal, 6/3/16) 186 (Melanie Hunter, “FBI Director Admits U.S. Will Have No Basis to Vet Some Syrian Refugees,” CNS News, 10/21/15) 187 (“USCIS Official Admits: No Syrian Database We Can Check,” Refugee Resettlement Testimony, 8/6/15) 188 (Homeland Security Committee, “Syrian Refugee Flows,” U.S. House of Representatives, 11/15) 189 (C. Eugene Emery Jr. “Donald Trump Says Hillary Clinton Wants To Let 500 Percent More Syrians Into The U.S.,” Politifact, 6/13/16) 190 (Julia Hahn, "Clinton Releases Plan to Dissolve U.S. Border Within 100 Days,” Breitbart, 5/25/16) 191 (Chris Strohm and Justin Sink, “Refugee Flow May Mask Terrorist Infiltration, Spy Chief Says,” Bloomberg, 9/9/15) 192 (Evan Perez, “Intelligence Gaps Pose Challenge For Syrian Refugee Screening,” CNN, 10/8/15)

193 (“U.S. Senate Subcommittee On Immigration And The National Interest – Chart Book,” Chairman Jeff Sessions, 1/16) 194 (George Borjas, “Immigration And The American Worker,” Center For Immigration Studies, 4/13) 195 (Steven A. Camarota, “The Impact Of Large-Scale Immigration On American Workers,” Center For Immigration Studies, 3/16) 196 (U.S. Census Bureau, Accessed 7/20/16) 197 (Mark Hugo Lopez, Rich Morin, Jens Manuel Krogstad, “Latinos Increasingly Confident in Personal Finances, See Better Economic Times Ahead,” Pew Research, 6/8/16) 198 (Jessica Hopper, “Family of People Killed by Undocumented Immigrants Speak Out at RNC,” ABC News, 7/18/16) 199 (Tom Abrahams, “Donald Trump Makes Campaign Stop In Beaumont And Spoke About Paris, Guns,” ABC, 11/15/15) 200 (Colleen Shalby, “Trump Kicks Off Rally With Group Billed The 'Voice For The Victims Killed By Illegal Aliens',” Los Angeles Times, 4/29/16) 201 (Suzanne Gamboa, “Clinton Campaign: Sanctuary Cities Can Help Public Safety,” NBC News, 7/9/15) 202 (Senator Hillary Clinton, Democratic Presidential Candidates Debate, 9/26/07) 203 (Ed Payne, “Kate Steinle: San Francisco Shooting Victim Known For Thinking Of Others First,” CNN, 7/7/15)

204 (Jerry Seper, “Brutal Mexican Drug Gang Crosses Into U.S.,” The Washington Times, 4/19/11) 205 (Andrew O'Reilly, “Mexican Drug Cartel Violence Spreading To Rural U.S. As Police Crack Down In Big Cities,” FOX News, 8/12/14) 206 (Caroline May, “Report: Released Criminal Aliens Committed Nearly 10 Times More Crimes Than Obama Admin. Told Congress,” Breitbart, 6/21/16) 207 (“NBPC Statement on Colorado Primary,” National Border Patrol Council, 4/11/16) 208 (Joe Davidson, “Border Patrol Agents Union Endorses Trump,” The Washington Post, 3/30/16) 209 (Caroline May, “Border Patrol Agent: 80 Percent of Illegals the Agency Apprehends Are Released into U.S.,” Breitbart, 5/19/16) 210 (Stephen Dinan, “Border Agents: DHS Has ‘No Intention’ Of Deporting Illegals,” The Washington Times, 3/21/16)

211 (Stephen Dinan, “Nearly 1 Million Immigrants — Including More Than 170K Convicts — Ignoring Deportation,” The Washington Times, 7/1/16) 212 (Jeffrey S. Passel and D’Vera Cohn, “Homeland Security Produces First Estimate Of Foreign Visitors To U.S. Who Overstay Deadline To Leave,” PewResearchCenter, 2/3/16) 213 (“Few Support Bringing More Syrian Refugees To U.S.,” Rasmussen Reports, 9/22/15) 214 (“Voters Want to Build A Wall, Deport Felon Illegal Immigrants,” Rasmussen Reports, 8/19/15) 215 (Immigration Reform, Hillary Clinton, Accessed 7/20/16) 216 (Eric Bradner and Dan Merica, “Clinton Calls For 'Path To Full And Equal Citizenship',” CNN, 5/15/15) 217 (“Here’s Donald Trump’s Presidential Announcement Speech,” TIME, 6/16/15)

218 (“Donald J. Trump Financial Disclosure,” The Wall Street Journal, 7/22/15) 219 (Robert E. Scott, “Fast Track To Lost Jobs And Lower Wages,” Economic Policy Institute’s Working Economics Blog, 4/13/15) 220 (Bureau Of Labor Statistics, Accessed 7/20/16) 221 (“1993 - NAFTA Signed Into Law,” History, Accessed 7/20/16) 222 (M. Angeles Villarreal and Ian Fergusson, “The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA),” Congressional Research Service, 4/16/15) 223 (Bureau Of Labor Statistics, Accessed 7/20/16) 224 (Bureau Of Labor Statistics, Accessed 5/13/16) 225 (Robert E. Scott And Elizabeth Glass, “Trans-Pacific Partnership, Currency Manipulation, Trade, And Jobs,” Economic Policy Institute, 3/3/16) 226 (Will Kimball And Robert E. Scott, “China Trade, Outsourcing And Jobs,” Economic Policy Institute, 12/11/14) 227 (Domenico Montanaro, “A Timeline Of Hillary Clinton’s Evolution On Trade, NPR, 4/21/15) 228 (“Hillary Clinton, MIA On Trade,” The Washington Post, 5/12/15) 229 (Robert E. Scott, “Fast Track To Lost Jobs And Lower Wages,” Economic Policy Institute’s Working Economics Blog, 4/13/15) 230 (Bureau Of Labor Statistics, Accessed 6/24/16) 231 (Bernie Sanders, Meet The Press Transcript, NBC News, 4/10/16)

232 (Hillary Rodham Clinton, Living History, 2003, p. 182) 233 (First Lady Hillary Clinton, Remarks At An Event For The Union Of Needle Trades, Industrial, And Textile Employees (UNITE), New York, NY, 3/6/96) 234 (Robert E. Scott, “NAFTA’s Legacy,” Economic Policy Institute, 12/17/13) 235 (Will Kimball and Robert E. Scott, “China Trade, Outsourcing And Jobs,” Economic Policy Institute, 12/11/14) 236 (Robert E. Scott and Elizabeth Glass, “Trans-Pacific Partnership, Currency Manipulation, Trade, And Jobs,” Economic Policy Institute, 3/3/16) 237 (Hillary Clinton, Remarks To The Council On Foreign Relations, New York, NY, 10/17/00) 238 (“Late Edition With Wolf Blitzer,” CNN, 8/26/00) 239 (Elizabeth Dwoskin and Indira Laksmanan, “How Hillary Clinton Created A U.S. Business-Promotion Machine,” Bloomberg, 1/10/13) 240 (Secretary Hillary Clinton, Remarks At The American Chamber of Commerce Breakfast, Seoul, South Korea, 4/17/11) 241 (Jake Tapper, “45 Times Secretary Clinton Pushed The Trade Bill She Now Opposes,” CNN, 6/15/15) 242 (Hillary Clinton, Hard Choices, 2014, cclxxiv) 243 (Clark Mindock, “Hillary Clinton State Department Memoir omits TPP Reference In Paperback Edition,” The International Business Times, 6/7/16) 244 (Tim Hains, “Hillary Clinton Calls For New "Trade Prosecutor" Position, Opposes TPP "In Its Current Form,” Real Clear Politics, 5/9/16) 245 (Robert E. Scott, “U.S.-Korea Trade Deal Resulted In Growing Trade Deficits And More Than 95,000 Lost U.S. Jobs,” Economic Policy Institute, 5/5/16) 246 (Joe Ogrinc, “The NAFTA Analysis: Not Free Trade,” Foundation for Economic Education, 5/1/1993)

247 (“The IP Commission Report,” The Commission On The Theft Of American Intellectual Property, 5/13) 248 (Will Kimball and Robert E. Scott, “China Trade, Outsourcing And Jobs,” Economic Policy Institute, 12/11/14) 249 (Robert E. Scott And Elizabeth Glass, “Trans-Pacific Partnership, Currency Manipulation, Trade, And Jobs,” Economic Policy Institute, 3/3/16) 250 (Article 2205: Withdrawal, North American Free Trade Agreement, Accessed 7/20/16) 251 (Brian Faler, “Analysis: Clinton Proposed Almost $500 Billion In Tax Increases,” Politico, 1/26/16) 252 (Kyle Pomerleau and Michael Schuyler, “Details And Analysis Of Hillary Clinton’s Tax Proposals,” Tax Foundation, 1/26/16) 253 (Alexander Hendrie, “Hillary Confirms Trillion Dollar Tax Hike Plan,” National Association of Manufacturers, 2014) 254 (Kyle Pomerleau, “Corporate Income Tax Rates around the World, 2015,” Tax Foundation, 10/1/15) 255 (Scott A. Hodge, “The Economic Effects of Adopting the Corporate Tax Rates of the OECD, the UK, and Canada,” Tax Foundation, 8/20/15)

256 (“The Cost of Federal Regulation to the U.S. Economy, Manufacturing and Small Business,” Institute For Energy Research, 12/15) 257 (“Red Tape Record Breakers,” The Wall Street Journal, 5/19/16) 258 (“North American Energy Inventory,” Institute For Energy Research, 12/11) 259 (Joseph R. Mason, “The Economic Effects of Immediately Opening Federal Lands to Oil, Gas, and Coal Leasing,” Institute For Energy Research, 12/15) 260 (Dana Merica, “Hillary Clinton Apologizes For Coal Comments In West Virginia,” CNN, 5/3/16) 261 (Richard Rubin, “U.S. Companies Are Stashing $2.1 Trillion Overseas to Avoid Taxes,” Bloomberg, 3/4/15) 262 (David Alexander, “Big U.S. Firms Hold $2.1 Trillion Overseas To Avoid Taxes: Study,” Reuters, 10/6/15)

263 (“Joseph Lawler, “Goldman Sachs: Obamacare Forcing Hundreds Of Thousands Into Part-Time Work,” The Washington Examiner, 6/8/16) 264 (“Estimated Revenue Effects Of A Proposal To Repeal Certain Tax Provisions Contained In The ‘Affordable Care Act,’” Joint Committee On Taxation, 6/15/12) 265 (“How CBO Estimates The Effects Of The Affordable Care Act On The Labor Market,” Congressional Budget Office Report, December 2015) 266 (Erin Humiston, “'Covered California' Customers Another Obamacare Casualty,” The Institute for Policy Innovation, 7/21/16) 267 (Philip Ewing, “Fact Check: Has President Obama 'Depleted' The Military?,” NPR, 4/29/16) 268 (Rowan Scarborough, “U.S. Military Decimated Under Obama, Only ‘Marginally Able’ To Defend Nation,” The Washington Times, 2/24/16) 269 (Bruce Wright, “US Army Size 2016: Fewest Active Soldiers Since World War II As Pentagon Reduces Troops,” IBTimes, 5/9/16) 270 (Dave Philipps, “Report Finds Sharp Increase In Veterans Denied V.A. Benefits,” The New York Times, 3/20/16) 271 (Scott Bronstein And Drew Griffin, “A Fatal Wait: Veterans Languish And Die On A VA Hospital's Secret List,” CNN, 4/23/14) 272 (“VA Suicide Prevention Program Facts About Veteran Suicide,” U.S. Department Of Veterans Affairs, 7/16) 273 (“America First Means Veterans First,” Donald J. Trump, 7/11/16) 274 (Hillary Clinton, “Transcript: Rachel Maddow Interviews Hillary Clinton,” MSNBC's The Rachel Maddow Show, 10/23/15)

275 (Ginger Gibson, “Trump Identifies 11 Potential Supreme Court Nominees,” Reuters, 5/19/16) 276 (“NRA Endorses Donald Trump for President of the United States,” NRA-ILA, 5/20/16) 277 (John Santucci And Meghan Keneally, “NRA Endorses Donald Trump for President,” ABC News, 5/20/16) 278 (Ryan Lovelace, “Sessions Warns Of Historic Clinton Attack On Gun Rights,” Washington Examiner, 5/22/16) 279 (“NBC News Exit Poll Results: Evangelicals Voted for Trump,” NBC News, 5/10/16) 280 (“Charities, Churches and Politics,” IRS, Accessed 7/20/16) 281 (Nick Gass, “Poll: Half Of Millennials Say The American Dream Is Dead,” Politico, 12/10/15)

282 (Arun Kristian Das, “'I'm With Her': President Obama Endorses Hillary Clinton,” FOX 5 News, 6/9/16)

Posted by Mike on 07/21/2016 | Permalink

Live 360 degree Video Gives GOP Convention Viewers a Bold New Experience

2016 Republican National Convention

Live 360 degree Video Gives GOP Convention Viewers a Bold New Experience

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be on stage during the Republican National Convention? Now, that question can be answered. Tonight, see what Donald Trump sees as he accepts the nomination to be the Republican candidate for President of the United States through live 360 degree video.

This innovative technology allows the viewer to see what it is like to be in the arena, both on the stage and in the candidate's booth. Perched on a camera poke only 15 feet from the podium, the 360 degree view is drawn from 8 cameras shooting footage in all directions. Viewers will see what its like to stand mere feet from Donald Trump as he addresses the delegates and brings the 2016 Republican National Convention to a close.

Use Google Cardboard for an even more immersive experience while watching the proceedings.

Click here to see what the candidate sees!

Posted by Mike on 07/21/2016 | Permalink

Remarks as Prepared for Delivery by RNC Chairman Reince Priebus at 2016 Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio on July 21, 2016

2016 Republican National Convention

REMARKS AS PREPARED FOR DELIVERY
RNC CHAIRMAN REINCE PRIEBUS
2016 REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION SPEECH
CLEVELAND, OHIO
JULY 21, 2016

Thank you.

To the people of Cleveland, we say thank you for your hospitality.

I stand before this Convention tonight as the Chairman of a Party that is carrying the torch of liberty.

We are the Party of the open door.

To some people…and some presidents…America is just another country. To Republicans, America is the greatest nation on earth.

We don’t apologize for America. We celebrate America.

At every level, Republicans stand for aspiration and achievement.

We stand for peace and prosperity.

We stand for freedom and fairness.

These values have inspired people the world-over, ever since we won our freedom over two centuries ago.

These values fueled the sacrifices for freedom at Gettysburg and Normandy and Fallujah.

These values spurred the fight for equality in Birmingham and Selma.

It is clear the Republican Party is the only party willing to fight for these values and lead America to greatness in the 21st century.

See, the dirty little secret Democrats don’t want you to know is that they are the party of the same old thing.

Next week they are going to trot out the same old Democrats with the same old message running the same old candidate.

We are the party of new ideas in a world changing faster than ever.

Democrats depend on superdelegates and bureaucrats to sneak their agenda through the backdoor.

We are the party of the grassroots. We honor what the voters say.

Democrats want to put labor union bosses in charge of our schools, limit our choices, and feed our kids a steady diet of left-wing propaganda.

We know every child matters and the classroom is not an assembly line. It’s time to give power back to parents, embrace school choice, and equip our children with the skills they need for college, career, and life.

Democrats want healthcare choices in the hands of politicians.

We want healthcare choices in the hands of patients.

Democrats want Washington to impose a one-size-fits-all policy on everybody.

We say an independent people deserves individual solutions.

What separates Republicans from Democrats is our belief in better.

We believe in better schools. A better healthcare system.

A better economy which rewards hard work no matter where or when you punch the clock.

And most of all, we believe in a better chance at the American Dream for everyone.

The Republican Party will not stop until it becomes a reality.

And that’s why we need to stop Hillary Clinton.

A Clinton presidency only means more debt, more ObamaCare, and more hard-working families never seeing a raise.

If given the chance, Hillary Clinton will stack the Supreme Court with activist left-wing judges who will treat the Constitution like a doormat. You can kiss your gun rights goodbye if she ever finds her way into the White House.

In foreign policy, a Clinton presidency means forgetting our friends and enabling our enemies.

Just look at her disastrous Iran nuclear deal, which lined the pockets of the world’s number one state sponsor of terrorism with your money, while abandoning our greatest ally in the Middle East, the nation of Israel.

It was on her watch ISIS began to spread its wings of evil over the Middle East.

And she has spent the last 16 months looking into the eyes of the American people and lying about how she recklessly jeopardized national security with her secret email server.

She lied. And she lied over and over and over.

Perhaps worst of all, Hillary Clinton has perfected the art of politics for personal gain.

She reads ethics rules as carefully as Americans read their junk mail.

Just look at her track record.

She used her post as Secretary of State to grease the wheels for Democrat lobbyists, special interests, and political insiders connected to the corrupt Clinton Machine.

Her family foundation took millions of dollars in donations from countries notorious for human rights abuses and funneling money to radical Islamic terrorists.

For Hillary Clinton, the Oval Office…is just another cash cow.

Well, I have one word for all this hypocrisy and corruption. Enough.

Americans have had enough of a government that plays favorites with the well-connected.

They’ve had enough of the Clintons’ excuses, cronyism and cover ups.

They’ve had enough of the corrupt dealings.

Americans have had enough!

This election is our chance to stop it, and Donald Trump is the right man to lead that charge.

He’s brought millions of new voters into our Party because he’s listening to Americans who are anxious about a country which has lost its way.

Donald Trump wants to bring jobs back from overseas and hold companies who want to send them abroad accountable.

He’s finally going to stop illegal immigration and make sure our government puts American citizens first.

Working families are the lifeblood of our country, and we can’t thrive as a nation unless they are thriving. A lot of them haven’t seen a bigger paycheck in a long time.

Donald Trump wants to make sure you can pay the mortgage, put gas in the car, and buy new clothes for the first day of school.

Donald Trump is committed to hitting terrorists hard and making the safety of every man, woman, and child in America his number one priority.

No more negotiating with terrorists. If they want to take us down, we will take them down.

He will protect the Second Amendment, and every other right guaranteed in the Constitution, by appointing conservative justices to the Supreme Court.

And he’s going to protect the lives of the unborn.

So I have a message to America: hold on. Help is coming.

With Donald Trump and Mike Pence, America is ready for a comeback after almost a decade of Clinton-Obama failures.

I want to close by telling you a little-known story of American greatness.

William Nudesen was a Danish immigrant who started out working in a shipyard and living in a boardinghouse. He knew America promised limitless opportunity, and was determined to make the most of it. He developed his talents for industrial engineering and worked his way up at General Motors. By 1937, he had become the President of the company.

In 1940, the government asked him to get America’s factories on a wartime footing. Instead of cars and trucks, America’s great manufacturers were now proudly making tanks and planes. For this enormous responsibility, Nudesen was paid $1 per year.

He didn’t do the job for the money. He was motivated by a duty to keep America free from tyranny. He set aside the job of leading one of the largest companies in America so he could help save the world.

At the end of the war, a war department official told him, “You have never done anything for yourself, only for your country. You have never spared yourself.”

Like William Nudesen, we cannot spare ourselves either.

Economic freedom. Belief in the American Dream. A strong national defense. Putting country first.

Those values are under assault from Hillary Clinton and the rest of the Democrat party.

Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness is not just a tagline for a bumper sticker.

It is our American legacy, and it is our responsibility to save it and strengthen it for our children and grandchildren.

God put us here not by accident. This is our moment to set a new course for an America as strong and confident as we’ve ever been.

Let’s stand united as Republicans!

Let’s stop Hillary Clinton!

Let’s get to work, expand our Republican majorities, and elect Donald Trump president!

Thank you, and God Bless America!

Posted by Mike on 07/21/2016 | Permalink

Fran Tarkenton, Former Minnesota Vikings Quarterback Speech at 2016 Republican National Convention

2016 Republican National Convention

Fran Tarkenton, Former Minnesota Vikings Quarterback Speech at 2016 Republican National Convention

The greatest and most revered coaching legend of the National Football League is one Vince Lombardi, Italian-American, tough as nails.

In the 50s, he took over a broken Green Bay Packers football team and made it into a world championship team year after year.

As great as he was, he didn't always win. There’s a video that’s been out there for years. It tells the story. Lombardi, fists thrust in the pockets of his heavy wool coat, paces the Lambeau Field sideline, like a caged tiger.

That day, the Packers couldn’t seem to do anything right.

Suddenly Lombardi screams towards his players running off the field, “What the hell’s going on out here?”

Right now, I look around America, and I need to ask: What the hell’s going on here?

The most anemic recovery in modern history. And Washington? It’s broken for everybody – at least for everybody who doesn’t make their living inside the Beltway.

What the hell’s going on here?!

We are stuck, stuck in frustration, mired in anger and fear.

As quarterback, my mission was very simple: to make my teammates better.

Of course, I made a fortune playing football.

My rookie year in professional football, 1961, I was paid $12,500. So I had a second job every off-season.

As a small business owner, I feel connected to the millions of Americans in this vital sector of our economy.

And let’s look at the facts. Small business in America is the heart and soul of equal opportunity.

The facts are that 40 percent of the 530,000 start-ups each month are started by African Americans, Hispanics, or Asians.

Almost a third of small businesses in America are started by immigrants. And nearly 40 percent by women.

But the thing is, small businesses have been surviving not because of government policies, but in spite of them, especially these past eight years.

High taxes.

Strangling regulations.

And practically no access to credit. So I ask: What the hell’s going on here? Imagine what could happen in our nation if 27 million job-creating enterprises were suddenly empowered and set free in every neighborhood, to grow and build, and contribute even more.

I believe it all comes down to leadership.

Whether it’s Vince Lombardi years ago or, Nick Saban of Alabama today, I can tell you in just five simple words what every great leader does.

A leader gets stuff done.

I’ve known Donald Trump for 48 years.

Like those other leaders I’ve known, he gets stuff done.

He is a builder.

He understands that teams win. Individuals don’t.

He builds great teams.

Donald Trump is a proven leader.

A team builder, Donald Trump knows how to get the best out of all people.

I’ve watched him succeed.

I’ve watched him fail.

I’ve watched him get back up. He never quits.

I believe Donald Trump can provide the leadership that will help us all make America great again.

Make it great for everyone.

Let’s go win this game together. Together, let’s go make America great again.

Thank you. Goodnight.