U.S. First Lady, Mrs Melania Trump, on Tuesday refrained from attacking the opposition in a 25-minute long keynote speech on the second night of the Republican National Convention.
Speaking before a small audience at the White House, she said she would not waste precious time “attacking the other side’’.
This, she noted, was because as witnessed during last week’s Democratic National Convention, doing so would only divide the country further.
Her stance was a total deviation from previous speakers, whose speeches were laced with attacks on the Democratic candidate, Joe Biden, and his party.
Among members of the audience were her husband, President Donald Trump; Vice President Mike Pence, and other senior administration officials.
Some Democrats frowned at her decision to use the White House, a public property, for a political campaign, describing it as unethical.
The First Lady projected her husband as an honest and authentic person, who says it as it is and never wastes time playing politics.
“Almost four years ago, we went into Election Day completely underestimated.
“Despite what is being said again this year, I know just as you do that Americans will go to the polls, and will elect Trump on behalf of their families, our economy, our national security, and our children’s future.
“To vote for those ideals is not a partisan vote, it is a common-sense vote because those are goals and hopes that we all believe in,’’ she said.
The president’s wife addressed two major challenges currently confronting the U.S., namely the COVID-19 pandemic and civil unrest over racial injustice.
Acknowledging the pain caused by the pandemic, she expressed her sympathies to those who have lost loved ones and those struggling with the attendant socio-economic impacts.
“My husband’s 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 impacted by this terrible pandemic,’’ Mrs. Trump said.
On racial injustice, she said it was a “harsh reality” and part of America’s history that “we are not proud’’.
She enjoined racial injustice protesters to be civil in their agitations and focus on the future while still learning from the past.
“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 colour of a person’s skin,’’ she pleaded.
Among other speakers during the convention’s second night were President Trump’s children, Eric and Tiffany, and U.S. Secretary of State, Michael Pompeo, who spoke from Jerusalem.
In his speech, Eric assailed the “radical Democrats” whom he accused of disrespecting “our National Anthem by taking a knee’’.
He said the opposition’s stance was a dishonour to the country’s armed forces laying down their lives every day “to protect our freedom’’.
Eric also attacked Democrats for attempting to cut funding to law enforcement agencies thereby undermining security of lives and property.
Like father, like daughter, Tiffany took aim at the U.S. media, accusing them of engaging in campaigns of misinformation in a bid to manipulate Americans.
“This misinformation system keeps people mentally enslaved to the ideas they deem correct.
“This has fostered unnecessary fear and divisiveness amongst us,’’ she fired.
In a pre-recorded video message, Pompeo focused on the Trump administration’s foreign policies and war on terror.
He said the president’s America First vision, although making him unpopular in every foreign capital, was yielding dividends for Americans.
The Secretary of State said Trump was dealing decisively with terrorist groups, cooling tensions with North Korea, and holding China accountable for unfair trade practices and covering up the China virus, among others.
Critics also slammed Pompeo for alleged unethical practice, arguing that as the country’s top diplomat, he should not be involved in political conventions.
AFP