Eric Trump uses RNC speech to make personal appeal to father

Eric Trump on Tuesday used a portion of his speech at the Republican National Convention to speak directly to his father, cheering him on and praising him for his first term in office.

Trump was the second of the president’s adult children to speak on Tuesday night. He is a fixture on Fox News defending his father, and his speech included numerous swipes at “cancel culture” and appeals to the president’s base.

But the final portion was more personal, as Trump referenced his late uncle, Robert Trump, who died earlier this month and was honored at a White House ceremony last week.

“In closing, I’d like to speak directly to my father,” Trump said. “I miss working alongside you every day, but I’m damn proud to be on the front lines of this fight. I am proud of what you are doing for this country.”

“Dad, let’s make Uncle Robert proud,” he concluded. “Let’s go get another four years.”

The speech was largely targeted at the president’s base, with references to the “forgotten men and women” and to “communist China.” He rattled off accomplishments such as tax cuts, the killing of terrorists and an economic boom prior to the coronavirus pandemic.

Trump’s speech also railed against Democrats and the media, harping on the “cancel culture” message that has been a consistent theme in the first two nights of the convention. He accused Democrats of wanting to “destroy the monuments of our forefathers and disrespecting the flag.”

“They want to disrespect our national anthem by taking a knee, while our armed forces lay down their lives every day to protect our freedom,” he said.

Most Democrats have backed protesters who have taken the actions that Trump accused lawmakers of, and public opinion polling has shown that a majority of Americans back the demonstrators who have taken to the streets in recent weeks to protest racial injustice.

But the Trump campaign has attempted to associate the Biden campaign and Democrats with the more unruly protesters who have engaged in rioting and looting.

“Under President Trump, freedom will never be a thing of the past,” Trump said. “That’s what a vote for Donald Trump represents. It is a vote for the American spirit, the American dream and the American flag.”