Mike Pence fails to deliver 'uplifting' convention speech

Mike Pence’s speech Wednesday night was anything but the “uplifting” message Donald Trump promised his party would portray at the Republican National Convention. Instead, Pence employed fear tactics and lies as he made his case that voters should reelect Trump in November.

Pence declared, “You won’t be safe in Joe Biden’s America,” and argued the United States would “have law and order on the streets” under a second Trump term — despite the fact that the images of rioting and looting Pence used in his speech are taking place now, with Trump and Pence are helming the country.

Pence also said Biden wants to defund the police, a lie Republicans have delivered multiple times during the GOP convention, but one that has not become true no matter how many times it’s been uttered.

“While I do not believe federal dollars should go to police departments violating people’s rights or turning to violence as the first resort, I do not support defunding police,” Biden said in June.

Pence went on to lie about Trump’s failed coronavirus response, saying Trump “took the unprecedented step of suspending all travel from China,” which he said “saved an untold number of American lives.”

That, too, is false, as Trump’s China travel ban was full of holes, allowing tens of thousands of people to travel to the United States from the country — all of whom faced little coronavirus screening upon arrival.

Even then, experts say that much of the coronavirus spread in the country came from cases that originated in Europe, making the China ban ineffective.

Ultimately, Pence’s speech was completely divorced from the reality the country currently finds itself in.

Pence praised Trump’s handling of the economy, even though the United States is currently in a deep economic recession, with millions out of work, and families across the country unable to put food on the table and facing eviction.

“In our first three years, we built the greatest economy in the world. We made America great again,” Pence said, avoiding mentioning that there is currently a 10.2% unemployment rate, with experts warning that the coronavirus-fueled recession may not end as quickly as Trump and Republicans have promised.

Pence posed the question to voters: “On Nov. 3, you need to ask 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.”

But it’s wrong that Trump created the “greatest economy in the world” — fact-checkers have disproven it many times over.

In the end, Pence said, “Joe Biden has referred to himself as a ‘transition candidate.’ But many are asking: A transition to what? Last week, Democrats didn’t talk much about their agenda.”

That’s another head-scratching remark, given Republicans declined to release a platform of what their party stands for and what Trump would do in a second term, choosing instead to say the party will merely support anything Trump decides to do.

Democrats, on the other hand, released a detailed platform of what their party stands for.

“The contrast tonight couldn’t be clearer,” Biden tweeted after Pence’s speech. “We can choose four more years of fear, division, and hate. Or we can choose a different path — one of hope, unity, and light. Let’s overcome this era of darkness, together.”

Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.