On the final night of the Republican National Convention, President Trump accepted the Republican nomination among fellow speakers Congressman Jeff Van Drew (NJ), Senators Tom Cotton (AR) and Mitch McConnell (KY), and Ivanka Trump. Trump gave his speech among mixed chants of ‘four more years’ and ‘Trump and Pence out now’ as he boasted of the accomplishments of his administration and attacked presidential candidate Joe Biden. The speakers of the night stuck to this theme, heavily criticizing the Democratic party as “radical socialists” and attempting to show the more empathetic side of Trump, dubbing him “the people’s president.”
Senator Tom Cotton gave a speech criticizing presidential candidate Joe Biden’s past foreign policy decisions, claiming that as president he would return America “to a weak and dangerous past.” One of the most conservative Republicans in his five year service in the Senate, Cotton exaggerated the facts of Biden’s record, claiming he “let ISIS terrorists rampage across the Middle East” and “aided and abetted China’s rise for 50 years.” Without offering specifics, Cotton praised President Trump for his handling of China’s “cheating and lying,” and assured the public that Trump would be strong in the face of adversaries, while Biden would not.

Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell took a different approach, focusing instead on criticizing the Democratic party and avoiding praise of the president himself. He condemned Democratic policy, warning against their support for gun control and police reform, and piled scrutiny on the DNC for spending “an entire week telling us about who Joe Biden is, not what he intends to do.” McConnell, known for his complicated relationship with the president, ended his speech in a call for citizens to vote for Trump. “The stakes have never been higher, which is why I’m asking you to support Republican Senate candidates across the country and reelect my friend, President Donald Trump,” McConnell said,  echoing the familiar and empathetic rhetoric used by Dan Scavino, Jeff Van Drew, and many other speakers of the night.
Ivanka Trump continued this trend of humanizing President Trump as she introduced her father in a short speech. She stressed Trump’s empathy for workers and the public as a whole and described him as a uniter, pointing to his efforts to pass a bipartisan reform of the criminal justice system. Ms. Trump addressed her father directly, saying “Dad, people attack you for being unconventional, but I love you for being real, and I respect you for being effective.” She acknowledged that Trump’s “communication style is not for everyone’s taste” however Ms. Trump declared that “the results speak for themselves,” noting his peace agreement in the Middle East between Israel and the United Arab Emirates. Ultimately, she received a standing ovation as she welcomed her father and stepmother, Melania Trump, to the podium.

President Trump closed out the night with a speech that heavily criticized candidate Joe Biden and his party, as well as praising the accomplishments of his own administration. Trump addressed numerous subjects including the pandemic, Hurricane Laura, his support for the police and Afircan Americans, the current protests, and the “radical left”. Trump warned the public that all of his achievements were “now in danger,” stating that “this election will decide whether we will defend the American way of life or allow a radical movement to completely dismantle and destroy it.” The President bashed Biden, who he mentioned 41 times during his speech, attacking his alleged betrayal of blue collar America saying that “if given the chance, he will be the destroyer of America’s greatness.” In contrast, Trump described himself as a champion of the people, even saying that he has “done more for the African-American community than any president since Abraham Lincoln,” although not going into detail on how and detailing his support for police officers alone in the current protests.
Trump rallied the crowd with his promises to “again build the greatest economy in history” and “defeat the virus and pandemic and emerge stronger than ever,” while also labeling a government closure as a “Biden shutdown.” President Trump closed his 70 minute speech by expressing his pride in being the Republican nominee, saying “We will make America greater than ever before.”