RNC Research
August 28, 2020 

President Trump's "Powerful" Speech Caps Convention Highlighting Everyday Heroes

This Week, The RNC Convention Was Filled With Everyday People Who Told America How President Trump Has Kept His Promise To The American People And Will Continue To Make America Great Again Over The Next Four Years
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LAST NIGHT, PRESIDENT TRUMP’S ACCEPTANCE SPEECH WAS HAILED BY CRITICS AS MEMORABLE AND POWERFUL 
During his speech last night, President Trump discussed his plan for the next four years and spoke on the importance of  providing school choice to every family, creating jobs, protecting Medicare and Social Security, and ensuring there are strong borders as well as equal justice for citizens of every race, religion, color, and creed.
Political Strategist Frank Luntz: President Trump’s speech was very memorable and powerful.
The Hill’s Joe Concha: “The optics between the Trump acceptance speech and the Biden acceptance speech are night and day.”
Fox News’ Bret Hume: The President has a case and “he made it tonight”.
Fox News Panel: President Trump’s section on law and order was very “powerful.”
Five Thirty Eight’s Sarah Forstenson: “I thought it was a poor choice for Democrats to focus so little on policy” and “you can’t accuse Trump of not focusing on policy and what they have done in the last four years.”
THIS WEEK, THE REPUBLICAN CONVENTION HIGHLIGHTED STORIES FROM EVERYDAY PEOPLE WHO PROVIDED COMPELLING TESTIMONY OF THE HOPE AND STRENGTH THAT PRESIDENT TRUMP’S ADMINISTRATION HAS PROVIDED
Civil Rights activist and hero Clarence Henderson, who participated in the Greensboro sit-ins in the 1960s shared his heroic story and explained how President Trump has done “more for black Americans in 4 years than Joe Biden has done in 50.”
Small business owner Tanya Weinreis said that with her PPP loan that she received from President Trump’s efforts,  she was able to keep every single employee and has “been hiring weekly ever since,” calling it exciting “to be part of the Great American Comeback story”
Andrew Pollack, a school safety advocate whose daughter, Meadow, was killed in the Marjory Stoneman Douglas shooting in 2018, praised President Trump, as he “did what he said he would do” and took action to make schools safer.
Maximo Alvarez, whose family fled Communist Cuba: “I choose President Trump because I choose America, I choose freedom.”
Scott Dane, who represents loggers and truckers in Minnesota said that under President Trump, “we've seen new support…a strong back and a strong work ethic can build a strong middle class.”
Tera Meyer, whose son has Down Syndrome, praised President Trump for supporting school choice: “President Trump did not dismiss my son. He showed Samuel he valued him and was proud of what he accomplished. President Trump gave Samuel an equal seat at the table.”
Maine Lobsterman Jason Joyce shared how “as long as Trump is President, fishing families like mine will have a voice,” and he said he is changing his vote to support President Trump this year.
Wisconsin dairy farmer Cris Peterson said that President Trump took action to save farmers like herself in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
Alice Johnson praised President Trump’s criminal justice reform efforts explaining that the President granted her a second chance, and signed the First Step Act into law to create change. 
Wisconsin business owner Debbie Flood: Since President Trump has been elected the government has been on our side and has  “actually fought for American workers and American craftsmen.”
Carl Mueller, father of Kayla Mueller, who was murdered by ISIS: The Trump Administration gave of us the empathy we never received, and “the Obama administration said it was doing everything it could,” while the Trump Administration has been from the beginning.
THE SPEECHES MADE THROUGHOUT THE WEEK WERE HAILED FOR HIGHLIGHTING POWERFUL STORIES FROM EVERYDAY PEOPLE
Many in the media highlighted how speeches from both the Trump Administration and ordinary Americans were moving and incredibly effective:
The Daily Beast’s Matt Lewis: “I can't remember a convention that featured so few traditional politicians and so many ‘real Americans’ including minorities and younger women.”
          Lewis: “This is a much more emotional convention than the Dems put on,”
Fox News' Dana Perino: The RNC "focus on everyday heroes showed quite a contrast as well to the Democrats' convention, everyday heroes will beat celebrities every single time.”
The Free Beacon’s Brent Scher: “The lives and businesses of farmers and fishermen were not mentioned at last week’s DNC.”
Sean Davis, Co-Founder of the Federalist: " That was the most compelling and inspiring party nominating convention in modern American history ."
CNN’s Chris Cillizza, Kaitlan Collins, and Politico’s Tim Alberta all heralded police officer Ryan Holets’ powerful story of adoption.
Amanda Becker, a Washington Correspondent, said that the RNC had a lot of “incredibly effective testimonies.”
CNN’s Tapper: The First Lady Has embraced “the cause of so many people” who are vulnerable in society.
CNN’s Blitzer: The First Lady’s speech was “important,” “very moving.”
USA Today: Kayleigh McEnany’s story was “moving, and it portrayed Trump as a compassionate boss who checked in with McEnany at perhaps the most traumatic time in her life.”
Politico’s David Siders: Ivanka Trump had such an “effective speech.”
MEMBERS OF THE MEDIA PRAISED THE CONVENTION FOR BEING “VERY EFFICIENT” AND FOR HIGHLIGHTING MORE POLICY AREAS “IN THE 1 HOUR” THAN THE DNC DID “OVER 4 DAYS”
Associated Press White House Reporter Zeke Miller, said that the RNC has shown power, positivity, and policy.
CNN’s Blitzer: Republican National Convention has been “well-produced, very efficient.”
Fox News’ Dana Perino: “More policy areas in the 1 hour than you saw detailed in the Dem convention over 4 days.”
Former Obama Advisor Axelrod: RNC is “doing pretty well to be honest with you.”
Fox News’ Chris Wallace: Vice President Pence “really took apart Joe Biden’s record…very effective speech.”
NUMEROUS LIFE- LONG DEMOCRAT VOTERS PRAISED THE RNC AND SAID THEY WOULD CHANGE THEIR VOTE TO REPUBLICAN THIS YEAR BASED OFF THE RESULTS THEY HAVE SEEN FROM THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION
After watching  both the RNC and DNC, a longtime Democrat from New Mexico said that he plans to vote for President Trump this year as he made a compelling case of what is going on in our country. 
A New Yorker who voted for Clinton in 2016, said she was happy with what the Vice President had to say and said she was planning to vote for the Trump/Pence ticket this year as she is officially done with the Democratic party.
A life-long Democrat from Florida, said he would be voting for President Trump this year as he supports school choice, and social justice.
A South Carolinian who voted for Clinton in 2016, said that she plans to support the President this year as he has provided results since he has been elected.
A Pennsylvania a voter who comes from “a long line of Democrats”  said that she didn’t vote for Trump last year but she plans to this time around as she has been impressed with what the President has done since he has been in office.
An immigrant from California said she has been appalled with how far left the Democrats have gone, and has decided to leave the party.
A proclaimed life-long Democrat from Ohio said that he would be changing his party to Republican after watching the RNC this week.