President Trump put himself front and center on the first day of the Republican National Convention, defying tradition by delivering a speech to delegates before the main programming had even begun and later appearing in the White House alongside coronavirus workers, whom he thanked, and freed American hostages.
Organizers are keen to use the week to brand Democratic nominee Joe Biden a threat to America. But in the event, the day’s proceedings served as a reminder that Trump has captured the Republican Party from top to bottom.
Critics pointed to the president’s vanity in appearing before the traditional Thursday slot. But presidential historians also pointed out that Trump’s divisive rise to the top of the GOP meant organizers could not draw on the usual speakers drawn from previous presidents and nominees.
In the first hour of the evening programming, Trump appeared in the East Room of the White House with a trucker, a nurse, law enforcement officers, a postal worker, and others who provided essential services through the pandemic.
“When crisis came, millions of everyday Americans rose to the challenge,” he said in a voiceover to a video montage. “In their actions, we see the true greatness of the American character. We always find a way to victory.”
Later, he met hostages who had been freed from captivity around the world, six of the 50 he said had been freed by his administration.
“We got you all back, and we have some more that we are working on,” he said in a moment that offered a chance to highlight foreign policy successes in an intimate, chat show-like setting.
“Well, say hello to the folks in Utah because they’re great people,” ran one typical exchange with Josh Holt, who had been imprisoned in Venezuela.
The convention comes at a crucial moment for Trump, who needs to start turning around a campaign that lags behind his Democratic opponent by as much as 10 points in some national polls.
Aides hope the four days of prime-time programming will help recast the choice facing voters as a choice between competing visions of America and two very different candidates, rather than as a simple referendum on Trump’s record in office.
Craig Shirley, a Ronald Reagan biographer and presidential historian, said Trump’s frequent appearances risked getting in the way of an open goal.
“The Democrats’ convention last week was pretty light on content, and it focused mostly on the character and personality of Joe Biden because a lot of Democratic issues probably don’t poll well compared with Republican issues — personal freedom, privacy, dignity, taxes, things like that,” he said.
“This week, the party knows they have to focus on issues to make the campaign about Biden, but Trump wants to make it about himself, so he’s risking everything.”
Monday was no different. The president put himself at the center of the action, flying to Charlotte, North Carolina, where delegates were conducting the formal business of the convention, nominating Trump for another term.
“This is the most important election in the history of our country,” he said as he thanked delegates in a previously unadvertised appearance.
In a typically free-wheeling speech, he trumpeted recent advances made by NASA, warned that Democrats would roll back his tough stance on illegal immigrants, and promised a record year of post-COVID-19 economic growth if he was reelected.
“Our country can go in a horrible direction or in an even greater direction,” he said.
A senior Trump campaign official confirmed that the president would appear every night. “He will not speak every night, but he will be making an appearance every night,” he said.
Calvin Jillson, a presidential historian at Southern Methodist University, said both nominees had an opportunity to take on a greater role appearing in get-to-know-you videos or vignettes during a year when the coronavirus pandemic meant so much other convention business, from developing the policy platform to fundraising, could not take place.
Biden and his family members made daily appearances either on stage or in videos last week, he said, but Trump faced an additional challenge based on his treatment of rivals in the party.
“The Democrats could put up former presidents, vice presidents, and nominees of their party every night. Trump can’t do that,” he said. “Trump can put up Pence, and he can put up his children and his family, but Romney is not attending or speaking, and Bush is not attending or speaking.”
