Politics

‘Land Of Greatness’: Everything You Need To See From The Final Night Of The RNC

President Donald Trump accepts the Republican nomination for president. (Screenshot/YouTube)
Anders Hagstrom White House Correspondent
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The Republican National Convention’s fourth and final night set out to “celebrate America as the land of greatness,” but it focused most heavily on the riots that have spread across the nation and curbing China’s influence on the global stage.

While Republican leaders like President Donald Trump and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell each delivered speeches, the stand-out address of the evening came from Ann Dorn, the widow of retired police officer David Dorn. Her husband was murdered in St. Louis by rioters who live streamed his execution. Her emotional speech recounted how she had learned about her husband’s death and urged the end of riots on America’s streets.

“We must heal before we can effect change, but we cannot heal amid devastation and chaos. President Trump knows we need more Davids in our communities, not fewer,” she said.

The law and order message came once again with Pat Lynch, the president of the Police Benevolent Association, who argued that police across the nation are having their hands tied by Democrat mayors in the face of widespread riots.

Former Republican New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani then took the stage to lambast the city’s current mayor, Bill de Blasio, saying he has allowed crime to rise unchecked in the city.

Republican Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton made the night’s first attack on Biden’s policies toward China, saying only Trump can be trusted to combat the communist country’s growing ambitions.

“Joe Biden allowed Chinese fentanyl to flood across our southern border. President Trump sanctioned Chinese drug dealers for poisoning our kids,” Cotton said. “Joe Biden said Chinese communists aren’t our competitors and ‘aren’t bad folks,’ just months before they unleashed this plague on the world.” (RELATED: ‘We Are Too Reliant On China’: Cotton, Hawley Call On US To Regain Independence From Communist Regime)

Trump, Cotton argued, is “making China pay” for its role in allowing the spread of coronavirus across the world. Conspicuously absent from the anti-China section of the night was Republican Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley, who along with Cotton has been one of the leading voices in the U.S. in criticizing the Chinese Communist Party and its influence on the U.S.

Both Trump and his daughter Ivanka Trump delivered their speeches on the White House South Lawn as hundreds of protesters gathered just outside in Lafayette Square. Some engaged in violence and threatened to once again set fire to the historic St. John’s Church.

Ivanka’s pitch for Trump centered around the issues she promised he would achieve in 2016, spending several minutes touting his successes in criminal justice reform and paid working leave for women before introducing her father to the stage.

Trump opened his address by thanking his family and Vice President Mike Pence before formally accepting the Republican nomination for president of the United States. He said he is leading the GOP to open its arms to millions of Democrats and anyone else who still believes in America.

“My fellow Americans, tonight, with a heart full of gratitude and boundless optimism, I profoundly accept this nomination for President of the United States,” he said. “America is not a land cloaked in darkness, America is the torch that enlightens the entire world.”

“In the left’s backward view, they do not see America as the most free, just and exceptional nation on Earth. Instead, they see a wicked nation that must be punished for its sins. Our opponents say that redemption for you can only come from giving power to them,” he added. “This is a tired anthem spoken by every repressive movement throughout history.”

Trump also used the speech to tout his successes in the Middle East and also gave a strong endorsement to the pro-life movement.

The night ended with an unannounced and extensive fireworks show over the National Mall.

The final night of the RNC also featured speeches from:

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy

UFC CEO Dana White

Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes

HUD Secretary Ben Carson

Marine Corps Veteran Stacia Brightmon

Former Congressional Aid Ja’Ron Smith

You can view Thursday night’s programming in its entirety below.