Transcripts For KNTV 2020 Republican Convention 20240712

Trump and mike pompeo from jerusalem. Just before things got started tonight, we got word that one of tonights speakers had been pulled from the program. Maryann mendoza was scheduled to appear in i a video. She shared an antisemitic video today. Chuck todd is at his post. Youve been listening for about an hour and a half now, the second night of the republican convention. What themes are emerging. I would say theres a little less red meat so far. Tonight youre seeing another similar theme. Theres another focus, particularly show casing what President Trump has done with criminal justice reform. You know, both campaigns, guys, tell me that there is a chance that donald trump could overperform with africanamerican men. A its a concern of the Biden Campaign and its a focus of the trump campaign. A lot of this targeting here is something we talked about last night, trying to cut against this narrative that the president has been stoking racial tensions. Theyve been trying to heal this because they see it as a way back in for suburban voters. I will say this. I do think, just like hes had problems when he appoints people to office, theyve had a vetting issue. Their small distractions with speakers, controversial things theyve tweeted or said, but it seems as if this is becoming a distraction. And theres enough of these distractions and step on the messages theyre hoping to get out. Let me turn to hallie jackson. She has reporting on what well be hearing from Melania Trump a short time from now. What can you tell us, ally . This is a big moment and big deal speech for the first lady, expected to be one of her longest speeches shell deliver from the newly renovated rose garden. President trump was spotted there a couple minutes ago taking a look at the set up. You see about 100 chairs in a socially distant fashion. This is going to be a positive and uplifting campaign. The first lady be talk about her be best campaign and tangible ways to expand that over the next four years if her husband is ree ekt willed. Shell talk about the pride she has in her husband and his accomplishments. Melania trumps task is to humanize President Trump. She wants to make him relate able to suburban voters. Theres pressure on Melania Trump. She doesnt often step into the spotlight in this way. One of the last times she did at the 2016 national convention, there was a fire storm over remarks she made that were from a Michelle Obama speech. Im told every word tonight is authentic. Weve seen the power of incumbency tonight. The president pardoned someone, part of the Convention Event earlier. Well hear from mike pompeo from gentlem jerusalem as he conducts work around the world. Andrea mitchell is with us. Andrea, what did you learn about what pompeo is going to say. There is unprecedented because there is a law against federal employees doing politics on the job. There has not been a secretary of state to seek at a Convention Since world war ii because theres policies, theres tradition. Theres also a stage one regulation that was reiterated last december and signed by mike pompeo just last july 24th, a month ago, to all employees saying that they should, theyre barred from politics on the job. And even when they are off duty, especially if theyre overseas. Now, he is actually in bahrain tonight, but he taped this in jerusalem from the rooftop of a Historic Town and behind him is the holy city, both arab and jewish, the israeli sites as well. This is an important backdrop for a strong evangelical message, strong message on defending Foreign Policy of President Trump, of course. But it is really unusual and this has inspired criticism from a lot of republicans, former diplomats, current diplomats, republicans who say it is really bad precedent. The idea as laid out in this policy is that there is one u. S. Government at a time and politics have nothing to do with it. The old saying is politics stop at the waters edge. The state Department Says he did it on his down time yesterday and no government money was spent, but its the appearance and what it projects to countries around the world. If youre just watching, well let our viewers know that the top right is the rnc feed. Its the video feed coming to us in this virtual convention. 2020 has a lot of things unprecedented, and add this to the list. We are awaiting the speech by eric trump, the president s second son. The convention has had an array of speakers on economy, religious freedom, abortion. Lets take a look at what was just said. President trump became the first president to talk about the importance of religious freedom at the United Nations, giving hope to people of faith around the world. I now support President Trump because he has done more for the unborn than any other president. This is a fight for freedom versus oppression, for opportunity versus stagnation, a fight to keep america true to america. Theres the housing boom. S, theres an auto boom, a manufacturing boom, a Consumer Spending boom. Stocks are in record territory. A vshaped recovery is pointing to better than 20 growth in the second half of this year. And nbc news Senior Business correspondent Stephanie Ruhle joins us with more. Stephanie, we heard larry kudlow and his remarks talking about this v recovery happening, suggesting that really every sector is moving forward. What do we know . Lester, we know that before covid hit, the economy was strong. It was growing. And then corona happened, and it put us in a health and economic crisis. And the thing is, lester, neither are over. While were living in corona, nothing is booming. Were in a recovery. Thanks to the government trying to get us back on our feet, were in a fragile and selective recovery. Just think about it. When they set Interest Rates so low, yes, its cheaper to go out and buy a car, and buy a house. We can borrow money cheap. When you think about the stock market, its not all sectors doing well. Look close. Its the tech behemoths that are carrying the market and they dont need to recover. Theyre thriving in the time of corona. Larry kudlow and the president has a difficult needle to thread here because while some areas are improving, we still have 30 Million People without jobsment weve got 80,000 Small Businesses that have closed permanently. This is a complicated time. So, its tough to say all boats are rising. A lot of boats continue to suffer, at least while weve got covid here. Stephanie, thanks. Also joiping us tonight is rich lowery, editor and contributor. Hi there. The perception before this convention was republicans and president were having a hard time figuring out what sticks in criticizing joe biden. Do you think that is republicans are finding their voice, finding their point of attack here . Well, i think they have made some progress on multi fronts. And one reason it seems a little scatter sought approach last night. And tonight theyre trying to do multiple things. They want to warm up President Trumps image including by highlighting accomplishments. They want to shore up and base. And they want to take joe biden down a notch. And the main attack on biden is, as the speaker said tonight, earlier this week, he was wholesome to the left, he has a radical agenda that americans should reject. And i think so far well see what awaits us in the next hour or so. But the story of this night is the canny political use of nonpoliticians to deliver really political messages. Theres a Congressional District in maine thats hard fought in matters a lot. Got someone from maine. Minnesota potentially could be a swing state. Trump just narrowly lost it last time. We heard from someone from minnesota. And we also heard some really excoriating critiques of joe biden from these ordinary americans. I think its been effective. That would be like watching the convention with your battleground out, you can color in many of those key states. Exactly. What you are seeing in the top white is actually tape of the president conducting a natural zags ceremony. He granted a pardon during this convention, now doing nationalization ceremonies. Chuck, for all the talk that the polls favor joe biden right now, we all know its early, well see what happens. The power of incumbency an incumbent president is hard to beat. Yes, theres a reason its only happened twice in the last 100 years. Its quite difficult. And you saw the different ways i mean, rich is right. I mean, and so are you. You saw we had two speakers from wisconsin, that Congressional District, you see the map here. This is the most competitive map that we have now that i put here. This narrows the country down to just six states. Three of the six closest states that we think are the most competitive, arizona, North Carolina and florida in the south, pennsylvania, wisconsin and michigan in the north. And pretty much Everything Else stays what it was in 2016, trump carried all six of these states. He doesnt need all six of them, but he does need quite a few of them. Lets give biden michigan and pen en. Look what happened. Biden sat 269 and trumps got a problem. This isnt the easiest path that he has. But one does exist for him, right . You can see him. He does florida and he does North Carolina, which hes done before, and he pulls off, say, wisconsin, okay, then hes got to hold arizona. And then he needs one more of these, michigan or pennsylvania, or hes got to get this one Congressional District in nebraska. The point is this. Theres a path for the president. Its not an implausible path. Its just a narrow one. Is there such a thing as a convention bounce anymore . Oh, not anymore. I think we discussed this before. I will say this, if i were the president , the best he should hope for out of this convention is if just his job rate could go up a little bit. For an incumbent president , thats the number to watch the most. If that number goes north of 45 in the next couple of months, donald trump has a reasonable if not good chance of reelection. If he cant get that job rating north of 45, if hes not getting that 47, 48 job rating, hes not going to win the election. I think its an awful big risk to be ignoring the virus as much as theyve been ignoring it tonight. We shall see what this night holds. We do know that eric trump, the second son of donald trump, is going to speak any moment now. Melania trump, its her night tonight, and ivanka later in the week. Were expecting eric trump to take the podium any minute now. Thats right. Eric trump will be among those who make the personal case for President Trump, in addition to the first lady who is going to be speaking a little bit later. And Tiffany Trump who spoke earlier this evening. He is one of the trump executives at the trump organization. He will talk about donald trump the father, the businessman, and also the president. I am told hes going to talk about the fact that his father built a movement and in the same way that this country was built, the democrats are now trying to tear it down. That is the messaging im told that youll hear from him. Expect him also to take sharp aim at Vice President joe biden including overhis Foreign Policy and china in particular. Now, the president s children played a Critical Role in his election in 2016, really some of his top and most aggressive surrogates. And we are seeing that in this election cycle as well. They, in fact, ramped up their outreach in the midst of covid through Virtual Campaign events and fundraising. They also energized the base and potentially reach out to younger voters, savanna. Thank you. Appearing on tape provided by the rnc some of these things are on tape. Some are live. This happens to be tape. This is eric trump now who will deliver his remarks before this convention. Good evening, america. When i stood on this Convention Stage four yearsing a, no one fully understood the historic change that was about to take place. We could all feel it. Something was happening. A movement was forming just below the surface. The forgotten man and woman were preparing to rise up. Our movement followed the pattern of so many that came before us. First we were ignored, then we were laughed at. Then they fought us. And then, together, we won. From that moment forward, america came first. America started winning again. America became respected again. With every movement, theres a countermovement. In the view of the radical democrats, america is a source of the worlds problems. As a result, they believe the only path forward is to erase history and forget the past. They want to destroy the monuments of our forefathers. They want to disrespect our flag, burn the stars and stripes that represent patriotism and the American Dream. They want to disrespect our National Anthem by taking a knee while our armed forces lay down their lives every day to protect our freedom. They do not want the pledge of allegiance in our schools. Many of them dont want one nation under god. The democrats want to defund and disrespect our Law Enforcement. The democrats want an america where your thoughts and opinions are censored when they do not align with their own. President reagan said freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. It must be fought for, and it must be protected. This is the fight that we are in right now, and it is a fight that only my father can win. My father ran not because he needed the job because he knew hardworking people across this great country were being left behind. The media mocked these patriots in the flyover states in which they lived. They ignored the trump flag. They ignored the millions of maga banners and farms painted in red, white and blue. The silent majority had no one fighting for them in either party. Their socalled leaders were bowing to china, bribing iran, and spending more time worried about how they would be received by the elites in paris than how families would provide in pittsburgh. My father pledged to every american in every city, state and town that he was going to make America Great again. And so began the Great American comeback. Almost immediately tarxes were slashed, regulations were cut, and the economy soared to new heights, heights never seen befored. Wages went through the roof. Unemployment went through the roof, especially for black americans, hispanic americans and women. Lights were turned back on in abandoned factories across our country. Trillions of dollars were repatriated back to the United States which has been sitting in foreign land for far too long. Once again, america became the envy of the world. And with that renewed strength came leverage. The president demanding that our allies pay our fair share for defense of the western world. My father rebuilt the Mighty American military, adding new jets, aircraft carriers. He increased wages for our incredible men and women in uniform. He expanded our military Defense Budget to 721 billion per year. America was no longer weak in the eye of the enemy. The moment President Trump ordered special forces kill a deadly terrorist, the day the moab was drobed, al baghdadi, soleimani, dead. Issue after issue, the economy, the wall, the military, trade deals, tax cuts, Supreme Court justices, va hospitals, prescription drugs, school choice, right to try, moving the embassy to jerusalem, peace in the middle east, never ending wars finally ended, promises made and promises for the first time were kept. Most politicians spend their entire careers in washington, d. C. And get absolutely nothing accomplished. For example, joe biden. Joe biden is a politician who has been in government for 47 years. Hes a career politician whos never signed the front of a check and does not know the slightest thing about the American Worker or the american business. The engine which fuels the greatest economy the world has ever known. The same politician who has been a total pushover for communist china and someone who would be a giant relief for terrorist who have now spent years running, hiding and being taken out by the most talented military known to man. Joe biden has pledged to raise taxes by 4 trillion. 82 of americans will see taxes go up significantly. Biden has pledged to stop border wall construction and give amnesty and health care to all illegal immigrants. Biden has pledged to defund the police and take away your cherished second amendment. My father, on the other hand, delivered the largest tax cuts. If you do not have a border, you do not have a country, and well always support Law Enforcement and your right to keep and bear arms. Every day, my father fights for the american people, the forgotten man and woman of this country, the ones who embody the american spirit, which is unlike anything else in the world. It built the new york city skyline. It built the hoover dam. And soon, under my fathers leadership, it will send americans to mars. The american sphere can be felt in the majesty of the grand canyon, the shadows of mt. Rushmore, and the stillness of the air in gettysburg. It can be seen in the wide eyed wonder of every american child as they take their first breath in the greatest country the world has ever known. It defeated fascism. It defeated communism. And in 68 days, it will defeat the empty, oppressive and radical views of the extreen wi this simple warning. One day we can spend our sun set years telling our children what it was once like in the United States where men and women were free. Under President Trump, freedom will never be a thing of the past. Thats what a vote for donald trump represents. Its a vote for the american spirit, the American Dream, and for the american flag. To the Law Enforcement officer whos being taxed, betrayed and whose job they are trying to make extinct, my father will fight for you. To all houses of worship and all houses of faith stripped of religious freedoms and liberties, my father will fight for you. To the voiceless, shamed, censored and cancelled, my father will fight for you. To our farmers who work dawn to dust to keep our plates full, my father will fight for you. To every single mother and father, to our veterans, our coal miners, and to the American Worker, my father will fight for you. And to every proud american who believes red, white and blue, my father will continue to fight for you. In closing, i would like to speak directly to my father. I miss working alongside you every single day, but im damn proud to be on the front lines of this fight. Im proud of what youre doing for this country. Im proud to show my children what their grandfather is fighting forment im proud to watch you give them hell. Never stop. Continue to be unapologetic. Keep fighting for what is right. You are making america strong again. You are making america safe again. You are making america proud again. And yes, together, with the forgotten man and woman who are finally forgotten no more, you are making America Great again. Dad, lets make uncle robert very proud this week. Lets go get another four years. I love you very much. God bless you, and god bless the United States of america. Eric trump and that deeply personal moment but at the same time resurrecting some of the themes we heard yesterday of the things that they accuse democrats of bringing about, empty, oppression, freedom of religion under attack, some of the things last night. And attack of joe biden. Were hearing back and forth on the campaigns on some of the facts there. Were back after a quick break with secretary of state mike pompeo and Melania Trump and another bundle in the books. Got to hand it to you, jamie. Your knowledge of victorian architecture really paid off this time. Nah, just got lucky. So did the thompsons. That faulty wiring couldve cost them a lot more than the mudroom. Thankfully they bundled their motorcycle with their home and auto. Theyre protected 24 7. Mm. What do you say . One more game of backgammon . [ chuckles ] not on your life. [ laughs ] when the lights go down brushing only reaches 25 of your mouth. Helping to prevent gum disease and bad breath. Never settle for 25 . Always go for 100. Bring out the bold™ im looking for my client. Im so sorry. Accountant. [ sighs ] hey hey man youre here. You dont trust me here is vegas, do you . Well. I thought we had a breakthrough with the volkswagen. We did. Yes. We broke through. Thats the volkswagen thats the cross sport. Wow. Seatbelts. Please, just tell me where were going. 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 ] a lot more ahead. We want to check in with chuck todd one more time. Chuck, talk to us a little bit about this mailin voting and why it has become such an issue in the last several week. Its a simple thing its sort of President Trumps own experience. A lot of states have changed their laws in the last four years when it comes to absentee ballots, how hard or easy it is. Two of the hardest states to vote in in 2016 were pennsylvania and michigan. Theres now democratic voters in both states. In pennsylvania, there were 6 million votes cast in 2016. Only a little over 100,000 of them were absentee ballots. This year for their primary, now that they allow more vote by mail, and no excuse absentee, 60 of all voters did it in the mail. It changes things big time. The president is superstitious. He narrowly won pennsylvania mostly on same day voting. He narrowly won michigan mostly on same day voting. Let me take you here. Heres where the president s argument is a head scratcher. These are the three Southern States we told you that matter the most this year, arizona, florida, and North Carolina. Florida and arizona have been voting by mail extensively. 70 of all people who voted in 2016 in florida voted either early or in the mail. Only 40 voted on e llection da. Its a state the president won. Of course the president says hes okay with floridas mailin balloting. Its the states that havent done it before. This is all because in the six states that matter the most, two of those six that the president carried have changed their laws and hes worried he cant miss them. And its a pandemic, so people arent as anxious to vote in person as before. Let me go to rich lowery. The president has been talking about this almost nonstop, his fear that mailin voting is going to lead to fraud. He has said the only way he can lose this election is if its a rigged election. Thats a quote. Do you think thats a winning message for him . No, i think its really in fear. A little bit of a head scratcher. There might be now because of different attitudes between republicans and democrats about the risks of the pandemic and also because of the president s own rhetoric, which is going to give mailin voting a bad name for some rub cepublicans. I do think there are scenarios you have a train wreck resulting from mailin voting. One would be that the president is leading on Election Night because of the inperson voting and then you have the mailin vote slowly being counted and slowly whos ahead changes. That would be an ugly process. Two, if theres a delay in counting also, the states would run up against the deadline and statute about when youre supposed to submit your votes to congress. I think one bipartisan measure before it gets too late, congress should delay those deadlines without delaying the inauguration and when the new president comes in. Those two scenarios could be ugly. It may be we dont know the result on Election Night because so many elections are expected to be cast by mail. Were awaiting remarks from secretary of state mike pompeo whos in jerusalem. Hell be speaking atop the King David Hotel in jerusalem, which is a key signal to a certain bloc of voters. Tell us about that. Key bloc of course are the evangelicals. Christian evangelicals. Hes spent a lot of time nurturing that group. Theyre very important to donald trump. Theyre very important to israel as well as of course some Jewish Voters who are very supportive of israel. Hes going to talk about china. Peter navarro told me that today, and china is a big issue with pompeo. He is one of the most hardline of the all of the advisers of the president on china. He recently said that the nixon opening to china from 70 years ago was the biggest mistake in u. S. China policy. So, that is an issue. Hes going the take credit for north korea, although a lot of people think there hasnt been a lot of progress there for nato, for other big issues. The fact hes giving that speech, hes not even in jerusalem tonight. Hes in bahrain. But he was there last night, taped it, and thats already a subject of a house subcommittee invest gase. Its rare not only for a sitting secretary of state to speak at a convention, but even to attend a convention. Doesnt usually happen, does it . No, and in fact, there is a law arguably against it. Theyll debate whether it applies. But there are very tight state regulations that he himself circulated only a month ago, as i say, saying you cannot do that, and particularly not overseas. Andrea, secretary pompeo is coming up. Let me quickly ask you, assuming hes going to list successes. What is the biggest policy success . Theres a big one which is the israeli united ar abemirates. Looking out over the old city. I have a big job. As susans husband and nicks dad. Susan and nick are more safe and their freedom is more secure because President Trump has put his America First vision into action. It may not have made him popular in every foreign capital, but its work. President trump understands what president eisenhower said, for all we cherish and justly desire for ourselves or our children, the securing of peace is the first reck by zit. Indi indeed the primary function of the constitution is ensuring your family and mine are safe and enjoy the freedom to live, to wosh, to learn and to worship as they choose. Delivering on this duty to keep us safe and our freedoms intact, this president has led bold initiatives in nearly every corner of the world. In china, hell pulled back the predatory aggression on the Chinese Communist party. The president has held china accountable for covering up the china virus and allowing it to spread death and economic destruction in america and around the world, and he will not rest until justice is done. He has ensured that the Chinese Communist spies posing as diplomats in america are jailed and sent back to china. And he has ended the trade arrangement with china that punched a hole in our economy. Those jobs, those jobs are coming back home. In north korea, the president lowering the temperature. And against all odds got the north korean leadership to the table. No nuclear tests, no long range missile tests, and americans held captive in north korea came home to their families as did the precious remains of scores of heroes who fought in korea. Today, today because of President Trump, nato is stronger, ukraine has defensive ian aggression. And our nation and in the middle east, when iran threatened, the president approved the strike that killed the terrorist kqassem soleimani. Youll recall too that when the president took office, radical islamic terrorists had beheaded americans and isis controlled a territory the size of great britain. Today, today because of the president s leadership, the isis caliphate is wiped out. Its gone. Al baghdadi is dead, and our brave soldiers, theyre on their way home. The president exited the u. S. From the Disastrous Nuclear Deal with iran and squeezed the ayatollah, hezbollah, and hamas. The president , too, moved the u. S. Embassy to this very city of jerusalem, the rightful capital of the jewish homeland. And just two weeks ago, the president brokered a historic peace deal between israel and the united ar raab emirates. This is a deal our grandchildren will read about in history books. As a soldier, i saw first hand people desperate to flea to freedom. The way each of us can ensure our freedoms is electing leaders who dont just talk, but deliver. An american hostage imprisoned in turkey for two years said upon his releet that he survived his ordeal with these words of scripture. Be faithful, endure and finish well. If we stay the course, we will. May god richly bless you, and may god bless our great nation, the United States of america. Secretary of state mike pompeo concluding his remarks. The camera, the feed from the rnc taking us to the south of the rose garden of the white house where we are expecting to hear first lady Melania Trump speak. But theres the Vice President and mrs. Pence. We believe well see the president in a moment. Were in a stage right now. Were not clear how this is all going to work. Shell deliver her speech in under a half hour. This is live pictures of the rose garden, just newly renovated and just where the Vice President and second lady just walked out from. That is the oval office, the colony where theyre walking out. It looks like theyve got about 50 folks there. Theyre socially distanced and we will be watching the speech which we await any moment. Hallie jackson joins us from the other side of the building. We watch the president walk out, hallie, all of this is just something weve never seen in a convention before. Biden said because of the pandemic, it cant be held in a convention hall. So, were seeing the white house being used as a backdrop. And part of the reasoning why aides to first lady chose the rose garden for this speech, the renovation had been in the works prior to that announcement but its an opportunity to be here. That said, at the same time theres a political component to this as well. Its an opportunity as weve been talking about tonight for the president to use the power of his presidency and incumbency. The introduction tape is playing. It is my honor to present first lady Melania Trump. First lady Melania Trump. First lady Melania Trump officially kicking off her be best initiative. Taking on opioid abuse. Lets join together to help children think big, and do all they can to be best in all they can do. This is show casing what she brings to being first lady. I think people have underestimated her big time. The first lady was amazing. She was gracious, empathetic, and showed true compassion. First lady Melania Trump stepping out on to the world stage. The be best campaign is going national. She has the advantage of speaking several languages. She can be a diplomat for our country. This of course is her continuing to work on her be best campaign, by shining a spotlight on the program that teach children tools and skills. She represents our country with enormous warmth and elegance and grace. Women have made lasting impacts on society, and these women present the strength of the female spirit. As first lady of the United States, im proud of what this country continues to do for women. We, as women, must continue using our rich tool of empowerment, our voices. It was a very important moment for Melania Trump. This was a really prominent week for her. The iconic white house rose garden has been renovated for the first time in 60 years. There should be a special chapter reserved for our first lady. She is an incredible first lady. An amazing mother, an incredible mother, first lady Melania Trump. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the first lady of the United States, mrs. Melania trump. First lady in recent decades going out to the assembled crowd. Some of the people have worked on her programs as well as white house staff among the invited guests here on the rose garden lawn. She, in her first major speech since the last convention, at least in terms of an address to the nation. And as you said, she is one of the more private first ladies weve had. But she will tell you, she is independent. Shes got her own thoughts. She speaks her mind and were about to hear whats on her mind tonight as she addresses the rose garden. [ applause ] [ cheers and applause ] good evening. It seems like just yesterday that we were at our First Convention where my husband accepted the republican nomination and then became our 45th president of the United States. He had the energy and enthusiasm for who should lead this nation. It is real today as it was four years ago. I know i speak for my husband and the entire family when i say we have not forgotten the incredible people who are willing to take a chance on the businessman who had never worked in politics. We know it was you who elected him to be commander in chief, and we know it is you who will carry us through again. We were humbled by the incredible support then, and we are still grateful today. I want to acknowledge the fact that since march, our lives have changed drastically. The invisible enemy, covid19, swept across our beautiful country and impacted all of us. My deepest sympathy goes out to everyone who has lost a loved one, and my prayers are with those who are ill or suffering. I know many people are anxious and some feel helpless. I want you to know, youre not alone. My Husbands Administration will not stop fighting until there is an effective treatment or vaccine available to everyone. Donald will not rest until he has done all he can to take care of everyone impacting by this terrible pandemic. I want to extend my gratitude to all of the health care professionals, frontline workers and teachers who stepped up in this difficult time. Despite risk to yourself and your own families, you put our country first. And my husband and i are grateful. I have been warmed by the way americans have come together in such an unfamiliar and often frightening situation. It is in times like this that we will look back and tell our grandchildren that your kindness and compassion, strength and determination, we were able to restore the promise of our future. Businesses stepped up and volunteered stepped in. People were eager to share ideas, resources and support of all kinds with neighbors and strangers alike. It has been inspiring to see what the people of our great nation will do for one another, especially when we are at our most fragile. Speaking of strength and determination, we recently celebrated the 100year anniversary of the passage of the 19th amendment. Yesterday, on the north lawn of the white house, we unveiled an exhibit dedicated to womens suffrage. The exhibit called on children from across the country to send art honoring the meaning of this important time in womens history. When i was judging the entries, i reflected on the impact of womens i voices in our nations story and how proud i would be to cast my vote again for donald this november. We must make sure that women are heard and that American Dream continues to thrive. Growing up as a young child in s sloven slovenia which was under communist rule at the time, i always heard of an amazing place called america, a land that stood for freedom and opportunity. As i grew older, it became my goal to move to the United States and follow my dream of working in the fashion industry. My parents worked very hard to ensure our family could not only live and prosper in america, but also contribute to a nation that allows people to arrive with a dream and make it reality. I want to take the moment to thank my mother and father for all they have done for our family. It is because of you that im standing here today. [ applause ] i arrived in the United States when i was 26 years old. Living and working in the land of opportunity was a dream come true, but i wanted more. I wanted to be a citizen. After ten years of paperwork and patience, i studied for the testest in 2006 and became an american citizen. [ applause ] it is still one of the proudest moments in my life because with hard work and determination, i was able to achieve my own American Dream. As an immigrant and a very independent woman, i understand what a privilege it is to live here and to enjoy the freedoms and opportunities that we have. As first lady, i have been fortunate to see the American Dream come true over and over again. I have met many fine women, children, parents and family who is have overcome lifechanging issues leading to addiction, homelessness, family members who are ill or have passed away, abuse of all kinds and many other challenges that would make most people give up. The past 3 1 2 years have been unforgettable. There are no words to describe how honored, humbled and fortunate i am to serve our nation as your first lady. After many of the experiences ive had, i dont know if i can fully explain how many people i take home with me in my heart each day, from brave soldiers who give up so much so that we can be free to children of all circumstances who i have met around the world, thank you for inspiring me. It is my greatest honor to serve you. When i speak to members of the military, despite sacrificing time with their family, experiencing war or suffering loss, they have no regrets about serving our country. The same goes for their families and the families of First Responders who often watch their loved ones walk out the door, not sure if or when they will come home. When i speak to families who have lost someone, the pain and pride in their voices is something i think about often. So, thank you to all who serve our country in the military and as First Responders. And thank you for the families who wait for them. You are all heroes in your own rite. I have also been moved by the many children and families ive spent time with at hospitals, schools and other locations around the world. Children who are dealing with pain or illness that would break even the strongest adult. Parents who are grateful to wake up every day and see if their child is alive. These families are a testament to what faith and medicine, strength and science can do. On my First International trip as first lady, my husband and i visited places of great significance to the three major religions, islam, christianity, and judaism. One special memory of that trip is of a young boy i had privilege of visiting in rome, italy. While there, i read the little boy a story and learned that he and his family had been waiting for a heart for a very long time. And he had a grim prognosis. His situation brought my staff and me to tears. And we spoke of a little elf as we flew to belgium for the next part of our trip. Upon landing just a few hours later, we learned that a heart had been donated and would be going to the little one. I think about him often, along with so many amazing and strong young patients across our own country. More profound and sadly unavoidable examples of our countrys strength and character have appeared in the communities that have been impacted by natural disasters. Hurricanes, tornados and flooding show the ugly side of mother nature. But in their aftermath, they can show us a beautiful side of humanity. My husband and i have visited many places that have been affected by natural disaster. And we are deeply moved by the strength of the people who have lost everything and the kindness of neighbors and communities. The Common Thread in all of these challenges situations is the unwaivering resolve to help one another. I recognize the stories i disclosed about people who survived extraordinary circumstances, but donald and i are also inspired by the millions of americans who wake up each day with a simple, yet courageous goal of providing for their families and keeping them safe. You are the backbone of this country. You are the people who continue to make the United States of america what it is and who have the incredible responsibility of preparing our future generations to leave everything even better than they found it. Just as you are fighting for your family, my husband, our family and the people in this administration are here fighting for you. No matter the amount of negative or false media headlines or attacks from the other side, donald trump has not and will not lose focus on you. He loves this country, and he knows how to get things done. As we have learned over the past five years, hes not aytra dish nal politician. He doesnt just speak words. He demands action, and he gets results. The future of our country has always been very important to him, and it is something that i have always admired. In fact, it is to help ensure a Better Future for our next generation that i launched be best. My initiative to help children achieve their fullest potential. Be best has one simple goal, teaching youth about the importance of their wellbeing, both mentally and physically. This also includes understanding Online Safety and the danger of opioid and drug abuse. To be best, my office and i have been able to highlight people, programs and organizations that are doing extraordinary things in our country and around the world. I continue to believe that by shining a light on these examples, others across the country and globe will become inspired to do their part for our next generation. Helping children is not a political goal. It is our moral imperative. When i think back to a defining moment of be best, my mind goes to a trip i took to africa. On that vast and beautiful continent, i was able to visit the countries of ghana, malawi, kenya and egypt. One of those visits, in particular, had a profound impact on me. Ghana, on the coast of west africa, was the first stop on my trip, and i experienced firsthand its warm people and dear traditions. While there, i visited the Cape Coast Castle and learned more about the beginning of a cruel and often deadly journey in the era of the slave trade. I was horrified when i listened to the guides tell me so many inhumane stories and i gained prospective. It is time in our history we must never forget so that we can ensure that it never happens again. Like all of you, i have reflected on the racial unrest in our country. It is a harsh reality that we are not proud of parts of our history. I encourage people to focus on our future, while still learning from our past. We must remember that today we are all one community comprised of many races, religions, and ethnicities. Our diversed and storied history is what makes our country strong. And yet we still have so much to learn from one another. With that in mind, id like to call on the citizens of this country to take a moment, pause and look at things from all perspectives. I urge people to come together in a civil manner so we can work and live up to our standard american ideals. I also ask people to stop the violence and looting being done in the name of justice. And never make assumptions based on the color of a persons skin. Instead of tearing things down, lets reflect on our mistakes, be proud of our evolution and look to our way forward. Every day, let us remember that we are one nation under god and we need to cherish one another. My Husbands Administration has worked to try an affect change when it comes to issues around race and religion in this country. Hes the first president to address a special United Nations General Assembly to call on countries across the world to end religious persecution and honor the right of every person to worship as they choose. He has made substantial investments in our historically black colleges and universities. This president also continues to fight for school choice, giving parents more options to help their children flourish. My husband knows how to make a real change. From the day that i met him, he has only wanted to make this country the best it can be. For many years, i watched him grow concerned and frustrated, and im so proud to see the many things he has done in such a short time. America is in his heart. While you only see the worst of people in politics in the evening news, lets remember how we come together in the most difficult times. And while the debate rages on about issues of race, lets focus on the strives we have made and Work Together for a better tomorrow for everyone. Our administration has also devoted Historic Resources and produced lifesaving results by raising awareness around opioid addiction and drug abuse, especially for children. When so often the headlines are filled with gossip, i want to take this moment to encourage the media to focus even more on the nations drug crisis. This disease is one that affects everybody. It pays no attention to race, age or socioeconomic status. Addiction has touched every part of our society in some way. And now, more than ever, we have programs and medicine to combat it. We just need to talk about it openly. And you, the media, have the platform to make that happen. To the Media Industry and as a country, i ask that we all commit to helping in our fight against drug addiction by talking about it even more. Especially as we battle the covid pandemic, we need to remember that suicides are only the rise as people who are struggling with loneliness and addiction feel they have nowhere to turn. Parents, please talk to your children. Teachers and caregivers, Pay Attention to signs of addiction. Lawmakers, pass legislation that allows those who a f