Opening Night Of Republican National Convention Stirs Political Pot, With More Expected During Night 2
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Day 1 of the Republican National Convention featured the renomination of Donald Trump and Mike Pence.
That was followed by a series of speeches that painted a bleak future if Joe Biden is elected and praised President Trump's handling of the coronavirus pandemic. It's a two-prong approach that both parties use -- praise your own candidate and tear down the other.
The Democrats unloaded on Pres. Trump last week, so the Republicans are hitting Biden this week.
"Trump's policies have been like rocket fuel to the economy, especially the middle class," Donald Trump, Jr. told the convention Monday night. "Biden has promised to take that money out of your pockets and keep it in the swamp."
Besides the economy, there was praise for the president's handling of the pandemic. But given so many American deaths from coronavirus, KDKA political editor Jon Delano asked the Republican chair Ronna McDaniel: "Not exactly a success story, is it?"
"I don't think anyone's happy with 177,000 Americans dying," responded McDaniel. "I believe the Trump administration has done everything they could to deal with this pandemic."
Another message was aimed at suburban voters by a couple who says they protected their home in St. Louis. It echoes claims from President Trump, who says Biden and the Democrats threaten the suburbs.
"They're not satisfied with spreading the violence and chaos into our communities," said Patricia McCloskey of St. Louis at the RNC on Monday. "They want to abolish the suburbs altogether by ending single-family home zoning. This forced rezoning would bring crime, poverty, and low-quality apartments into now thriving suburban neighborhoods."
On behalf of the Biden campaign, Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald rejected the claims.
"They talk about zoning. First of all, zoning not only isn't federal. It's not even a state issue. This is a municipal function," Fitzgerald said.
Fitzgerald says this political tactic won't sell in the Pittsburgh area.
"People aren't going to be fooled. I think people know what this administration has done – not keeping people safe, not paying attention to the science, sowing racial discord in this country. We need a unifier, and that's what Joe Biden will be," added Fitzgerald.
Suburban voters are a key target for both parties.
As for Tuesday night, a lot of speakers are scheduled, including Eric Trump and Tiffany Trump, along with First Lady Melania Trump. Breaking a tradition that secretaries of state stay non-political, Secretary Mike Pompeo will also speak Tuesday night.
