RNC Recap: ISIS, criminal justice reform and Trump's nomination to 'God Bless the USA'
The final night of the Republican National Convention saw some of the most aggressively spiritual remarks yet in a week of speeches that have consistently touched on religious issues.
Franklin Graham, son of Billy Graham
The final night’s opening prayer was led by Franklin Graham, son of renowned evangelical preacher and civil rights supporter Billy Graham.
Alone on stage, Graham began his prayer, “Our Father, who art in Heaven, we thank you for the great bounty you have bestowed upon this nation and the many blessings we have received these last four years.”
Graham referenced ongoing struggles in American society, specifically civil unrest and the ongoing threat of the coronavirus, as sources of unease for many Americans.
“As we come together tonight, our country is facing trouble,” Graham prayed. “Tens of thousands are in the path of a deadly storm. The pandemic has gripped millions of hearts with fear. We're divided. We've witnessed injustice. Anger and despair have flown out into the streets.”
Graham was not stingy with his praise for the president, with whom he has been exceptionally close in the past. Graham has defended Trump on multiple occasions and referred to critics of his as demonic.
“I thank you tonight for our president, Donald J. Trump,” he said. “We pray that you would give him wisdom from on high, clarity of vision, and strength as he leads this nation forward.”
Graham went on to pray for Melania, Baron and the rest of the Trump family, asking God to keep them safe and thanking God for Vice President Mike Pence and his wife.
This specific and personal invocation was distinct from some of the previous speakers, who have offered generalized and non-partisan prayers without explicitly praising politicians.
Carl and Marsha Mueller, parents of ISIS victim
Carl and Marsha Mueller, the parents of humanitarian Kayla Mueller, spoke about the struggle of watching their daughter tortured and demeaned on video.
Kayla Mueller was a humanitarian aid worker in Turkey who was taken captive by ISIS in 2013 while attempting to cross the Syrian border and provide aid to hospital patients.
“Kayla had a gift to be able to see the world through someone else’s eyes,” Marsha said, attesting to the strength of their daughter’s faith. “She became a humanitarian aid worker and when she was helping children at an orphanage in India, Kayla wrote ‘I find God in the suffering eyes reflected in mine, if this is how you are revealed to me, this is how I will forever seek you.’”
Kayla was held in a 12’ by 12’ cell in solitary confinement for 18 months before she was killed in 2015. Her parents criticized the Obama administration for not retrieving her and said they believe Kayla would be alive if she had been taken hostage during the Trump administration.
“It was cold and dirty. ISIS terrorists shined bright lights in her face,” Carl said. “They shaved her head. They beat her and tortured her. The leader of ISIS, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, raped her repeatedly.”
The Muellers had not expected to have Kayla. They had previously been told that conceiving another child would be impossible.
“Kayla was born a miracle—we were told we would never have a second child. But God gave us Kayla. And she gave herself to the world.”
The Muellers recalled a message written by their daughter delivered to them in secret by another prisoner.
“Eight months into Kayla’s captivity, another hostage was able to smuggle out a letter Kayla had written. As we read it, we could see that God was holding her in His arms. In her words, she “felt tenderly cradled in freefall.”
Alice Johnson, criminal justice reformer
Alice Marie Johnson is a criminal justice reform advocate that was sentenced to life imprisonment after being convicted for her role in large-scale cocaine trafficking, money laundering and other felony crimes. She was a first-time, non-violent offender.
After serving over two decades in prison, Trump commuted her sentence after previous appeals for commutation had been denied by the Obama administration.
“I was once told that the only way I would ever be reunited with my family would be as a corpse,” she said. “But by the grace of God and the compassion of President Donald John Trump, I stand before you tonight… and I assure you, I’m not a ghost! I am alive, I am well, and most importantly, I am free.”
Trump met with his son-in-law Jared Kushner and socialite Kim Kardashian to discuss Johnson’s situation. The president was persuaded to release her.
“When President Trump heard about me — about the injustice of my story — he saw me as a person. He had compassion. And he acted,” Johnson said.
Johnson became an ordained minister while in prison, as well as an award-winning activist and artist.
“Free in body thanks to President Trump. But free in mind thanks to the almighty God,” Johnson said.
She continued, “The nearly 22 years I spent in prison were not wasted. God had a purpose and plan for my life. I was not delayed or denied; I was destined for such a time as this!”
Donald Trump
Trump’s closing speech, in which he accepted his party’s nomination as candidate for president, had multiple references to America’s religious identity and reliance on God.
“What united generations past was an unshakable confidence in America's destiny, and an unbreakable faith in the American people,” Trump said. “They knew that our country is blessed by God, and has a special purpose in this world. It is that conviction that inspired the formation of our union, our westward expansion, the abolition of slavery, the passage of civil rights, the space program, and the overthrow of fascism, tyranny and communism.”
The president attacked the Biden campaign for what he claimed was an over-emphasis on redemption through electoral votes, saying, “Our opponents say that redemption for you can only come from giving power to them. This is a tired anthem spoken by every repressive movement throughout history.”
He continued, “But in this country, we don't look to career politicians for salvation. In America, we don't turn to government to restore our souls -- we put our faith in Almighty God.”
Opposing late-term abortion was also a key part of Trump’s lengthy acceptance speech.
“Democrat politicians refuse to protect innocent life, and then they lecture us about morality and saving America's soul?” he said. “Tonight, we proudly declare that all children, born and unborn, have a God-given right to life.”
Trump also drew attention to an aspect of the Democratic National Convention that was heavily scrutinized -- the removal of “under God” from the Pledge of Allegiance on multiple occasions throughout the event.
“During the Democrat Convention, the words ‘under God’ were removed from the Pledge of Allegiance -- not once, but twice. The fact is, this is where they are coming from,” Trump said.
Trump’s post-speech concert was heavy on religious implications as well. Songs played during and after the celebratory fireworks included “Hallelujah” by Jeff Buckley, “Ave Maria,” and “God Bless the USA.”
Timothy Nerozzi is a reporter and editor from northeastern Pennsylvania. He covers religious issues with a focus on the Catholic Church and Japanese society and culture. He’s also a breaking news editor at The Daily Caller.