President Donald Trump speaks from the South Lawn of the White House on the fourth day of the Republican National Convention in Washington.Credit:AP
Never before in US history has the White House been used as the setting for such a party-political event. Under the guise of the coronavirus pandemic,Trump turned the presidential residence into a political broadcasting centre. During the four-day convention he pardoned a former bank robber and hosted a live citizenship ceremony. He delivered fireworks,literally. A display spelling out"Trump 2020"exploded in the skyline of the US capital after his acceptance speech.
The spectacle drove Democrats to distraction:not only was the convention norm-shattering,they said,but parts of it were illegal. The Hatch Act prevents government employees from participating in political activities on federal property,a rule Republicans seemed to flout several times during the event with no expectation of punishment.
Viewers tuning in were treated to an alternative reality show in which the pandemic barely exists. Trump delivered his speech in front of a crowd of almost 1500 people,all sitting close together and with few wearing masks. He mentioned the virus only in passing,optimistically vowing that a vaccine could be ready in months. He made no effort to empathise with those who have lost loved ones or been forced into unemployment.
Fireworks light up the sky around the Washington Monument after President Donald Trump delivered his acceptance speech at the White House to the 2020 Republican National Convention.Credit:AP
Trump did mention rioting and violence in American cities,but it was as if the unrest was taking place in a different country — one in which he wasn't President. There was,predictably,a barrage of falsehoods and exaggerations,like when Trump"very modestly"claimed he had done more for African Americans than any president since Abraham Lincoln.
As with the Democrats last week,the Republican convention was not flawless. The program was overstuffed with Trump family members,including a comically over-excited Kimberly Guilfoyle (Donald Trump jnr's girlfriend). Trump's speech,at 70-plus minutes,was over-long. By delivering it in front of a packed crowd,he risked reinforcing perceptions that he doesn't take COVID-19 seriously.
The videos were designed to tap into viewers' visceral emotions:patriotism,fear and anger.