WEBVTT 00:02.033 --> 00:03.833 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% JUDY WOODRUFF: Our White House correspondent, Yamiche Alcindor, was watching the convention's 00:03.833 --> 00:07.633 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% opening hours today. And she will be covering it all week. 00:07.633 --> 00:09.600 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% And Yamiche joins me now. 00:09.600 --> 00:13.666 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% So, Yamiche, you have been talking to people who have been organizing this. How do they 00:13.666 --> 00:17.433 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% want to distinguish what they are doing from what the Democrats did last week? 00:17.433 --> 00:21.466 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% YAMICHE ALCINDOR: Well, Republicans say that they are eager to make the case that they 00:21.466 --> 00:24.566 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% are more optimistic, more positive than Democrats. 00:24.566 --> 00:28.800 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% They say that the theme of this entire convention is going to be honoring the great American 00:28.800 --> 00:31.833 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% story. Tonight's theme in particular is "Land of Promises." 00:31.833 --> 00:35.266 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% And what they say is that they really want to talk about all the greatness of America. 00:35.266 --> 00:39.366 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% They want to talk about the history of America as being one that is amazing, as one that 00:39.366 --> 00:42.800 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% is positive. They say that Democrats focused too much on the flaws of America. 00:42.800 --> 00:47.033 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% We are likely going to see President Trump, I'm told, every single day of the convention, 00:47.033 --> 00:49.766 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% though he might not speak every day. Another thing to note is, there are going to be a 00:49.766 --> 00:54.733 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% host of topics on this convention's agenda, including jobs, immigration. Of course, the 00:55.966 --> 00:58.133 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% coronavirus is going to be a huge talking point. 00:58.133 --> 01:01.766 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% The main message, though, is going to be that President Trump is the best person to lead 01:01.766 --> 01:06.766 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% the nation through the pandemic, and that, if he is reelected, the vaccine will be produced 01:08.366 --> 01:11.266 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% at the end of 2020, and that things will go back to normal by 2021. 01:11.266 --> 01:15.933 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% JUDY WOODRUFF: So, Yamiche, as you're saying, today, the president spoke actually at length. 01:15.933 --> 01:20.933 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% He showed up at the convention in Charlotte, spoke, I think, for longer than people expected. 01:22.866 --> 01:26.700 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% He did bring up the coronavirus. What does that tell us? And what have you learned about 01:26.700 --> 01:30.333 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% what he may say at the end of the week when he makes his acceptance speech? 01:30.333 --> 01:35.333 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% YAMICHE ALCINDOR: Well, the president's statements are -- show the tension between what the campaign 01:37.366 --> 01:40.000 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% and officials say that they want to do, which is have this optimistic convention, as I said, 01:40.000 --> 01:43.300 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% and what the president often does, which is really talk about fear and talk about the 01:43.300 --> 01:46.966 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% dark parts of America and what could happen if Joe Biden is elected. 01:46.966 --> 01:51.366 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% So, today, he spoke for more than -- or at least over an hour at the convention. And 01:51.366 --> 01:56.333 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% what he was talking about in particular, he said Democrats are trying to use COVID-19 01:58.333 --> 02:00.866 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% to steal the election. That's a big, big thing for the president to say. 02:00.866 --> 02:05.566 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% And he said that he believes that, if he loses, the election was rigged. Now, there are election 02:05.566 --> 02:07.833 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% watchers who say that that's sort of dangerous language. 02:07.833 --> 02:12.500 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% But the president says that he's really doubling down on this idea that he is the person that 02:12.500 --> 02:16.766 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% can protect Americans, and that Joe Biden has really failed. And he also made the case 02:16.766 --> 02:21.233 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% today and has and will be making the case all week that, if Democrats are elected, that 02:21.233 --> 02:24.633 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% this will become a socialist country, and that it will still -- be sort of Venezuela. 02:24.633 --> 02:29.100 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% Democrats, again, take real issue with that and say that that is a completely false thing 02:29.100 --> 02:32.833 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% to say. But the president is really looking at this and saying the Democrats who want 02:32.833 --> 02:37.500 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% - - are pushing mail-in voting and pushing people going to the ballots, that they are 02:37.500 --> 02:41.800 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% people who don't really understand the democracy in America, and that they want to do nefarious 02:41.800 --> 02:43.833 align:left position:40% line:89% size:50% things. 02:43.833 --> 02:46.733 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% JUDY WOODRUFF: And, finally, Yamiche, tonight, prime time, what are we looking for from the 02:46.733 --> 02:48.500 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70% convention tonight? 02:48.500 --> 02:51.066 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% YAMICHE ALCINDOR: Well, tonight, we're going to have a host of speakers. 02:51.066 --> 02:54.633 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% There's a lot of people whose last name is Trump, including Donald Trump Jr. We're also 02:54.633 --> 02:58.433 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% going to hear from Tim Scott, the only black Republican in the Senate. We're going to hear 02:58.433 --> 03:03.400 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% from Nikki Haley, who at one point was actually talked about as possibly replacing Vice President 03:03.866 --> 03:05.866 align:left position:40% line:89% size:50% Pence. 03:05.866 --> 03:07.866 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% And what we're going to hear is really a theme of people saying that President Trump took 03:07.866 --> 03:12.600 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% care of America, that he was someone who ushered in great economic change, and that he was 03:14.633 --> 03:17.600 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% someone who, again, can lead America through having more jobs, and really someone who will 03:18.766 --> 03:20.900 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% help America recover from the coronavirus. 03:20.900 --> 03:25.533 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% The other thing to note is, though, that as we hear some of the things that we're hearing, 03:25.533 --> 03:28.866 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% Republicans are really going to be pushing for an emotional feel, talking about everyday 03:28.866 --> 03:33.866 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% Americans who were involved in maybe gun shootings or involved in crimes that are committed by 03:34.600 --> 03:36.700 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70% undocumented immigrants. 03:36.700 --> 03:38.700 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% The Democrats did that, making an emotional appeal. The Republicans are going to be trying 03:38.700 --> 03:41.933 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% to do that too. But they're going to be doing that by trying to attack the Democrats and 03:41.933 --> 03:43.900 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% really saying that they're wrong for the job. 03:43.900 --> 03:47.933 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% JUDY WOODRUFF: Yamiche Alcindor following it from the White House and following it for 03:47.933 --> 03:49.100 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70% us all week long. 03:49.100 --> 03:50.333 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70% Thank you, Yamiche. 03:50.333 --> 03:50.533 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% YAMICHE ALCINDOR: Thanks so much.