1 00:00:02,033 --> 00:00:03,833 JUDY WOODRUFF: Our White House correspondent, Yamiche Alcindor, was watching the convention's 2 00:00:03,833 --> 00:00:07,633 opening hours today. And she will be covering it all week. 3 00:00:07,633 --> 00:00:09,600 And Yamiche joins me now. 4 00:00:09,600 --> 00:00:13,666 So, Yamiche, you have been talking to people who have been organizing this. How do they 5 00:00:13,666 --> 00:00:17,433 want to distinguish what they are doing from what the Democrats did last week? 6 00:00:17,433 --> 00:00:21,466 YAMICHE ALCINDOR: Well, Republicans say that they are eager to make the case that they 7 00:00:21,466 --> 00:00:24,566 are more optimistic, more positive than Democrats. 8 00:00:24,566 --> 00:00:28,800 They say that the theme of this entire convention is going to be honoring the great American 9 00:00:28,800 --> 00:00:31,833 story. Tonight's theme in particular is "Land of Promises." 10 00:00:31,833 --> 00:00:35,266 And what they say is that they really want to talk about all the greatness of America. 11 00:00:35,266 --> 00:00:39,366 They want to talk about the history of America as being one that is amazing, as one that 12 00:00:39,366 --> 00:00:42,800 is positive. They say that Democrats focused too much on the flaws of America. 13 00:00:42,800 --> 00:00:47,033 We are likely going to see President Trump, I'm told, every single day of the convention, 14 00:00:47,033 --> 00:00:49,766 though he might not speak every day. Another thing to note is, there are going to be a 15 00:00:49,766 --> 00:00:54,733 host of topics on this convention's agenda, including jobs, immigration. Of course, the 16 00:00:55,966 --> 00:00:58,133 coronavirus is going to be a huge talking point. 17 00:00:58,133 --> 00:01:01,766 The main message, though, is going to be that President Trump is the best person to lead 18 00:01:01,766 --> 00:01:06,766 the nation through the pandemic, and that, if he is reelected, the vaccine will be produced 19 00:01:08,366 --> 00:01:11,266 at the end of 2020, and that things will go back to normal by 2021. 20 00:01:11,266 --> 00:01:15,933 JUDY WOODRUFF: So, Yamiche, as you're saying, today, the president spoke actually at length. 21 00:01:15,933 --> 00:01:20,933 He showed up at the convention in Charlotte, spoke, I think, for longer than people expected. 22 00:01:22,866 --> 00:01:26,700 He did bring up the coronavirus. What does that tell us? And what have you learned about 23 00:01:26,700 --> 00:01:30,333 what he may say at the end of the week when he makes his acceptance speech? 24 00:01:30,333 --> 00:01:35,333 YAMICHE ALCINDOR: Well, the president's statements are -- show the tension between what the campaign 25 00:01:37,366 --> 00:01:40,000 and officials say that they want to do, which is have this optimistic convention, as I said, 26 00:01:40,000 --> 00:01:43,300 and what the president often does, which is really talk about fear and talk about the 27 00:01:43,300 --> 00:01:46,966 dark parts of America and what could happen if Joe Biden is elected. 28 00:01:46,966 --> 00:01:51,366 So, today, he spoke for more than -- or at least over an hour at the convention. And 29 00:01:51,366 --> 00:01:56,333 what he was talking about in particular, he said Democrats are trying to use COVID-19 30 00:01:58,333 --> 00:02:00,866 to steal the election. That's a big, big thing for the president to say. 31 00:02:00,866 --> 00:02:05,566 And he said that he believes that, if he loses, the election was rigged. Now, there are election 32 00:02:05,566 --> 00:02:07,833 watchers who say that that's sort of dangerous language. 33 00:02:07,833 --> 00:02:12,500 But the president says that he's really doubling down on this idea that he is the person that 34 00:02:12,500 --> 00:02:16,766 can protect Americans, and that Joe Biden has really failed. And he also made the case 35 00:02:16,766 --> 00:02:21,233 today and has and will be making the case all week that, if Democrats are elected, that 36 00:02:21,233 --> 00:02:24,633 this will become a socialist country, and that it will still -- be sort of Venezuela. 37 00:02:24,633 --> 00:02:29,100 Democrats, again, take real issue with that and say that that is a completely false thing 38 00:02:29,100 --> 00:02:32,833 to say. But the president is really looking at this and saying the Democrats who want 39 00:02:32,833 --> 00:02:37,500 - - are pushing mail-in voting and pushing people going to the ballots, that they are 40 00:02:37,500 --> 00:02:41,800 people who don't really understand the democracy in America, and that they want to do nefarious 41 00:02:41,800 --> 00:02:43,833 things. 42 00:02:43,833 --> 00:02:46,733 JUDY WOODRUFF: And, finally, Yamiche, tonight, prime time, what are we looking for from the 43 00:02:46,733 --> 00:02:48,500 convention tonight? 44 00:02:48,500 --> 00:02:51,066 YAMICHE ALCINDOR: Well, tonight, we're going to have a host of speakers. 45 00:02:51,066 --> 00:02:54,633 There's a lot of people whose last name is Trump, including Donald Trump Jr. We're also 46 00:02:54,633 --> 00:02:58,433 going to hear from Tim Scott, the only black Republican in the Senate. We're going to hear 47 00:02:58,433 --> 00:03:03,400 from Nikki Haley, who at one point was actually talked about as possibly replacing Vice President 48 00:03:03,866 --> 00:03:05,866 Pence. 49 00:03:05,866 --> 00:03:07,866 And what we're going to hear is really a theme of people saying that President Trump took 50 00:03:07,866 --> 00:03:12,600 care of America, that he was someone who ushered in great economic change, and that he was 51 00:03:14,633 --> 00:03:17,600 someone who, again, can lead America through having more jobs, and really someone who will 52 00:03:18,766 --> 00:03:20,900 help America recover from the coronavirus. 53 00:03:20,900 --> 00:03:25,533 The other thing to note is, though, that as we hear some of the things that we're hearing, 54 00:03:25,533 --> 00:03:28,866 Republicans are really going to be pushing for an emotional feel, talking about everyday 55 00:03:28,866 --> 00:03:33,866 Americans who were involved in maybe gun shootings or involved in crimes that are committed by 56 00:03:34,600 --> 00:03:36,700 undocumented immigrants. 57 00:03:36,700 --> 00:03:38,700 The Democrats did that, making an emotional appeal. The Republicans are going to be trying 58 00:03:38,700 --> 00:03:41,933 to do that too. But they're going to be doing that by trying to attack the Democrats and 59 00:03:41,933 --> 00:03:43,900 really saying that they're wrong for the job. 60 00:03:43,900 --> 00:03:47,933 JUDY WOODRUFF: Yamiche Alcindor following it from the White House and following it for 61 00:03:47,933 --> 00:03:49,100 us all week long. 62 00:03:49,100 --> 00:03:50,333 Thank you, Yamiche. 63 00:03:50,333 --> 00:03:50,533 YAMICHE ALCINDOR: Thanks so much.