Fox News contributor Karl Rove breaks down his top takeaways from the first night of the Republican National Convention.
This is an unofficial transcript meant for reference. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
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thanks, appreciate it
my privilege to bring in Karl
Rove as we look back at night
number, one
Karl. I saw some of your
analysis last night.
We saw diversity,
accomplishments, gun rights and
some future arrests stars
was it better than what you
thought it was going to be
yeah.
Absolutely
production value high
moved quickly.
I thought TIM Scotts speech was
terrific. I thought Nikki Haley
hit it out of the park.
This was a chance to start what
they need to to achieve.
They have sort of five. Things
were evident last night,
the biggest one was promises
made promises kept.
They began very right from
the beginning in strong contrast
on three big. I
they talked about coronavirus,
which they have to talk about.
Biden has got a lead on it and
edge on it.
They have got to remove that
edge.
They talked about the economy,
contrasting the two visions and
they talked about law and order
in our cities.
They began to humanize Trump.
I thought some of the more
effective moments him with the
front line workers everybody
from a nurse to a truck driver.
I thought also there was
attention here in the tone
you had some which were red meat
aimed at the base,
but a lot of last night was
aimed at those swing. Voters
sitting there saying I sort of
like what he has done.
I want to get more comfortable
with him and I thought that was
particularly effective.
We will start seeing more, I
suspect, a second term agenda.
They laid it out on Sunday night
in a document we began to hear
about yesterday.
I suspect we will hear more
about it. As the week goes on.
I thought it was very effective
first night,
Steve sure.
Essentially they were saying.
Donald Trump has gotten a lot
done.
If Joe Biden is elected, he
would undo all that stuff.
Karl, we heard yesterday that
the president would have a
surprise every night in the
1000 hour
and last night. The surprise was
something he is obviously very
proud of, and that is the fact
that he and his administration
have freed over fifty hostages.
He had six of them at the White
House yesterday
watch this
im very pleased to let
everybody know that we brought
back over fifty hostages from twenty two
different countries.
Your administration really
fought for me
and I think, if you hadnt done
that I may still be in Turkey,
I was held in Syria for sixty three
days and im. I think I speak
for my fellow former hostages
and detainees here when I I same
im as grateful as anything to
be home safely.
What you did, sir. You were
able to get me out of that
prison in record time.
It was amazing.
I remember a lot of people
asked me what was it like
meeting President Trump,
I would say I was blown away,
got released and shaking the
hand of the president in the
oval office
on behalf of my family and
myself. Thank you,
entrepreneurship for getting us
out and getting us home,
Steve Carl thats, one of the
things politicians try do once
they have a policy or they do
something. Rather than just hear
about hostages.
We met the hostages and that
really personified them and the
President
yeah.
Absolutely
again, one ever the interesting
break aways, the other one was
the front line workers that
humanhumanized Donald Trump Brou
attention to something most
Americans, werent aware of, and
did so in a powerful way.
Ainsley left wants to be
critical of the way he handled
covid and heard from workers how
they were praising him
Ainsley. If you watched c span,
they aired the entire Rnc and
took some reaction at the end,
and there was a caller. His name
is Rick from Ohio. I have been a
lifelong democrat, but this year
im changing my party.
Listen to this
im, a lifelong Democrat
Prime Lorain know Ohio, which
Democrat City in ohio-
and I just want to say after
watching the convention tonight,
im definitely changing my vote
to republican
its the heart felt way. They
came across to the american
people,
and I was really touched by the
number of times they used the
word God
they put God into everything,
and the people on the democratic
side on their convention acted
like they were pushing God right
out of it.
ThatS had a lot to do with
changing my mind,
Ainsley Karl. That was a theme.
I noticed that a lot last night
too
pro America, the flag, the
pledge
and a lot of prayers, and God
blesses and please pray for our
country.
What else your thoughts
well Lorain is in Northeast
Ohio. In a mostly democrat area,
Lucas, County
Ainsley, you know that,
of course, its a sad thing
Steve. How do they vote in eighty? Eight
Karl?
This is indicative of the
problem the Democrats have in
the middle part of the country
in that people who are animated
by sort of traditional values of
patriotism,
a belief in America as
exceptional country,
religious people.
They are drawn to the republican
ticket this year.
I suspect, in part, because of the
strong contrast with the
Democrats.
We had elements of the
Democratic Party who said the
pledge of allegiance but refused
to use the words under God, for
example,
people on the EAST Coast and
West Coast, sort of the elites
and american academia they
dont understand how much values
motivates what ordinary people
do when they come to the polling
place, and I thought that was an
interesting moment.
May I say one: may I offer up
one bit of criticism, though,
about last night
I missed the Hollywood squares
we had during the Democratic
Convention
Steve the zoom call,
what a brilliant piece by
having the entire screen covered
in boxes with people sort of
clapping or whatever
Steve Nancy Pelosi to block
Ainsley. Did you see Carley
Shimkus did a report on this.
If you zoomed in on those boxes,
some of them were repeats.
One lady wearing the white
shirt
exactly
Brian Karl, a lot of people
watching and saying Joe Biden is
not talking about defunding the
police.
He is not talking about
socialized medicine.
I have news for you. The
democratic party is over a
thousand delegates voted Gengts
the platform,
the more he is forced to talk
about how MOD draft he is
the more susceptible. Is he to
losing that progressive, liberal
base that did not vote for what
he talked about
thats the problem,
if you could get close enough in
these polls to force Joe Biden
to actually campaign, this whole
thing could blow apart,
yeah
yeah,
lock the media cover
I picked up this morning. My
device began reading NBC dealt
with the issue of last night of
the Republicans attack on
violence in our cities and said,
but of course, Biden and Kamala
Harris have been out there
denouncing the violence.
I have searched for that
Brian, not true.
I have actually thought about
writing a column.
I found one instance: five words
whereby DEN sort of dismisses
the violence in our cities,
but literally Portland, goes up.
They try to burn down the
courthouse and the next day in a
hearing, Senator Harris is saying
to the head of DHS. Why are you
attacking quote moms and
veterans
no denouncing of the violence?
This is a real weakness for the
Democrats.
A lot of people in America are
concerned about. Why is it that
parties do not stand up and
denounce it? Only one party
stands up and denounce in our
streets and major cities
Steve. I think we will hear that.
Transcript generated on 2020-08-25.