Even with Vocal Detractors, GOP Leaders Say RNC is Uniting the Party

by Michelle Faust

The theme of Thursday—day 4—of the Republican National Convention is “Make America One Again".

Evangelical religious leaders will begin the evening’s proceedings, with words from Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council, and Jerry Falwell Jr., President of Liberty University.

Continuing the effort to present the GOP candidate as a family man, Ivanka Trump will have the penultimate speech introducing her father, Donald, who will officially accept his party’s nomination.

GOP leaders say the tonight’s speech from the official candidate is a culmination moment for the convention.

Jeff Larson, CEO of 2016 RNC says the purpose is to, “Allow somebody to lay out their vision, uninterrupted, to the American people and to the world about what their vision is moving forward in this country.”

Paul Manafort, Trump’s campaign chairman, says the candidate’s speech will cover current affairs, “the crisis facing our cities,” and terrorism.

At his daily media address Thursday, Manafort gave little comment to the content of Trump’s political rival Ted Cruz’ speech delivered later Wednesday night. The junior Texas Senator caught jeers from the crowd for asking them to vote their conscience, which many interpreted as a reference to the “Never Trump” movement.

Thursday morning, the campaign chief praised speeches delivered last night from former Republican Congressman Newt Gingrich and Eric Trump, the candidate’s son. Generally, Manafort says the speeches presented “the exact messaging” the campaign aimed for. “In a backhanded way” Manafort says Cruz help unite the party because the Texan’s comments offended some of his previous supporters who the campaign believes are now more drawn to their side.

Manafort dryly joked, “I did not cause the screen to go blank when Cruz was speaking, as some people have accused me.”

GOP spokespeople say the outage originated by a faulty connection between a couple of the trucks feeding images to the screen.