Leave it to Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) to bring church to Night 1 of the Republican National Convention (RNC). At the beginning of his eight-minute speech, Scott broke up the mostly programmed and policy-focused event with a rousing call to the greatness of God. Scott, in his creative, storyteller fashion, referenced the deliverance power of God on Saturday in saving former President and GOP nominee Donald Trump from that assassin’s bullet.
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If you didn’t believe in miracles before Saturday, you better be believin’ right now!
Thank God Almighty that we live in a country that still believes in the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, the Alpha and the Omega!
And our God… Our God still saves. He still delivers. And he still sets free. Because on Saturday, the Devil came to Pennsylvania holding a rifle. But an American Lion got back up on his feet, and he roared!
Oh yeah… He roared!
These opening lines received the biggest applause and cheers, and rightly so. As Trump himself acknowledged on Sunday, it was only the power of God that saved him. You bet your bottom dollar that the party that booed God in 2012 is probably not going to wax eloquent about his power in 2024. From the opening invocation to even the different administrative sessions, God was invited and honored; so, at least one party is still a safe haven for people of faith.
Scott proceeded with his remarks, including some aspect of his “Cotton to Congress” story. This time, he efficiently weaved the current struggles of our nation with the need for Trump’s policies. Scott spoke about rejecting victimhood and declared once again that America is not a racist country. “But if you’re looking for racism today, you’ll find it in cities run by Democrats.”
Scott encouraged that:
“[C]onservative values restore hope. Republican policies lift people up[…] This is a difficult time for our nation. Joe Biden is asleep at the wheel, and we’re headed over a cliff. America, we deserve better. We deserve so much better.”
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Scott spoke about his partnership with Trump, and how they worked to bring tax cuts to Americans and opportunity zones in the inner cities. How Trump secured the country’s borders and that he would do it again. Ever the pastor, Scott spoke to this forward vision:
“This November, we are not deciding simply the fate for the next four years. We are setting a course for the next 40 years.”
When Scott cheered, “We are the Republican Party of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln. Of Ronald Reagan and Donald Trump!” The crowd broke into chants of “Four more years!”
In his conclusion, Scott built a bridge and rebranded the GOP. “We aren’t just the Grand Old Party of the past, we are the Great Opportunity Party of America’s future!”
That should be a bumper sticker. The full speech is here.
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