A night of pageantry and politics that collides with breaking news on our shores and in our streets. Protests continue for the third night in wisconsin after the shooting of jacob blake in the back by police. A young vigilante who took up a rifle to confront protesters there has now been arrested for shooting three. Two of the victims are dead. And in an extraordinary move, the nba has posttoned tonights playoff games after the Milwaukee Bucks boycotted their game to protest the shooting of blake. The wnba, major league baseball, Major League Soccer have postponed their games tonight. Meantime, hurricane laura is bearing down on the louisiana texas border. Now a fierce category 4 storm. Set to be one of the strongest ever to make landfall in the United States. So, lets get the latest from ginger zee in port arthur. Ginger, i can see the wind is kicking up right now. We are just about to get in the main shield of what is hurricane laura. That category 4 storm, now the center of it is about 90 miles to my southeast and you can see it making a bee lineline state line. I want to take you through the forecast quickly. Unsurvivable storm surge and significant wind. In excess of 100 Miles Per Hour for hours. Well see landfall at about 1 00 a. M. Central time here. Look at lake charles at 6 00 a. M. Its still blowing at 127 Miles Per Hour. Then it moves up, shreveport, youll see very strong winds with this, too. I think were going to see power outages, george, all the way up there arkansas. Obviously im most concerned about the storm surge, 10 to 20 feet. Huge storm. I know youre going to be covering it all through the night. Stay safe out there. I want to bring in mary bruce, shes at ft. Mchenry in baltimore. And another extraordinary setting for this unusual convention. George, here at the birthplace of the star spangled banner, the Vice President tonight is expected to make his case. This is a night that is all about celebrating american heroes. You can see behind me, the crowd of 100 of the president s supporters. They are some what socially distanced. Some with masks, many without. Here in a short time, mike pence will have to take to the stage and he is expected to sell the president s record, outlining his vision for the next four years. He is also expected to take on joe biden. Hes going to outline in stark terms what is at stake in this election, saying the choice in this election is whether america remains america. And we have learned that he is making some late tweaks to this speech. He is expected at least to make a passing reference to the unrest tonight in wisconsin. George . One of the adjustments in the wake of these events as well, were about to hear from another member of the trump family, lara trump. Shes been working on the campaign. Lets listen in. Good evening, im lara lar trump. The daughterinlaw of our 45th president , donald j. Trump. But tonight, i come to you simply as an american. My life began like many in our country. I grew up in wrightsville beach, North Carolina, my parents were Small Business owners and worked hard to make sure that my brother and i had everything we needed, but not everything we wanted. My parents raised me to believe that i could achieve anything with hard work and determination. That the opportunities available to me were limited only by the size of my ambition. That i should dream big and i did. Those very dreams are what led me to new york city. Id heard the adage, if i could make it there, i could make it anywhere, and i intended to do just that. Never in a million years did i think i would be on this stage tonight and i certainly never thought that id end up with the last name trump. My seventh grade english teacher, mrs. B, used to tell us, believe none of what you hear, half of what you read and only what youre there to witness firsthand. The meaning of those words never fully weighed on me until i met my husband and the trump family. Any preconceived notion i had of this family disappeared immediately. They were warm and caring. They were hard workers. And they were down to earth. They reminded me of my own family. They made me feel like i was home. Walking the halls of the trump organization, i saw the same family environment. I also saw the countless women executives who thrived there year after year. Gender didnt matter. What mattered was the ability to get the job done. I learned this directly when, in 2016, my fatherinlaw asked me to help him win my cherished home state and my daughters namesake, North Carolina. Though i had no political experience, he believed in me. He knew i was capable, even if i didnt. So, it didnt surprise me when President Donald Trump appointed so many women to senior level positions in his administration. Secretary of the united nations, secretary of the air force, the first female cia director, the first black female director of the fish and Wildlife Service and countless ambassadors just to name a few. Under President Trumps leadership, womens unemployment hit the lowest level since world war ii. 4. 3 million new jobs had been created for women. In 2019, women took over 70 of new jobs. Female Small Business ownership remains at an alltime high and 600,000 women have been lifted out of poverty, all since President Trump took office. He didnt do these things to gain a vote or check a box. He did them because theyre the right things to do. 100 years ago today, the 19th amendment was ratified, granting the right to vote to every american woman. And since that day, incredible strides have been made by women in america. From Amelia Earhart to rosa parks and sally ride, women shaped our history and are part of whats made our country the most exceptional nation in the world. I often think back to my 24yearold self, driving alone in my car from North Carolina to new york city and i think about what id tell myself now as we head towards the most critical election in modern history. This is not just a choice between republican and democrat or left and right. This is an election that will decide if we keep America America or if we head down an uncharted, frightening path towards socialism. Abraham lincoln once famously said america will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves. While those words were spoken over 150 years ago, never have they been more relevant. Will we choose the right path and maintain the unique freedoms and boundless opportunities that make this country the greatest in the history of the world . Will we remain the beacon of hope for those around the world fighting oppression, communist and tyranny . The choice is ours. I know the promise of america because ive lived it. Not just as a member of the trump family, but as a woman who knows what its like to work in blue collar jobs, to serve customers for tips and to aspire to rise. When i look at my son luke and my daughter carolina, i wonder, what sort of country will i be leaving for them, for our future generations . In recent months, weve seen weak, spineless politicians seek control of our Great American cities to violent mobs. Defund the police is the rallying cry for the new radical democrat party. Joe biden will not do what it takes to maintain order, to keep our children safe in our neighborhoods and in their schools, to restore our american way of life. We cannot dare to dream our biggest dreams for ourselves or for our children while consumed by worry about the safety of our families. President trump is the law and order president. From our borders to our backyards. President trump will keep america safe. President trump will keep america prosperous. President trump will keep America America. If youre watching tonight and wrestling with your vote on november 3rd, i implore you, tune out the distorted news and biased commentary and hear it straight from someone who knows. I wasnt born a trump, im from the south. I was raised a carolina girl. I went to Public Schools and worked my way through a state university. Mrs. B from my seventh grade english class was right. What i learned about our president is different than what you might have heard. I learned that hes a good man. That he loves his family. That he didnt need this job. That no one on earth works harder for the American People. That hes willing to fight for his beliefs and for the people and the country that he loves. He is a person of conviction. He is a fighter and will never stop fighting for america. He will uphold our values. He will preserve our families and he will build upon the Great American di edict that our uni will never be perfect until opportunity is equal for all, including and especially for women. Our 40th president , Ronald Reagan, said it best the dreams of people may differ, but everybody wants their dreams to come true. P and america above all places gives us the freedom to do that. Its up to us to keep this country a place where no dream is out of reach. For our children and generations beyond. To my fatherinlaw, thank you for believing in me. Thank you for bravely leading this country and thank you for continuing to fight every day for america. May god bless and protect the gulf states in the path of the hurricane, may god bless our troops and may god continue to bless this incredible country. Lara trump right there, becoming the fifth member of the trump family to speak at this convention so far, like her husband, eric, her brotherinlaw don jr. , sisterinlaw tiffany trump. A speech personal and political. Attacks on the media, joe biden. We should point out that joe biden has come out against defunding the police. Hes never supported the defunding the police movement. David muir here in the studio with us, as well. One thing we did hear a line there about those in the path of this category 4 hurricane. This is now the third Republican Convention, gustav in 2008, isaac in 2012, beset by a hurricane. Really hard to overstate whats happening in this split screen with the convention happening right now. And this would be a challenge for any Administration Given the number of emergencies, flash points unfolding in america all at once, but you heard her say, god bless the people in the path of the hurricane. We do have a category 4 hurricane, as ginger said at the top of the hour, been described as unsurvivable storm surge, extreme wli dangerous, by the National Hurricane center. I remember standing in the Convention Center in new orleans 15 years ago for katrina, it reached five out over the gulch, was a category 3 when it made land. And look at the damage in the wake of katrina. This is a cat 4 bearing down on texas and louisiana tonight. This time tomorrow, george, were going to be talking about the federal relief aid thats necessary and of course it comes at a time when the federal government already strained in its reaction to the pandemic and this is part of the country thats been hit very hard by covid. They sure have. Linsey davis here, as well. Tomorrow night, going to be t k talking about the continuing protests in wisconsin and this extraordinary display of solidarity by the National Sports leagues. The nba, wnba, major league baseball, now all postponing their games. Earlier tonight, we heard from kellyanne conway, who brought us the alternative facts and looks like were really watching two alternate realities playing out. Just in a little bit, were going to hear from Vice President mike pence who is really going to be showcasing the national anthem. Earlier tonight, we heard from madison who said kneel before god and stand for our flag. Now you have the nba, wnba, several teams from Major League Soccer, major league baseball, who are taking a collective knee. We heard from president only ba tonight, who tweeted about this. Its going to take all of our institutions to stand up for our values. This is something we havent heard about yet, but perhaps we will tonight. Thank you, linsey. How much more adjustment does this convention have to make, m ifnif any . Well, it will have to, based on what happens in texas, louisiana tonight. I think the president should be considering options, does he go to the site tomorrow, does he go to louisiana and texas, is it safe for him to go there . Should he do that during the day rather than stay in washington, d. C. . Does he make an adjustment to the speech tomorrow night . All those things should be in play. Okay. Chris christie, thank you very much. Going to go now, clarence henderson, part of the boycott, sit in back in 1960s. Does not support the black lives matter movement, does support donald trump. 60 years ago, segregation was legal and enforced. The simple act of sitting at a lunch counter could lead to physical harm, jail time or worse. I know from personal experience, walking into a Woolworths Department store in 1960, i knew it was unlike any day id experienced before. My friends had been denied service the day before because of the color of their skin. We knew it wasnt right. But when we went back the next day, i didnt know whether i was going to come out in a vertical or prone position, in handcuffs or on a stretcher or even in a body bag. By sitting down to order a cup of coffee, we challenged injustice, we knew it was necessary, but we didnt know what would happen. We faced down the kkk. We were cursed at and called all kinds of names. They threatened to kill us and some of us were arrested. But it was worth it. Our actions inspired similar protests throughout the south glance racial injustice. And in the end, segregation was abolished and our country moved a step closer to true equality for all. Thats what actual peaceful protests can accomplish. America isnt perfect. Were always improving. But the great thing about this country is that its not where you come from, its where youre going. I was born on what some would call the wrong side of the tracks. I dont even have a birth certificate. I never attended an integrated school and am the only one out of my immediate family who graduated from college, an hbcu. Im a military veteran and a civil rights activist and you know what else . Im a republican and i support donald trump. If that sounds strange, you dont know your history. It was the Republican Party that passed the 13th amendment, abolishing slavery. It was the Republican Party that passed the 14th amebdment, giving black men citizenship. It was the Republican Party that passed the 15th amendment, giving black men the right to vote. Freedom of thought is a powerful thing. There are americans, voters all over the country, who media is trying to convince to conform to the same old democratic talking points. You know what that will get you . The same old results. Joe biden had the audacity to say, if you dont vote for him, you aint black. Well, to that, i say, if you do vote for biden, you dont know history. Donald trump is not a politician. Hes a leader. Politicians are a dime a dozen. Leaders are priceless. The record funding trump gave hbcus is priceless, too. So are the Record Number of jobs he created for the black community. And the investment he drove into our neighborhoods with tax incentives and opportunity zones. And so are the lives he restored by passing criminal justice reform, where 91 of the inmates released are black. These achievements demonstrate that donald trump truly cares about black lives. His policies show his heart. He has done more for black america in four years than joe biden has done in 50. Donald trump is offering real and lasting change and unprecedented opportunity to rise. A country that embraces the spirit of the Civil Rights Movement of the 60s. A place where people are judged by the content of their character, their talents and abilities, not by the color of their skin. This is the america i was fighting for 60 years ago. This is the America Donald trump is fighting for today. Lets all join in this fight for reelecting President Trump on november 3rd. Thank you. Clarence henderson. Mike pence is coming up. Well be right back. Try new natures bounty stress comfort. Three unique gummies for your unique needs. Find peace. Boost mood. Sleep well. Stress comfort comes naturally, only from natures bounty comes naturally, its more than just fast. It keeps all your devices running smoothly. With builtin security that protects your kids. No matter what theyre up to. It protects your info. And gives you 24 7 peace of mind. That if its connected, its protected. Even that that petcamera thingy. [ whines ] can your internet do that . Xfinity xfi can because its. Simple, easy, awesome. [ barking ] back now with night three of the Republican Convention. Mike pence is coming up. We have a little time with our team now and i want to bring in rahm emanuel, picking up on what Chris Christie said a moment ago. The white house is going to have to consider adjustiininininini g plans, powere hearing they may postpone the speech. In history, 1992, hurricane an true drew in florida. A time that george bush 41 wasnt focused at home. 2005, katrina in new orleans, changed midterms. Midterm election and for 2006, nancy pelosi became the first speaker. So, hurricanes and more than hurricanes, whether you show compassion, effectiveness and governing. One of the big challenges given covid was the fact that people realize this president wasnt up to the job in the sense of managing. One of the cases that bidens making right now, i handled the recovery act, i managed that process, so, if they dont handle this and i would also say not only this, but the outside events are impacting the internal rhetoric at this convention. You have whats going on in wisconsin, around the country, whats going down in texas and louisiana, outside events are buffering the inner play or the lack thereof. If they dont handle this, it will show real problems. That goes both ways. And i wonder on the protests and the reaction to the protests, ive talked to some democrats who are concerned that joe biden cant doing enough to speak out. He put out the video today, speaking out on behalf of the family, the blake family, but against the violence. A lot of democrats worried about this, thinking he should do more. Well, he said there should be an investigation and we all agree to that. I think hes riding a line, right . And i dont know that he has to do that here. We have to remember that this isnt the first time weve seen this. George floyd really opened up, i think, an opportunity for us to have these conversations about what were seeing. Lets remember, this was videotaped. We watched the police stalk this young man around the car and actually hold him in place while he was shot. Im not sure why biden feels like he has to be timid here and i think hopefully what were seeing in the outcry with some of our sports teams and certainly our entertainers will give him the latitude to be able to say, look, how much of this will we take . How much must we take . We must do something immediately. So, i think president obama stepping up and being forth right, being very clear in what he expected, i hope will give joe biden an opportunity to do the same. Okay, let me bring in sara for more. On whats happening tonight, as i said, were going to hear from mike pence. Usually the wednesday nights of the convention, the time reserved for former president s to come out and speak. Thats not going to happen here. No, theres no president bush, in fact, theres no bush at this convention. Mitt romney will not be here. Look, theres no question, this is Donald TrumpsRepublican Party. But politics is often an exercise in addition. And certainly winning a campaign requires you to reach out to other people. And were in a place now where donald trump is behind. Hes behind a few points. Five or six points, probably. And theres about 12 of the electorate are soft republicans. They like Donald Trumps policies. They dont like him. But guess who they do like . They like president bush, they like mitt romney. And hes going to have to appeal to that piece of Republican Party. And i think, look, weve had two republican nominees, one president , who have passed away since the last convention. I know he, the president , has a longstanding feud with the mccain family, but why not do a video honoring their service to the country . Thats a subtle way to be inclusive and acknowledge the Republican Party is a Diverse Party and yes, the partys policy and platform has evolved, but theres still history. Sara, thank you very much. Mike pence is coming up. Well be right back. So we collaborate ocean spray works with nature every day to farm in a Sustainable Way try new natures bounty stress comfort. Three unique gummies for your unique needs. Find peace. Boost mood. Sleep well. Stress comfort comes naturally, only from natures bounty comes naturally, so youre a small bor a big one you were thriving, flourishing, but then. Oh. Ah. Okay. Time to think, plan, pivot. How do you bounce back . You dont, you bounce forward, with powerful connectivity. Serious and reliable internet that lets you go bigger and better, with more sharing, more making. Whoa. More that. More talking. The entire time, you got this okay, less talking and more doing. All driven by the largest gig Speed Network in america. And even if the power goes down, your connection doesnt. But what if no ones in the office . Bring the office to them. But is it secure . Sure its secure. Okay, sounds great. So how do i do this . You dont do this. We do this, together. Bounce forward, with comcast business. The Republican National convention. Here again, george stephanopoulos. Back now with night three. Mike pence is coming up. First want to bring in our chief National Correspondent terry moran, for more on what were seeing in the streets. If you listen to the Democratic Convention last week, the Republican Convention this week, if you watch whats happening in kenosha, across the country, its pretty clear that both sides are betting on that people have very different reactions to what theyre seeing in the streets. Very different reactions. The democrats believe that the justice of the cry, that black lives matter, especially in the era of special media, when we see police violence, so many people will resonate and build their cause. And the republicans going to the playbook of law and order. I do think that theres a kind of vast muddled middle in the middle of the country that believes that we can do better on race, a lot better, but would like it to be done orderly and are frightened when they see cities on fire. And so, you know, how it plays, were going to learn a lot about our country. It is a huge xfactor right now. Let me bring in jon karl. Lets look ahead to mike pence now. Hes going to be out here in a couple of minutes. Ever since he was picked by donald trump to be his running mate back in 2016, with the exception of that saturday afternoon after the access hollywood tape, theres been no daylight between these two men. Mike pence has had a clear approach to being Donald Trumps running mate and his Vice President , that is, praise him at every turn. If you disagree with him or dont like something he has said, keep your mouth shut. That has been mike pences loyal approach, a true loyalist. I cannot point you to a hint of a criticism of the boss, even through some of the darkest moments of the trump presidency. Now, that said, george, this is a very interesting speech tonight. It is the only speech at this convention tonight that is live. And you have heard no reference to the violence in kenosha, to the Police Shooting in kenosha, wisconsin, youve heard nobody at this convention talk about this. Mike pence has an opportunity to address that issue. Now, he is speaking, of course, at ft. Mchenry, the inspiration for the star spangled banner, a criticism of those that have kneeled in protest. Hes about to come up. Lets listen in. Please welcome the Vice President of the United States, mike pence. Accompanied by the second lady, mrs. Karen pence. Ft. Mchenry in baltimore. Sight chosen out of necessity, of course. This convention was originally supposed to be in charlotte, North Carolina, then jacksonville, florida, the pandemic changed all that. Quite a majestic sight. Good evening, america. Its an honor to speak to you tonight. From the hallowed grounds of ft. Mchenry, the site of the very battle that inspired the words of our national anthem. Those words have inspired this land of heroes in every generation since. It was on this site 206 years ago when our young republic heroically withstood a ferocious naval bombardment from the postpposmost powerful nation on earth. They came to crush our revolution, to divide our nation and to end the american experiment. The heroes who held this fort took their stand for life, liberty, freedom and the american flag. And those ideals have defined our nation. But they were hardly ever mentioned at last weeks Democratic National convention. Inste instead, democrats spent four days attacking america. Joe biden said that we were living through a season of darkness, but as President Trump said, where joe biden sees american darkness, we see american greatness. In these challenging times, our country needs a president who believes in america. Who believes in the boundless capacity of the American People. To meet any challenge. Defeat any foe. And defend the 23r50e domfreedo dear. America needs four more years of President Donald Trump in the white house. Before i go further, allow me to say a word to the families and communities in the path of hurricane laura. Our prayers are with you tonight. And our administration is working closely with authorities in the states that will be impacted. Fema has mobilized resources and supplies for those in harms way. This is a serious storm and we urge all those in the affected areas to heed state and local authorities. Stay safe and know that well be with you every step of the way. To support, rescue, respond and recover in the days and weeks ahead. Thats what americans do. Four years ago, i answered the call to join this ticket. Because i knew that donald trump had the leadership and the vision to make America Great again. And for the last four years, ive watched this president endure unrelenting attacks but get up every day and fight to keep the promises that he made to the American People. So, with gratitude for the confidence President Donald Trump has placed in me, the support of our Republican Party and the grace of god, i humbly accept your nomination to run and serve as Vice President of the United States. Serving the American People in this office has been a journey i never expected. Its a journey that would not have been possible without the support of my family. Beginning with my wonderful wife, karen. Shes a life long School Teacher, an incredible mother to our three children and she is one outstanding second lady of the United States. Im so proud of you. And we couldnt be more proud of our three children. Marine corps captain michael j. Pence and his wife sara. Our daughter, charlotte pence bond, an author and the wife to lieutenant henry bond, who is currently deployed and serving our nation in the United States navy. And our youngest, a recent law school grad, our daughter audrey and her fiance who, like so many other americans, had to delay their wedding this summer, but we cant wait for dan to be apart of our family. In addition, my wife and kids, the person who shaped my life the most is also with us tonight. My mom, nancy. She is the daughter of an irish immigrant. 87 years young. And mom follows politics very closely. And truth be told, sometimes i think im actually her secondfavorite candidate on the trump pence ticket. Thank you, mom. I love you. Over the past four years, ive had the privilege to work closely with our president. Ive seen him when the cameras are off. Americans see President Trump in lots of different ways. But theres no doubt how President Trump sees america. He sees america for what it is. A nation that has done more good in this world than any other. A nation that deserves far more gratitude than grievance. And if you want a president who falls silent when our heritage is demeaned our insulted, hes not your man. Now, we came by very different routes to this partnership. And some people think were a little bit different. But you know, ive learned a few things watching him. Watching him deal with all that weve been through over the past four years. He does things in his own way, on his own terms. Not much gets past him. And when he has an opinion, hes liable to share it. Hes certainly kept things interesting. But more importantly, President Donald Trump has kept his word to the American People. In a city known for talkers, President Trump is a doer. And few president s have brought more independence, energy or determination to that office. Four years ago, we inherited a military hollowed out by devastating budget cuts, an economy struggling to break out of the slowest recovery since the Great Depression, isis controlled a land mass twice the size of pennsylvania and we witnessed a steady assault on our most cherished values, freedom of religion and the right to life. Thats when President Donald Trump stepped in. And from day one, he kept his word. We rebuilt our military. This president signed the largest increase in our National Defense since the days of Ronald Reagan and created the first new branch of our armed forces in 70 years, the United States space force. And with that also returned american astron t astronauts to space on an american rocket for the first time in nearly ten years. And after years of scandal that robbed our veterans of the care that you earned in the uniform of the United States, President Trump kept his word again. We reformed the v. A. And veterans choice is now available for every veteran in america. Our armed forces and our veterans fill this land of heroes and many join us tonight in this historic fort. Tonight, we have among us four recipients of the medal of honor. Six recipients of the purple heart. A gold star mother of a gallant navy s. E. A. L. And Wounded Warriors from soldier strong, a group that serves our injured veterans every day. We are honored by your presence and we thank you for your service. With heroes just like these, we defend this nation every day. But under this commander in chief, weve taken the fight to radical islamic terrorists on our terms on their soil. Last year, American Armed forces took the last inch of isis territory, crushed their caliphate and took down their leader without one american casualty. And i was there. When President Trump gave the order to take out the worlds most dangerous terrorist, irans top general will never harm another american because he is gone. My fellow americans, you deserve to know, joe biden criticized President Trump following those decisions. Decisions to rid the world of two terrorist leaders. But its not surprising. Because history records that joe biden even opposed the operation that took down osama bin laden. Its no wonder that the secretary of defense under the Obama Biden Administration once said that joe biden has been, and i quote, wrong on nearly every major Foreign Policy and National Security issue over the past four decades. So, weve stood up to our enemies and weve stood with our allies. Like when President Trump kept his word and moved the American Embassy to jerusalem, the capital of the state of israel. Setting the stage for the first arab country to recognize israel in 26 years. Closer to home, we appointed more than 200 conservative judges to our federal courts. We supported the right to life and all the godgiven liberties enshrined in our constitution, including the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms. And when it came to the economy, President Trump kept his word and then some. We passed the largest tax cut and reform in american history. We rolled back more federal red tape than any administration ever had. We unleashed American Energy and fought for free and fair trade and in our first three years, businesses large and small created more than 7 million good paying jobs, including 500,000 manufacturing jobs all across america. Our country became a net exporter of energy for the first time in 70 years. Unemployment rates for africanamericans and hispanicamericans hit the lowest level ever recorded. And on this 100th anniversary of the womans right to vote, im proud to report that under President Donald Trump, we achieved the lowest Unemployment Rate for women in 65 years. And more americans work than ever before. In our first three years, we built the greatest economy in the world. We made America Great again. And from china. Before the first case of the Coronavirus Spread within the United States, the president took unprecedented action and suspended all travel from china, the secondlargest economy in the world. Now, that action saved untold american lives. And i can tell you firsthand, it bought us invaluable time to launch the greatest National Mobilization since world war ii. President trump marshaled the full resources of our federal government from the outset. He directed us to forge a Seamless Partnership with governors across america in both political parties. We partnered with private industry to reinvent testing and produce supplies that were distributed to hospitals around the land. Today, were conducting more than 800,000 tests a day and we have coordinated the delivery of billions of pieces of personal protective equipment for our amazing doctors, nurses and health care workers. We saw to the manufacture of 100,000 ventilators in 100 days. And no one who required a ventilator was ever denied a ventilator in the United States. We built hospitals, surged military medical personnel and enacted an economic rescue package that saved 50 million american jobs. As we speak, were developing a growing number of treatments, known as therapeutics, including convalescent plasma, that are saving lives all across america. Now, last week joe biden said that no miracle is coming. Well, what joe doesnt seem to understand is that america is a nation of miracles. And im proud to report that were on track to have the worlds first safe, effective Coronavirus Vaccine by the end of this year. After all the sacrifice in this year like no other, all the hardship, were finding our way forward again. But tonight, our hearts are with all the families who have lost loved ones. And have family members still struggling with serious illness. In this country, we mourn with those who mourn, we grieve with those who grieve. And this night, i know that millions of americans will pause and pray for gods comfort for each of you. You know, our country doesnt get through such a time unless its people find the strength within. The response of doctors, nurses, first responders, farmers, factory workers, truckers and eve Everyday Americans who put the health and safety of their neighbors first has been nothing short of heroic. Veronica every day. Da day in and day out went to work in one of new york citys busiest hospitals. She stayed on the job, put in the long hours until it was done and then got back in her neighborhood and helped neighbors and friends struggling. Her brother william is a new york city firefighter. And theyre both emblematic of heroes all across this country. Theyre with us tonight and i say to them and to all of you, you have earned the admiration of the American People and we will always be grateful for your service and care. Thanks to the courage and compassion of the American People, were slowing the spread. Were protecting the vulnerable. And were saving lives. And were opening up america again. Because of the Strong Foundation that President Trump poured in our first three years, weve already gained back 9. 3 million jobs in the last three months alone. And were not just opening up america again. Were opening up americas schools. And im proud to report that my wife karen, that School Teacher ive been married to, will be returning to her classroom next week and so, to all of our heroic teachers and faculty and staff, thank you for being there for our kids. Were going to stay with you every step of the way. In the days ahead, as we open up america again, i promise you, well continue to put the health of america first. And as we work to bring this economy back, we all have a role to play. And we all have a choice to make. On november 3rd, you need to ask yourse yourself, who do you trust to rebuild this economy . A career politician who presided over the slowest economic recovery since the Great Depression . Or a proven leader who created the greatest economy in the world . The choice is clear. To bring america all the way back, we need four more years of President Donald Trump. In the white house. My fellow americans, were passing through a time of testing. But in the midst of this global pandemic, just as our nation had begun to recover, weve seen violence and chaos in the streets of our major cities. President trump and i will always support the right of americans to peaceful protest. But rioting and looting is not peaceful protest. Tearing down statues is not free speech. And those who do so will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Last week, joe biden didnt say one word about the violence and chaos engulfing cities across this country. So let me be clear. The violence must stop, whether in minneapolis, portland or kenosha. Too many heroes have died defending our freedom to see Americans Strike each other down. We will have law and order on the streets of this country for every american of every race and creed and color. President trump and i know that the men and women that put on the uniform of Law Enforcement are the best of us. Every day, when they walk out that door, they consider our lives more important than their own. People like dave patrick underwood, an officer in the department of homeland securitys federal protective service who was shot and killed during the riots in oakland, california. Daves heroism is emblematic of the heroes that serve in blue every day. And were privileged tonight to be joined by his sister angela. Angela, we say to you, we grieve with your family and america will never forget or fail to honor officer dave patrick underwood. The American People know, we dont have to choose between supporting Law Enforcement and standing with our africanamerican neighbors. To improve the quality of their lives. Education, jobs and safety. And from the first days of this administration, weve done both. And we will keep supporting Law Enforcement and keep supporting our africanamerican and minority communities across this land for four more years. Now, joe biden says that america is systemically racist. And that Law Enforcement in america has, and i quote, an implicit bias against minorities. When asked whether hed support cutting funding to Law Enforcement, joe biden replied, yes. Absolutely. Joe biden would double down on the very policies that are leading to violence in americas cities. The hard truth is, you wont be safe in joe bidens america. And under President Trump, we will always stand with those who stand on the thin blue line and were not going to defund the police, not now, not ever. My fellow americans, were passing through a time of testing. But soon, we will come to a time for choosing. Joe biden has referred to himself as a transition candidate. And many were asking, transition to what . But last week, democrats didnt talk very much about their agenda. And if i were them, i wouldnt, either. Bernie sanders did tell his followers that joe biden would be the most liberal president in modern times. In fact, he said, and i quote, that many of the ideas he fought for, that just a few years ago were considered radical, are now mainstream. In the democratic party. At the root of their agenda is the belief that america is driven by envy, not aspiration. That millions of americans harbor ill will toward our neighbors instead of loving our neighbors as ourselves. The radical left believes that the federal government must be involved in every aspect of our lives, to correct those american wrongs. They believe the federal government needs to dictate how americans live, how we should work, how we should raise our children and in the process, deprive our people of freedom, prosperity and security. Their agenda is based on government control. Our agenda is based on freedom. Where President Trump cut taxes, joe biden wants to raise taxes by nearly 4 trillion. Where this president achieved Energy Independence for the United States, joe biden would abolish fossil fuels, end fracking and impose a regime of Climate Change regulations that would drastically increase the cost of living for working families. Where we fought for free and fair trade and this president stood up to china and ended the era of economic surrender, joe biden has been a cheerleader for communist china. He wants to repeal all the tariffs that are leveling the Playing Field for american workers. And he actually criticized President Trump for suspending all travel to china at the outset of this pandemic. Joe biden is for open borders,