The Latest from the RNC: Trump denounces mob rule, doesn’t mention Blake

To watch full ABC RNC coverage, follow the link here.

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President Donald Trump says that the justice system must and will hold accountable anyone who engages in police misconduct and that “mob rule” must never be allowed.

He appears to be referring in his Republican National Convention speech Thursday to ongoing civil unrest in Kenosha, Wisconsin, that followed the weekend shooting of Jacob Blake by police.

Trump did not mention the 29-year-old Black father of six who was paralyzed from the waist down after being shot in the back. Trump had refused earlier Thursday to answer questions about the shooting.

The president is claiming that most of the protests the country witnessed this summer took place in cities with Democratic leadership. He urged these leaders to call him for federal assistance.

Trump says, “We must always have law and order.”

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HERE’S WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING:

President Donald Trump is sprinkling into his convention speech mentions of swing states he needs to win in November, framing them as states Democratic nominee Joe Biden has betrayed.

Castigating Biden as an enemy of the auto industry, Trump is chiding Biden for supporting, among other trade deals, the North American Free Trade Agreement, which was responsible for U.S. manufacturing jobs being sent to Mexico and overseas.

Trump said Thursday at the Republican National Convention that laid-off workers in Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania, among other states, “didn’t want Joe Biden’s hollow words of empathy, they wanted their jobs back.”

Trump won Michigan and Pennsylvania, carried by Democrats for the previous six elections. Trump also carried Ohio in 2016, and would likely need to win it again to be reelected.

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President Donald Trump is lauding the U.S. response to the coronavirus pandemic, despite the country having by far the highest confirmed case count and highest death toll in the world.

During his Republican National Convention remarks Thursday, Trump claimed that “hundreds of thousands of more Americans” would have died if his Democratic opponent, Joe Biden, had been in office during the pandemic. Already, 180,000 Americans have died of the coronavirus under Trump’s watch.

In 2018, the Trump administration decided to dismantle a National Security Council directorate at the White House charged with preparing for a pandemic to hit the nation. Former Obama administration officials have said the Trump White House would have been able to act more quickly to stop spread of the coronavirus had the office still been intact.

Trump also tried to claim that he, unlike Biden, will hold China “fully accountable for the tragedy they caused.” But early in the pandemic, he praised China for its transparency and said they were working hard to contain the virus.

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President Donald Trump says former Vice President Joe Biden “is not the savior of America’s soul,” and “if given the chance, he will be the destroyer of American greatness.”

Trump said during Thursday’s closing night of the Republican National Convention that Americans “don’t look to career politicians for salvation” but instead “put our faith in Almighty God.”

In June, Trump said “I hope it’s true” when asked about an evangelical claim that he had been appointed by God. Last August, Trump declared himself “the chosen one,” but later said he was joking.

Evangelical Christians are among Trump’s staunchest supporters.

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The head of the Ultimate Fighting Championship says President Donald Trump’s continued leadership is needed as the coronavirus pandemic persists.

Dana White said during the Republican National Convention on Thursday night that Trump can revamp the economy that has struggled to get back on track during the nation’s response.

White argued that Trump’s immediate focus on involving business and industries in pandemic response, as well as bringing back sporting events safely, has helped people feel as normal as possible.

More than 180,000 people in the U.S. have died from the coronavirus, by far the worst in the world.

White has served on a business leaders task force helping advise Trump on revamping the economy amid the pandemic. Earlier this year, he was among the sports leaders on a call earlier this year discussing the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. On the call, Trump said he was looking forward to the resumption of competitions "as soon as we can."

HERE’S WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING:

Housing Secretary Ben Carson is offering sympathies to the family of Jacob Blake, the Kenosha, Wisconsin, man whose shooting by police has sparked deadly violence.

Carson, the highest-ranking Black member of President Donald Trump’s administration, is the first Republican National Convention speaker Thursday to discuss Blake’s shooting.

Trump refused earlier Thursday to answer questions about the shooting.

Carson says his sympathies also extend to other families that have been affected by the "tragic events" in the Milwaukee suburb.

Authorities say Blake was shot in the back by police responding to a domestic dispute. The 29-year-old Black father of six is paralyzed from the waist down.

A 17-year-old from Illinois is charged in the fatal shooting of two protesters and the wounding of a third in Kenosha during unrest that followed Blake’s shooting.

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The widow of a retired St. Louis police captain shot to death after a violent night of protests says President Donald Trump is bolstering law enforcement agencies and using federal resources to "restore order in our communities."

During emotional remarks at the Republican National Convention on Thursday, Ann Marie Dorn said that she relives the "horror" of her husband’s death daily.

In detail, she described the night that 77-year-old David Dorn was fatally shot outside a pawn shop June 2 amid violence following the death of George Floyd.

Saying "violence and destruction are not legitimate forms of protest," Dorn said she hopes that her pain will "help shake this country from the nightmare we are witnessing in our cities and bring about positive, peaceful change."

Soon after the shooting, Trump wrote on Twitter Dorn was "viciously shot and killed by despicable looters last night. We honor our police officers, perhaps more than ever before."

Two men have been charged in Dorn’s death.

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Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is painting a dystopian picture of what America would look like with Democrats in charge as he looks to keep control of the Senate.

The Kentucky Republican said Thursday at the Republican National Convention that "today’s Democrat Party doesn’t want to improve life for middle America." He says, "They prefer that all of us in flyover country keep quiet and let them decide how we should live our lives."

He adds: "They want to tell you what kind of car you can drive. What sources of information are credible. And even how many hamburgers you can eat."

The comment propagates a falsehood that Democratic proponents of the Green New Deal, which seeks to radically overhaul the U.S. economy to cut greenhouse gas emissions, would limit beef consumption.

None of the proponents of the Green New Deal have suggested outlawing beef consumption or seizing pickup trucks.

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The highest-ranking Black staffer in the White House says he’s seen President Donald Trump’s "true conscience" in the aftermath of recent high-profile killings of Black men and boys.

Ja’Ron Smith says in a Republican National Convention speech Thursday that he wishes everyone else could see the "deep empathy" Trump shows families whose loved ones were taken by senseless violence.

Smith specifically named Ahmaud Arbery of Georgia, George Floyd of Minneapolis and 4-year-old LeGend Taliferro of Kansas City.

An assistant to the president for domestic policy, Smith helped craft an executive order that Trump recently issued to address changes to policing that have been demanded in the wake of Floyd’s killing in May by a white Minneapolis police officer.

Smith says issues important to Black communities are priorities for Trump.

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A New Jersey congressman who switched from Democrat to Republican says he deserted his former party when it "moved from liberal to radical."

Rep. Jeff Van Drew claimed at the Republican National Convention on Thursday night that Democratic nominee Joe Biden isn’t in control of his own candidacy and "is being told what to do by the radicals running my former party."

Van Drew broke with his party and voted against impeaching President Donald Trump — a move that bolstered GOP attempts to depict Democrats as divided on the matter. Last year, he switched parties to become a Republican in the November election, promising Trump his "undying support."

Trump, reveling in the decision, promised to return the favor and announced that he is endorsing Van Drew for reelection, calling him "a tremendous asset for the party."

Van Drew’s remarks came after a video montage of comments from voters who identified themselves as coming from across the political spectrum but having become Trump supporters.

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House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy is talking more about the coronavirus pandemic than many of the speakers at the Republican National Convention this week.

But he’s not calling it by its name, only "an invisible enemy that we didn’t ask for."

The California Republican said Thursday in his RNC speech that "we will defeat it because America is where innovation happens, and we are developing a vaccine in record time."

He credits President Donald Trump for having "unleashed a Marshall Plan for Main Street," referring to the coronavirus relief package for unemployed Americans and businesses.

However McCarthy, as all speakers this week, referred to the pandemic as an unforeseen tragedy that has killed 180,000 Americans, not the virus that first swept across Europe and that Trump at first played down before assembling a White House task force.

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The White House South Lawn is the stage for many things, from Easter egg rolls to state dinners to the presidential helicopter’s comings and goings.

But it had never provided the setting for a national political convention – until Thursday night.

President Donald Trump is accepting the Republican presidential nomination during a scaled-back, coronavirus-influenced convention unfolding on the sprawling lawn.

Jumbo screens blared "Trump Pence" and white folding chairs were laid out close together for the 1,500 expected guests, not the recommended 6 feet apart.

Face masks are not required for the event, where Trump and his daughter Ivanka Trump are set to speak, and many guests will not be tested for the coronavirus.

The White House says those who will be "in close proximity" to Trump will be tested.

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Joe Biden is hitting the campaign trail — in person — after Labor Day.

The Democratic presidential nominee said during a fundraiser Thursday that he’ll start doing in-person events in "a way that is totally consistent with being responsible" after Labor Day. Biden named Wisconsin, Minnesota, Pennsylvania and Arizona as some of the states that are under consideration.

Biden says he’ll "meet people where it matters — not at irresponsible rallies, or staged for TV to boost egos, but real people’s communities, in real local businesses, in their lives." He says he’ll hold events "consistent with the state rules" about crowd sizes and other regulations.

Biden has largely campaigned virtually from his Wilmington, Delaware home. While Biden and his aides say he’s trying to comply with recommendations from public health experts, President Donald Trump and his allies have ridiculed Biden for "campaigning from his basement."

Biden knocked Trump for speaking to the Republican National Convention on Thursday night on the South Lawn of the White House, calling him "totally irresponsible" for arranging an in-person audience for the event.

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White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany says the Trump administration has purchased 150 million new COVID-19 test kits to be distributed across the country.

The White House announced the purchase on Thursday ahead of President Donald Trump’s acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention, where he was expected to highlight administration steps to combat the virus.

The 15-minute test from Abbott Laboratories will sell for $5, giving it a competitive edge over similar tests that need to be popped into a small machine. It’s the latest cheaper, simpler test to hit the U.S. market, providing new options to expand testing as schools and businesses struggle to reopen and flu season approaches.

McEnany says the "major development" will save lives, protect America’s most vulnerable and allow more Americans to go back to work and to school.

The test received emergency use authorization from the FDA this week. The company says it will be able to produce about 50 million of them per month, beginning in September.

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President Donald Trump is set to reveal that the federal government is purchasing 150 million new COVID-19 test kits, with the announcement potentially featuring in his speech to the Republican National Convention.

A White House official says Trump on Thursday is to announce the purchase of a newly approved $5 rapid test for the coronavirus produced by Abbott Laboratories. The test received emergency use authorization from the FDA this week. The company says it will be able to produce about 50 million of them per month, beginning in September.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity to preview the president’s speech.

The announcement comes as the Trump administration still faces criticism over its coronavirus testing plans – with experts calling for more expansive testing to allow schools, universities and businesses to safely reopen. The Trump administration this week quietly rolled back its guidance for testing those exposed to the virus in a move some have charged was politically motivated.

— AP writer Zeke Miller

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A group of activists hopes to drown out President Donald Trump’s speech as he accepts the Republican Party nomination at the White House.

Trump is set to speak Thursday night from the South Lawn. As he does, a local band will be blaring Go-Go music, a distinctive D.C. variant on funk.

The popular local band TOB will perform one block from the White House, with the goal of disrupting Trump’s speech.

A longtime D.C. trademark, Go-Go music emerged last year as a battle anthem for activists fighting fast-moving gentrification in the nation’s capital. The music has been a regular presence in this summer’s protests against racial injustice, and rolling Go-Go trucks with live bands have appeared frequently at the epicenter of the protests, which was renamed by the city as Black Lives Matter Plaza.

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President Donald Trump’s acceptance speech will be a hard-hitting verbal offensive against his Democratic opponent in which he’ll call Joe Biden "an empty shell of a candidate, a Trojan horse of a candidate."

Standing at the White House to accept his party’s presidential nomination, Trump will say that his administration has spent the past four years reversing the "damage Joe Biden inflicted over the last 47 years," according to excerpts released first to Politico and later by the Trump campaign.

"At no time before have voters faced a clearer choice between two parties, two visions, two philosophies or two agendas," Trump is to say in remarks addressing the economy and trade, immigration, crime, a rising threat from China and his own response to the coronavirus pandemic.

"At the Democrat convention, you barely heard a word about their agenda. But that’s not because they don’t have one. It’s because their agenda is the most extreme set of proposals ever put forward by a major party nominee."

Trump’s address will be hard-hitting because his aides claim the media’s coverage of the GOP convention has filtered out comments criticizing Biden’s policies.

Not all of the speech will have a negative tone. He is also to say:

"The Republican Party goes forward united, determined and ready to welcome millions of Democrats, independents and anyone who believes in the greatness of America and the righteous heart of the American people."

"This towering American spirit has prevailed over every challenge and lifted us to the summit of human endeavor."

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More than 300 alumni of the most recent Republican administration and presidential campaigns are collectively endorsing Democratic nominee Joe Biden on the day that Republican President Donald Trump accepts his party’s nomination for a second term.

Biden’s campaign released three separate joint statements from the political orbits of former President George W. Bush, 2012 nominee and now-U.S. Sen. Mitt Romney and 2008 nominee John McCain, who died in 2018.

The list of signatories range from rank-and-file campaign aides for all three men to some sub-Cabinet appointees in the Bush administration. The show of bipartisan force seeks to bolster Biden’s argument that Trump presents a fundamental threat to the nation that transcends party loyalties.

Neither Bush nor Romney has said how he will vote in November, but both are notably absent from Trump’s convention. Former presidents and recent nominees typically have prime convention slots.

Romney cast the lone GOP Senate vote to convict Trump and remove him from office for pressuring Ukraine’s government to help him tarnish Biden. Bush has been on the fundraising circuit for down-ballot Republican candidates this year.

Before McCain’s death, the Arizona senator cast the deciding vote against Trump’s push to repeal the 2010 health care law. His widow, Cindy McCain, was featured during Biden’s nominating convention last week as part of a video highlighting the senator’s friendship with the former vice president.

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House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says she doesn’t think there should be presidential debates this year, arguing Democrat Joe Biden shouldn’t "legitimize a conversation" with President Donald Trump.

Pelosi told reporters Thursday she knows she disagrees with Biden on the issue but she believes Trump will "probably act in a way that is beneath the dignity of the presidency" and "belittle what the debates are supposed to be about." Biden has said he is eager to take on Trump in three debates this fall.

Pelosi says a 2016 debate between Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton was "disgraceful" as Trump stood close behind Clinton as she spoke, moving into her camera angle. Pelosi says Trump was "stalking" Clinton and should have been told to move away.

Instead, Pelosi suggests the two candidates have individual events where they take questions. She says, "Let that be a conversation with the American people. Not an exercise in skullduggery."

The nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates recently rejected a request from the Trump campaign to either add a fourth general election debate or move up the calendar for the contests. Trump’s campaign said 16 states will have started voting by the time of the first scheduled debate Sept. 29.

Trump is set to accept the Republican presidential nomination Thursday night.