RNC Recap: On Third Night, a Rabbi, Nun and former NFL player praise Trump

Rabbi Shubert Spero

The third night of the Republican National Convention (RNC) opened with a prayer from Rabbi Shubert Spero. The Jewish spiritual leader asked God for protection over those threatened by Hurricane Laura.

“Lord, Almighty God, we come before you this evening, and pray for your divine protection over our brothers and sisters in the path of storms along our Gulf Coast,” Spero prayed. “You are our rock, and our shelter in the midst of the storms of life.”

Spero continued on to thank the Creator for virtues bestowed on mankind, including those outlined by the Declaration of Independence: life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. 

“Father, we pray that this outlook and mindset, this form of government continues as has been our history, especially now when to our horror, it is being challenged,” he said. 

The rabbi heaped large amounts of praise on President Donald Trump, who he proclaimed to be an exceptional leader, saying, “and so we pray that God gives strength and health to our president, who has splendidly demonstrated daily his determination to defend and maintain the God-given rights of our citizens as enshrined in our constitution and in our declaration, eloquently passed down through our Judeo-Christian tradition.” 

“President Trump has stood up fearlessly against those who are corrupting the term ‘social justice’ so as to deny Americans their birthright and these divine gifts,” Spero concluded. “May God protect him. May God bless all those in government and among our citizens who seek to honor, defend and preserve our heritage.”

Kayleigh McEnany

White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany took to the stage to discuss her battle with breast cancer -- a disease that had previously affected her mother -- by getting a preventative mastectomy. 

McEnany attributed her strength in the face of losing “a part of [herself]” to Jesus, who she said gave her strength.

“I was scared. The night before I fought back tears, as I prepared to lose a piece of myself,” she said. “But the next day, with my mom, dad, husband and Jesus Christ by my side, I underwent a mastectomy, almost eliminating my chance of breast cancer— a decision I now celebrate.”

McEnany recalled the phone calls she received from Trump and other members of his administration as giving her support she had not expected to hear.

“During one of my most difficult times, I expected to have the support of my family, but I had more support than I knew. As I came out of anesthesia, one of the first calls I received was from Ivanka Trump. Days later, as I recovered, my phone rang. It was President Trump, calling to check on me. I was blown away,” she said. 

Tera Myers

Tera Myers, a school choice activist, evoked the sanctity of all human beings while discussing the value and worth of her own child, who suffers from Down Syndrome.

Myers recalled the pressure she felt from medical professionals to abort her baby due to his disability.

“When early tests revealed he had Down Syndrome, our doctor encouraged me to terminate the pregnancy. He said, ‘If you do not, you will be burdening your life, family and your community,’” she said. “I knew my baby was a human being created by God and that made him worthy of life. I am thankful that President Trump values the life of the unborn.”

Myers’s son, Samuel, was later invited to the White House and spoke to Trump about the value he found in being placed within schools that were more adept at handling his affliction.

“Recently Samuel was invited to the White House to meet with our President and share his thoughts on Education Freedom,” Myers said. “He said, ‘School Choice helped my dreams come true. My school taught me the way I learn best and I was able to fit in. I made many friends and became a part of my community. My teachers helped me become the best I can be.’”

She concluded, “President Trump shook my hand and said, ‘Wonderful job Mom, your son is amazing.’” Unlike the doctor who told me to end Samuel’s life before it even began, President Trump did not dismiss my son, he showed Samuel he valued him and was proud of what he accomplished.”

Sister Deirdre Byrne

“I must confess that I recently prayed while in chapel, begging God to allow me to be a voice and instrument for human life, and now here I am, speaking at the Republican National Convention,” Sister Deirdre Bryne said as she began her speech.

“I guess you better be careful for what you pray for!” the nun quipped.

Bryne stressed the importance of helping the oppressed, the poor, the needy and the marginalized, including refugees she has helped around the world.

“And while we tend to think of the marginalized as living beyond our borders, the truth is, the largest marginalized group in the world can be found in the United States. They are the unborn,” Bryne said.

She continued, “As Christians, we first met Jesus as a stirring embryo in the womb of an unwed mother and saw him born nine months later in the poverty of the cave. It’s no coincidence that Jesus stood up for what was just and was ultimately crucified because what he said wasn’t politically correct or fashionable.”

Bryne gave an enthusiastic endorsement of Trump, calling him the most pro-life president in American history.

“Because of his courage and conviction, President Trump has earned the support of America’s pro-life community,” Bryne said. “Moreover, he has a nationwide army of religious [nuns] standing behind him. You’ll find us with our weapon of choice… the rosary.”

She concluded, “Thank you Mr. President. We are all praying for you.”

Jack Brewer

Jack Brewer, former NFL player, accused the media of overlooking Trump’s contributions to the Black community.

“Let me be clear, I didn’t come here for the popularity or the praise, the likes or the retweets, I’m here as a servant to God, a servant to the people of our nation and a servant to our president,” he said. 

Brewer said that while he is a lifelong Democrat, he had been inspired to speak out in support of Trump due to the current social justice movement that’s polarizing American politics.

“Before I left to come deliver this message, my energetic eight-year-old son, Jackson, stopped me and said, ‘Dad, can you please just tell everyone that all lives need to matter and that God loves everyone?’” Brewer recalled. “In that moment, I realized that my eight-year-old had figured out what so many adults have seemed to forget; we are not as divided as our politics suggest.”

Brewer invoked God as he called for Americans to seek God and come together to reorient themselves towards religiosity.

“America, let this election be a call for all God’s people who are called by his name to humble ourselves and pray together, and to seek his face and to turn from our wicked ways,” Brewer said in closing. “Then he will hear us from heaven and he will forgive our sins and he will heal our land. Amen, and God bless America.”