Dems slam Trump convention speech as campaign enters final stages: 'Embraced racism'
'Ignorance is the theme of this Republican convention,' McCurdy said
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Democrats following President Trump's Republican National Convention speech accused the president of telling "lies," peddling "division and chaos" and having "embraced racism" as Trump attempted to use his lengthy and arguably highest-stakes address of the campaign to shape an election that is now just 67 days away.
The criticism came from several directions, including the Biden campaign, the Democratic Party's official "War Room," state parties and more. In one of the most creative responses to the speech, Biden senior adviser Symone Sanders participated in a livestream titled "Fact Check Live," in which she provided pushback to the president's hour-plus speech in real time.
"For folks watching, what Donald Trump is saying, he is fearmongering right now. He is essentially painting immigrants as folks who we don't want in this country," Sanders said in reaction to a point Trump made on Biden's plan to "increase refugee admissions."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Let me just be really clear," Sanders continued. "Senator Kamala Harris is a child of immigrants so we know that this country, immigrants are part of what makes America great and Donald Trump obviously doesn't understand that."
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Trump, in his speech, also hit Democrats for inadequately condemning the riots happening in places like Kenosha, Wis., arguing that Democrats are the party of "mob rule." Sanders immediately jumped in to provide her reaction.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Donald Trump had an opportunity to speak directly to the people who are currently hurting in Kenosha, Wisconsin. He had an opportunity to speak directly to Black people in America... and he squandered and he missed it and instead he trafficked in division and chaos and fanning the flames," Sanders said. "What is this 'mob rule' conversation? No. What's currently happening in this country is a reckoning on race. People are protesting in the streets which is American and is right as Vice President Biden has said, to protest brutality, it is necessary."
Sanders added: "What is not right is looting, is burning communities, is violence and we denounced the violence."
The "DNC War Room" Twitter account also chimed in on the issue.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}READ: TRUMP'S GOP NOMINATION ACCEPTANCE ADDRESS
"Can someone remind Trump that the 'mayhem' he’s talking about is happening during his own presidency?" the DNC War Room Twitter account posted.
Reaction also came from Democratic Party officials in swing states, including Nevada State Democratic Party Chair William McCurdy II. His statement on the president's remarks was titled "Tonight, Trump Embraced Racism."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Ignorance is the theme of this Republican convention," McCurdy said. "The struggle of families to pay rent, to buy groceries, or get medical treatment didn’t happen. The 180,000 American families mourning the loss of a loved one don’t exist. The murder of innocent Black Americans and assassination of fellow Americans who stand up to protest injustice and systemic racism are irrelevant."
David Pepper, the chairman of the Ohio Democratic Party, panned Trump's speech as it went on.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Did they combine four speeches for this and just run them together?" he asked in one post.
"He actually bored himself by the end," Pepper said in another.
A handful of elected officials also opined, including former presidential candidate Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Did Donald Trump just congratulate Pence for his work on Corona Virus? Did he just take a bow to Republican applause for 180,000 dead?" Klobuchar asked.
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She continued: "Donald Trump just tried to tell us what we are 'exhausted' by. I am 'exhausted' by this divisive speech," she said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., also a former Democratic presidential candidate, slammed Trump throughout his speech in tweets addressed toward the president. Sanders hit Trump on his administration's efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act and said Trump is "trying to divide us based on the color of our skin, our gender, our country of origin and our religion."
"Yes, this is the most important election in history," Sanders said. "And you are the most dangerous president in the history of our country. That’s why you’re going to lose."
The reception for Trump's address was not all negative, of course.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"A great speech tonight and a great week for President @realDonaldTrump," Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said. "President Trump’s speech laid out the clearest choice a free people will ever have. I agree with President Trump: 2020 is the most important election in modern history."
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Fox News columnist Liz Peek added that Trump "made a compelling case for his reelection, emphasizing his promise to restore order to our cities, keep America safe, stand up for our cops, and rebuild our economy."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Democrats disagreed. Symone Sanders expressed relief when the speech ended before giving her summary of the remarks, which she said were filled with falsehoods and wouldn't help the president in his mission to return to office for four more years.
"You heard a lot of things tonight from the president," Sanders said. "We heard lies, many lies. We heard scare tactics. We heard fearmongering. We heard him shifting the responsibility off to other people. We heard him blame a lot of people... These things are not true... We didn't hear though, an effective case for Trump's reelection."