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RNC Day 4: Ivanka leans in, Trump’s top aide leans out

All the highlights of a day that culminated in the longest acceptance speech in decades
By Aaron Hutchins
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July 22, 2016

Channelling 1968

Trump’s aides said that the Republican nominee’s speech was modelled after Richard Nixon’s call for law and order decades ago. Was it ever. He used an anecdote involving an illegal immigrant to illustrate America’s murder problem, to which the crowd chanted, “build that wall.” He said law enforcement officer deaths, as well crime, are on the rise (even when data suggests the opposite). He blamed Hillary Clinton for ISIS, to which the crowd chanted, “Lock her up.” He hammered home his supposed law-and-order bona fides during a speech that lasted well over an hour: “There can be no prosperity without law and order,” “I will restore law and order to our country,” and “I am the law and order candidate.” He ended with a simple claim: “I am your voice.”

A proud moment

In a first for the Republican National Convention, Silicon Valley billionaire Peter Thiel told the audience that he was gay. The co-founder of PayPal said: “Every American has a unique identity. I am proud to be gay. I am proud to be a Republican. But most of all I am proud to be an American.” The conservative crowd responded with loud cheers. Later in the evening, when Trump talked about protecting LGBTQ rights, he paused to acknowledge the crowd cheering that sort of statement.

https://twitter.com/chanceseales/status/756299909674987520

Ivanka leans in for the female vote…

Trump’s best asset in his bid to win over the female vote, his daughter Ivanka, directly appealed to women as she introduced her father. She explained how the Trump Organization has more female than male executives. She spoke of equal pay, and women being supported when they become pregnant thanks to affordable and accessible child care. Trump’s eldest daughter also humanized her father; she recalled him ripping out newspaper clippings of people in need and reaching out to help, and explained that while she built Lego towers in her youth, he built real ones.

…but Trump’s campaign manager leans out

As Trump hopes for that women’s vote, campaign aide Paul Manafort told MSNBC’s Chris Matthews that the Republican nominee can appeal to females because “they can’t afford their lives. Their husbands can’t afford paying the family bills.” When Matthews called him out for his comment not being something that belongs in the 21st century, Manafort seemingly laughed it off.

What does the Fox say?

Fox News founder Roger Ailes resigned from his role as CEO Thursday amid sexual harassment allegations from the former Fox & Friends co-host Gretchen Carlson. Carlson alleges that Ailes offered her the chance to keep her job in exchange for a sexual relationship. Ailes is widely credited as the man who made Fox News a top-rated network developed primarily for a conservative viewership. Rupert Murdoch, chairman of 21st Century Fox, will take over the role as CEO in the interim.

Donald & Me

Oscar-winning documentary filmmaker Michael Moore says he thinks Trump will be the next president of the United States. Not that Moore wants that. As guests joked about Trump during a roundtable on the Bill Maher’s late-night TV show, the outspoken Moore said: “We’ve been sitting in the bubble, having a good laugh at this total s–t show, but the truth is that this plays to a lot of people that [Trump] has to win to become the next president.”

Bernie’s not backing the billionaire

Donald Trump made a direct appeal to Bernie Sanders supporters, saying the senator from Vermont never stood a chance in his Democratic race against Hillary Clinton. All the while, Sanders was live-tweeting during Trump’s speech, listing off all the reasons his supporters should not vote for Trump.

Winning isn’t everything

Donald Trump likes a winner, and he especially likes winning quarterbacks. He calls Tom Brady a close friend and reportedly wanted two-time Super Bowl champion Ben Roethlisberger to speak at the convention. Both declined. Instead, Trump got a speech from Hall of Famer Fran Tarkenton, who led the Minnesota Vikings to three Super Bowls—but didn’t win the big game once.

https://twitter.com/benweinrib/status/756304040078745604

Independence Day

On the day he accepted the Republican nomination, Donald Trump joked to donors at a luncheon that the Republican Party was adamant he sign a pledge; he claimed they feared he would run as an independent, according to Politico. “If I ran independent I promise you the Republicans would have had zero chance, OK?” he said, as those in attendance laughed. “The independents would beat the Republicans!”

Still shooting from the hip

One day after Al Baldasaro said Hillary Clinton should be “put in the firing line and shot for treason” for her handling of the Benghazi incident, the Trump campaign adviser on veteran’s affairs didn’t apologize—and even brushed off the criticism as “political correctness garbage.” While the Trump campaign has distanced itself from his words, when Baldasaro was asked about the reports of Secret Service investigating what he said, he joked: “They wanted to take a picture with me.”

Foreign policy faux-pas

Republicans were quick to denounce Donald Trump’s comments that he would only come to the aid of Baltic nations from a hypothetical Russian attack if those NATO countries “have fulfilled their obligations to us.” Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell said Trump was “wrong” and that is was a “rookie mistake”; Adam Kinzinger, a Republican and U.S. Representative for Illinois, called the comments “narcissistic” and “dangerous”; and Sen. Lindsey Graham, a Republican who represents South Carolina, said “statements like these make the world more dangerous and the United States less safe.” Imagine how the Baltics feel.

Just Cruzin’

After getting booed for refusing to specifically endorse Donald Trump during his key speech Wednesday night, Ted Cruz stood firm Thursday morning in his decision, saying he’s “not in the habit of supporting people who attack my wife and attack my father.” Pledge be damned, Cruz said at a Texas delegates breakfast that doesn’t mean he would be a “servile puppy dog” after so many of Trump’s personal attacks. That said, he promised not to say anything negative about the Republican nominee.

Marsha, Marsha, Marsha

“Leadership” is a noun. Tennessee Rep. Marsha Blackburn said otherwise.

And few could have predicted a convention speaker channeling the words of Larry the Cable Guy.

Mo’ money, mo’ problems

According to Dr. Ben Carson, Donald Trump’s kids had to overcome a certain disadvantage: being rich. The neurosurgeon, who formerly sought the Republican nomination, told Fox News the reason is because he knew of many rich kids being spoiled.

Many Americans could only hope for such a setback.

Swan song

With only months left in the Oval Office, Michelle Obama got to rock out during an appearance on James Corden’s Late Late Show for its popular “carpool karaoke” segment. The First Lady said it was one of the few times she’s gotten to sit in a passenger seat since her husband became President.

The speech that doesn’t end

If it felt like Trump’s speech went on forever, that’s because it was the longest nomination acceptance speech—Democrat or Republican—in more than 40 years. At one hour and 15 minutes, Trump set yet another campaign record.