Related
The first lady closed the evening in the White House’s newly renovated Rose Garden, as supporters looked on. Her speech was different from most of the convention addresses, particularly on night one, when republicans painted a picture of a Joe Biden presidency filled with lawlessness and chaos.
She expressed her concern for those affected by the pandemic.
“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 you are not alone,” Trump said.
“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 diverse and storied history is what makes our country strong, and yet we still have so much to learn from one another,” Trump said.
Pompeo, the other headliner of the night, recorded his speech from Israel in the middle of an official diplomatic trip to the Middle East and North Africa.
He offered a defense of the president’s "America first" foreign policy, saying it has kept his family and all Americans safe. One example he gave was a pivotal, pre-pandemic moment.
"When Iran threatened, the president approved a strike that killed the Iranian terrorist Qasem Soleimani. This is the man most responsible for the murder and maiming of hundreds of American soldiers and thousands of Christians across the Middle East," he said.
Pompeo is the first sitting secretary of state to address a political convention in recent memory. Texas Democrat Joaquin Castro, vice chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, says they will investigate Pompeo’s involvement.
“It’s absolutely unacceptable that a sitting U.S. secretary of state, America’s top diplomat, would use official taxpayer-funded business to participate in a political party convention, particularly after the State Department published guidance that explicitly prohibits such activity,” Castro said in a statement.
The Pompeo speech, along with a pre-recorded naturalization ceremony from the White House and a pardon of felon-tuned-activist Jon Ponder, have drawn criticism from watchdog groups and Democrats who say the Hatch Act was violated.
It is a federal law which prohibits civilian employees of the executive branch from using their official titles in political activities and taking part while on the job. The president and vice president are exempt. There is also a section of the law that prohibits political events in federal buildings.
In a statement, White House spokesman Judd Deere said, “Any government employees who may participate will do so in compliance with the Hatch Act.”