Donald Trump’s son Donald Jr dubbed Joe Biden “the Loch Ness Monster of the swamp” at the opening night of the Republican convention which framed the Democrats as radical socialists who pose a risk to American values.
Despite the US president promising an up-beat message at the convention, speaker after speaker on Monday night gave dire warnings about what would happen if Mr Biden, the Democratic presidential nominee, wins in November.
Mr Trump was at times cast as “the bodyguard of western civilisation”, a “tough” but necessary leader and the embodiment of the American dream who acted early to keep US citizens safe from the coronavirus pandemic.
Conversely viewers were warned a Biden presidency would lead to a “socialist” takeover, the advancement of politically correct “cancel culture” and even – according to one speaker – a push to “abolish the suburbs”.
The attacks were mixed with more moderate messages to help shore up the president politically, including videos showing him chatting with frontline workers in the pandemic and an emphasis on African-American support.
Yet the overriding message that came through during the two-and-a-half hours of programming was the tragedy that awaited if Mr Biden reached the White House – warnings that would have resonated with Mr Trump’s support base.
Watch the video to see the key moments from day one of the RNC 2020.
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