While the year 2020 might continue to throw us all curveballs, there are just some things you’d never see coming. In an absolutely shocking twist, Vice President Mike Pence has spoken out to say he doesn’t approve of the messaging at this week’s DNC convention.
"So many of the speeches at the Democratic National Convention were so negative," Pence told CBS This Morning today. "They presented such a grim vision for America." Despite the fact that Pence believes the Democrats painted a “grim” vision, much of the convention was focused on hope and restoring unity to the country and the economy, while taking aim at the damage the Trump Administration has done.
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Pence took a particular issue with Democratic nominee Joe Biden's speech, despite many noting the sincerity and hopefulness of it. "We can choose the path of becoming angrier, less hopeful, and more divided. A path of shadow and suspicion. Or we can choose a different path, and together, take this chance to heal, to be reborn, to unite. A path of hope and light," Biden said on Thursday night.
But, apparently, this was too grim for Pence, who called out the former vice president, saying that he “never mentioned the violence that has beset major cities across this country.”
Despite Pence's assertions, the DNC did include montages that were shown of protests around the country, and Biden was among multiple speakers who paid tribute to George Floyd, also making space for his family members to speak. Though the focus of his speech was not on the ongoing police protests, Biden has previously criticized Trump’s move to bring the feds into areas like Portland, which also brought violence and sowed “chaos and division,” addressing the issue head on, but perhaps not in a way Pence agreed with.
But wait, there's more: In his complaints, Pence also weighed in on Biden’s comments about the economy. "Joe Biden said last night the economy's not going to come back until the coronavirus is over. Newsflash to Joe Biden – the economy is coming back. The only real threat to our economy is a Joe Biden presidency.” Pence conveniently ignores the fact that America is currently in the deepest recession since the Great Depression at the hands of the Trump administration.
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Ultimately, Biden's speech was centered on the strategies he would put in place to combat hardship — including rapid testing strategies and ensuring all states have emergency PPE, as well as bolstering jobs and economic opportunities. “Together we can and will rebuild our economy. And when we do, we’ll not only build back, we’ll build back better,” Biden promised last night.
But there was one notable absence that may have irked the current administration heading into the Republican National Convention: Biden's address did not name Donald Trump even once. During the nearly 25-minute long speech, he only referred to Trump as “the current president.” For comparison,Mitt Romney’s 2012 acceptance speech at the RNC name-dropped Barack Obama fifteen times.
It's impossible to imagine that the RNC will show even a fraction of diplomacy in their speeches next week, and if Pence has anything to say about it, it looks like the attacks on Biden and Kamala will be harsh.