2016 GOP Convention Prepared Remarks for Thursday Evening Speakers

CLEVELAND, July 21, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The 2016 Republican National Convention (RNC) is holding its final day of proceedings in Cleveland, Ohio, today. The speakers featured in the Convention's evening program will expand upon the theme: "Make America One Again."

America faces serious challenges at home and threats from abroad. In order to turn our challenges into opportunities and keep America secure, we need leaders who will focus on what unites us, not what divides us. Donald Trump and Mike Pence will move our country beyond the divisive identity politics that have been holding us back by restoring leadership, building trust, and focusing on our shared love of country and our common goal of making America great again.

The speakers participating in tonight's program will highlight our party's vision for bringing Americans together and creating the conditions that will allow everyone – young people, working families, and entrepreneurs – to pursue their aspirations.   

Below are the as prepared for delivery texts for the following speakers.  Please note that speeches are embargoed until delivery.

MAKE AMERICA ONE AGAIN THURSDAY, JULY 21

Brock Mealer, Motivational SpeakerBrock Mealer is a walking miracle. After suffering a spinal cord injury on Christmas Eve of 2007, he was told that he had a one-percent chance of ever walking again. Mealer's story struck the hearts of millions of Americans.

Mealer sustained his injury in a car crash involving several members of his family just five minutes away from their home. His brother Elliot, an offensive lineman headed to the University of Michigan to play football, was able to free Brock from the wreckage, but the two brothers lost their father, David, and Elliot's girlfriend, Hollis Richer, in the crash. Today, Brock has conquered the odds and is able to walk again.

Christmas Eve 2007, my parents, my younger brother, Elliott, his girlfriend, Hollis Richer, and I were driving to church. Out of nowhere, a car ran a stop sign, crashing into us. My father, my hero, David Paul Mealer, and Hollis died that night.

I endured eight and a half hours of surgery.

When I awoke, the surgeon came into my hospital room with more devastating news.

My spinal cord damage was about the worst she had ever seen. She said that I would likely never walk again—that even a one percent chance was overly optimistic.

But that 1% was all I needed. Through it all, I had faith in Jesus Christ, believed in myself and strived to make that one percent a reality.

Truthfully, God made that 1% a reality; His will, not mine. He blessed me with football coaches Rich and Mike, who gave me a fighting chance. His blessings enabled me to graduate from The Ohio State University and go on to be cheered by University of Michigan fans, as I led the Wolverines onto the field. He blessed me with my beautiful wife, Haley; we walked down the aisle together. He gave me countless other blessings. This very moment, for me, is a testament to God working all things for the good.

And guess who else was told he had a 1% chance? A company that analyzes polling data for CNN predicted last year that Donald Trump had a 1% chance of winning the Republican nomination for president. Mr. Trump, welcome to the club!

I defied the odds. But I couldn't do it on my own.

Donald Trump can't do it alone either. He needs our help and support. Just as Michigan was willing to adopt a Buckeye, for a cause greater than ourselves, we can unite behind Donald Trump to Make America One Again.

Now I want to turn it over to a fellow Ohio State graduate who really knows how to unite a team—Coach Bobby Knight. 

U.S. Representative Marsha Blackburn (TN-7)Rep. Marsha Blackburn was first elected to Congress from the 7th District of Tennessee in 2002. As a small businesswoman, author, mother, grandmother, and Member of Congress, she is dedicated to making America a more prosperous place to live. No stranger to adversity and hard work, Blackburn went to college on a 4-H scholarship and worked her way through school selling books for the Southwestern Company. She was one of the company's first female sales associates and one of their first female sales managers. She assisted the company in establishing a division focused on women.

Good evening to all and to those watching at home, on iPhones, and Twitter. I have a question. Do you want to help make America one again?

We've had enough of bloated budgets, un-kept promises, pointless redlines.

Enough division and heated rhetoric whose only purpose is to drive a wedge between us and our neighbor. Enough seeing our 401ks get smaller, our bills get bigger, our taxes go up and our paychecks shrink. We've had enough!

You're ready for a change – for someone to take the reins, bring us together.

A man who can get the job done. Or as Larry the Cable guy would say, 'Git 'er done! Someone who comes in ahead of schedule and under budget.

Who's read the specs, seen the bottom line, negotiated the cost, built something to last. A leader who knows the country is not full of assets to be managed, forgotten, deleted. Our nation's citizens want a leader who knows the sure route to prosperity, who inspires, who knows leading is a hard-fought verb and not a subject line in an email.

That's why I'm asking you to join me in electing Donald Trump president.

Donald Trump has the skills required to lead such a diverse nation, and can help people achieve greatness. He believes in the American dream because he has lived the American dream. Why?

Greatness isn't new. President Lincoln stood in this very city 155 years ago with a call to bind together or perish apart: "If all do not join now to save the good ship of the Union this voyage, nobody will have a chance to pilot her on another."

And again we find our nation in desperate need of true leadership. We are in desperate need of unity.

The last eight years have been a challenge, to our national and household budgets, our Constitution, to the men and women who give their lives and sacred honor to protect both.

Donald Trump is a leader who has seen challenges, learned lessons, solved problems, delivered results.

Some of our greatest leaders have been people who worked in the real world, know firsthand how cumbersome rules and unnecessary regulations get in the way of greatness.

I want a president who knows leadership is not as it appears, but as it performs. Who has seen something through from beginning to completion. Who looks at the mundane, sees magnificence. After all, that's the magic of this country – everyday people, with big ideas and the drive to complete them, can change the world.

Leadership is not about lines on a resume.

Gender, race, zip code, pedigree, lineage and hurt feelings aren't qualifiers. Leadership is a record of performance, accomplishment, team building.

That's leadership you can trust.

Americans are bound together by the shared desire for freedom, faith, family, hope, and opportunity. We want a president who believes that you, not Washington, know what's best. Believes you have the right to pursue your version of the American dream.

America is on the edge of great, mighty things. We need a President Donald Trump who is about freedom. Who will choose to unite, not divide.

Together we'll get the country building, working, see jobs come back, communities grow, leaders lead.

Together we'll be great again.

Together we'll be one again.

Oklahoma Governor Mary FallinMary Fallin is the governor of Oklahoma. The first woman elected to the job, Fallin earned the position through years of service to the people of her state. Fallin started her career in politics by serving two terms as a state representative. She later serves as lieutenant governor and the congresswoman from the 5th District of Oklahoma.

Fallin has served as the chairman of the National Governors Association, where she led a nationwide initiative to help better align education with the needs of a modern-day workforce.

Thank you.

I grew up in Tecumseh, a small town in Oklahoma. It was one of those all-American towns where everyone watches high school football on Friday nights, and neighbors take care of neighbors. In Tecumseh, we understood poverty. But it wasn't a destiny that was inevitable. We were optimistic about the future, and knew we could succeed with hard work, a good education and faith in God.

There weren't many opportunities for young women, but we did have a great role model: the mayor, my mom. She taught me if I worked hard, I could be anything. I took that lesson to heart, and eventually became the first female governor of Oklahoma.

Even at a time when the shadow of institutional discrimination fell over much of our country, there was no shortage of African-American heroes. Black Oklahomans like Clara Luper were leading sit-ins and successfully integrating schools across the state, winning the fight for respect and opportunity. So, when I look back on my childhood, my America, I don't see a perfect place. But we were united by a simple belief: that no matter who you were or where you came from, better days were just ahead for America.

Today, I'm afraid we're losing that sense of unity and optimism, not just in towns like Tecumseh, but across this land. Our country is divided, our people are afraid, and our spirits are nearly broken. But we can't allow hopelessness to become the new normal. And we won't.

The American people are longing for the American dream where they can get a fair shake at life and the opportunity to succeed. We must make America One Again and restore confidence in the strength of our nation.

It is no secret Donald Trump is a bold, tenacious, courageous and outspoken leader. He knows how to create jobs and successful businesses. He has bold ideas and speaks truth to power. He is a man who will get this country on the right track, who believes in peace through strength and will protect America against radical Islamic terrorists who seek our destruction. Our nation has united time and time again on our core values of freedom, individual liberty and justice for all - the principles on which our country was founded, and the principles that Donald Trump unapologetically stands for.

We are one in our belief that America must address the national debt – not by increasing taxes – but by increasing opportunity. We are one in our belief that we must protect our borders, and promote fair trade that puts American workers first. We are one in our belief that we must stand with allies like Israel, a beacon of freedom and democracy in the Middle East. We are one in our belief that we must respect and honor our military, veterans, and law enforcement, whose sacrifice keeps us safe and free. And we are one in our belief in that every life is precious, regardless of race or class, including the lives of unborn children.

As a party, we don't agree 100 percent on everything. That's OK. We don't have to. As Ronald Reagan said, "the person who agrees with you 80 percent of the time is a friend and ally." We invite every American who believes in these principles, who longs for an end to division and wants to make America one again, to join us in electing Donald Trump president of the United States.

May God bless you all, and may God bless America!

Dr. Lisa Shin, National Diversity Coalition for TrumpDr. Lisa Shin, OD, is the owner of Los Alamos Family Eyecare, P.C. in Los Alamos, New Mexico. She is known and trusted as an authority on eye care and vision protection. Dr. Shin is a member of the National Diversity Coalition for Trump and a Trump delegate to the Republican National Convention.

My name is Lisa Shin. I am deeply humbled and honored to speak to you as a national delegate from the great state of New Mexico!

I am a Christian, a wife, and a mother. I have been in private practice as an optometrist for the past 19 years. I am Korean-American. And I am very proud to be a supporter of the next President of the United States, Donald J. Trump!

Over 40 years ago, my parents left South Korea to come to America. They knew that America was an exceptional and generous country where immigrants could become American citizens, participate in American democracy, and live the American dream. They knew America was the land of opportunity and freedom, where immigrants could succeed and prosper. So they swore an oath to support and defend the Constitution. My parents endured countless hardships and made tremendous sacrifices to pursue the Dream. And they never imagined that one day, their daughter would be speaking to you today. This is the beauty of the American Dream: to do and to be, the unimaginable.

Hillary Clinton is a direct threat to the American Dream.

Her proposals would be utterly devastating to our economy. Her dangerous ideology undermines our democracy and freedom. She represents everything that is wrong with the system: the deceit, corruption, cronyism, and a total lack of accountability. With extreme carelessness, she has compromised our national security and our safety. With contempt, she has flouted the rule of law that we rely on for justice, order, and peace. She has overwhelmingly lost the trust of the American people. She is not qualified to be our next president. She is unfit to be the commander in chief of the brave men and women who sacrifice so much to fight for our country.

There is only one presidential candidate who will preserve the American dream that our parents and our grandparents envisioned for us. There is only one candidate who will ensure a more prosperous, safe, and secure future for our children and our grandchildren. There is only one candidate who will defend the core principles that this great country was founded upon. There is only one candidate who will protect, stand with and fight for we, the American people. There is only clear choice for America: that choice is Donald J. Trump.

Thank you.

Reince Priebus, Republican National Committee ChairmanReince Priebus' three terms make him the longest-serving chairman in modern history. During his first term as chairman, Priebus oversaw a dramatic turnaround of the RNC, rescuing its finances, rebuilding its operations, and implementing the best ground game effort the committee had ever organized. Priebus dedicated his second term to taking the party's message of freedom and economic opportunity to all states and all communities. By welcoming new voices and voters and harnessing the power of new technology, he led the RNC in building the infrastructure needed for a landslide GOP victory in the midterm elections. Now in his third term, Priebus is working to deliver victories in races across the country in the 2016 campaign.

Thank you.

To the people of Cleveland, we say thank you for your hospitality. I stand before this convention tonight as the Chairman of a party that is carrying the torch of liberty.

We are the party of the open door.

To some people and some presidents America is just another country. To Republicans, America is the greatest nation on earth.

We don't apologize for America. We celebrate America.

At every level, Republicans stand for aspiration and achievement. We stand for peace and prosperity. We stand for freedom and fairness.

These values have inspired people the world-over, ever since we won our freedom over two centuries ago. These values fueled the sacrifices for freedom at Gettysburg and Normandy and Fallujah. These values spurred the fight for equality in Birmingham and Selma.

It is clear the Republican Party is the only party willing to fight for these values and lead America to greatness in the 21st century.

See, the dirty little secret Democrats don't want you to know is that they are the party of the same old thing. Next week they are going to trot out the same old Democrats with the same old message running the same old candidate.

We are the party of new ideas in a world changing faster than ever.

Democrats depend on super delegates and bureaucrats to sneak their agenda through the backdoor.

We are the party of the grassroots. We honor what the voters say.

Democrats want to put labor union bosses in charge of our schools, limit our choices, and feed our kids a steady diet of left-wing propaganda.

We know every child matters and the classroom is not an assembly line. It's time to give power back to parents, embrace school choice, and equip our children with the skills they need for college, career and life.

Democrats want healthcare choices in the hands of politicians. We want healthcare choices in the hands of patients. Democrats want Washington to impose a one-size-fits-all policy on everybody.

We say an independent people deserves individual solutions.

What separates Republicans from Democrats is our belief in better. We believe in better schools. A better healthcare system. A better economy which rewards hard work no matter where or when you punch the clock.

And most of all, we believe in a better chance at the American dream for everyone. The Republican Party will not stop until it becomes a reality. And that's why we need to stop Hillary Clinton.

A Clinton presidency only means more debt, more Obamacare, and more hard-working families never seeing a raise.

If given the chance, Hillary Clinton will stack the Supreme Court with activist left-wing judges who will treat the Constitution like a doormat.

You can kiss your gun rights goodbye if she ever finds her way into the White House. In foreign policy, a Clinton presidency means forgetting our friends and enabling our enemies.

Just look at her disastrous Iran nuclear deal, which lined the pockets of the world's number one state sponsor of terrorism with your money, while abandoning our greatest ally in the Middle East, the nation of Israel.

It was on her watch ISIS began to spread its wings of evil over the Middle East. And she has spent the last 16 months looking into the eyes of the American people and lying about how she recklessly jeopardized national security with her secret email server.

She lied. And she lied over and over and over.

Perhaps worst of all, Hillary Clinton has perfected the art of politics for personal gain. She reads ethics rules as carefully as Americans read their junk mail. Just look at her track record.

She used her post as Secretary of State to grease the wheels for Democrat lobbyists, special interests, and political insiders connected to the corrupt Clinton Machine.

Her family foundation took millions of dollars in donations from countries

notorious for human rights abuses and funneling money to radical Islamic terrorists.

For Hillary Clinton, the Oval Office is just another cash cow. Well, I have one word for all this hypocrisy and corruption.

Enough.

Americans have had enough of a government that plays favorites with the well-connected. They've had enough of the Clintons' excuses, cronyism and cover ups. They've had enough of the corrupt dealings. Americans have had enough.

This election is our chance to stop it and Donald Trump is the right man to lead that charge. He's brought millions of new voters into our party because he's listening to Americans who are anxious about a country which has lost its way.

Donald Trump wants to bring jobs back from overseas and hold companies who want to send them abroad accountable. He's finally going to stop illegal immigration and make sure our government puts American citizens first.

Working families are the lifeblood of our country, and we can't thrive as a nation unless they are thriving. A lot of them haven't seen a bigger paycheck in a long time.

Donald Trump wants to make sure you can pay the mortgage, put gas in the car, and buy new clothes for the first day of school.

Donald Trump is committed to hitting terrorists hard and making the safety of every man, woman, and child in America his number one priority.

No more negotiating with terrorists. If they want to take us down, we will take them down.

He will protect the Second Amendment, and every other right guaranteed in the Constitution, by appointing conservative justices to the Supreme Court.

And he's going to protect the lives of the unborn. So I have a message to America: hold on.

Help is coming.

With Donald Trump and Mike Pence, America is ready for a comeback after almost a decade of Clinton-Obama failures.

I want to close by telling you a little-known story of American greatness.

William Nudesen was a Danish immigrant who started out working in a shipyard and living in a boardinghouse. He knew America promised limitless opportunity, and was determined to make the most of it.  He developed his talents for industrial engineering and worked his way up at General Motors. By 1937, he had become the President of the company.

In 1940, the government asked him to get America's factories on a wartime footing.

Instead of cars and trucks, America's great manufacturers were now proudly making tanks and planes.  For this enormous responsibility, Nudesen was paid $1 per year.

He didn't do the job for the money. He was motivated by a duty to keep America free from tyranny. He set aside the job of leading one of the largest companies in America so he could help save the world.

At the end of the war, a war department official told him, "You have never done anything for yourself, only for your country. You have never spared yourself."

Like William Nudesen, we cannot spare ourselves either. Economic freedom. Belief in the American Dream. A strong national defense. Putting country first.

Those values are under assault from Hillary Clinton and the rest of the Democrat party. Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness is not just a tagline for a bumper sticker.

It is our American legacy, and it is our responsibility to save it and strengthen it for our children and grandchildren.

God put us here not by accident. This is our moment to set a new course for an America as strong and confident as we've ever been.

Let's stand united as Republicans. Let's stop Hillary Clinton. Let's get to work, expand our Republican majorities, and elect Donald Trump president.

Thank you and God bless America.

Jerry Falwell, Jr., President of Liberty University Jerry Falwell, Jr. is the president of Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia. He was appointed in 2007 after the death of his father, Jerry Falwell, Sr. Falwell attended Liberty University himself, and after obtaining his undergraduate degree, he earned his J.D. from the University of Virginia Law School. During his career, Falwell has worked in private practice and served as General Counsel for his father's entities. Falwell is an evangelical leader and a proven Republican who stands up for America's faith and liberties.

Thank you. I am honored and humbled to be here tonight.

In 1984, my father stood at this convention and offered the opening prayer before our party's candidate, Ronald Reagan, went on to accept the nomination and win in a landslide.

A little over 30 years later, I stand here with the sincerest prayer that history is about to repeat itself with the election of Donald J Trump. Most of our nation's founders had strong faith, as I do, in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

My family has lived in Virginia since the 1600s and in the Lynchburg, Virginia area since 1834.

My wife, Becki, is a descendant of George Washington's family.  Every day, I drive past Poplar Forest, the summer home of Thomas Jefferson who wrote in the Declaration of Independence.

We are all endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights and among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Our founding fathers envisioned a government that existed only to protect these God given rights and a nation governed by citizen legislators.

The most effective politicians were never career politicians, but surveyors, architects, ministers, farmers, businessmen and even actors who were successful in the private sector before serving in government.

Donald Trump follows in this rich tradition. He has created jobs for thousands and is one of the greatest visionaries of our time.

I first supported Mr. Trump after I spent 20 years as a young lawyer working with my father to restore Liberty University to financial health.

Since 2007 Liberty has become the largest and most prosperous Christian university in the world and I am convinced that Donald Trump can work the same magic for a nation $19 trillion in debt.

But my family and I have grown to love and respect the Trumps for other reasons. We have never met such a genuine and loving family.  I truly believe Mr. Trump is America's blue collar billionaire. He is down to earth, he loves America and the American people. He is a true patriot and a champion of the common man.

Mr. Trump has added a plank to this party's platform to repeal IRS rules sponsored by Lyndon Johnson in 1954 barring churches and non-profits from expressing political free speech. Conservative universities and churches have been investigated while authorities have too often turned a blind-eye toward liberal groups, including universities where left-wing ideology is so pervasive that they have in effect become Democratic-voter indoctrination camps. Trust me, this will create a huge revolution for conservative Christians.

We are at a crossroads where our first priority must be saving our nation. We must unite behind Donald Trump and Mike Pence.

A decision not to vote or to vote for a third-party candidate is a de facto vote for Hillary Clinton. If Hillary Clinton is allowed to appoint the next few Supreme Court justices, that in itself could be a fatal blow to our republic.

On the other hand, a vote for Donald Trump is a vote to uphold the 2nd amendment right to bear arms. A vote for Trump is a vote to stop Iran, a nation committed to the destruction of the state of Israel, from becoming a nuclear power. A vote for Trump is a vote to appoint conservative pro-life justices to the Supreme Court.

In the days before my father passed away in 2007, he joked with CNN that he dreamed Chelsea Clinton had asked him in an interview about the three greatest threats facing the nation. He replied, Osama, Obama and yo' Momma. Osama is now gone, Obama has six months left on his term and the only way to make America great (and one) again is to keep Chelsea's Momma from ever becoming president of the US by electing Donald Trump and Mike Pence as the next president and vice-president of the United States.

Peter Thiel, Venture CapitalistAs a venture capitalist and entrepreneur, Peter Thiel has been involved in some of the most dynamic companies to emerge from Silicon Valley over the past two decades. In 1998, Thiel made e-commerce easier, faster, and more secure by co-founding PayPal, defining a new era of fast and secure online commerce. He was the first outside investor and director at Facebook, and also launched Palantir Technologies, where he serves as chairman of the board of directors. Peter established and funds the Thiel Foundation, which promotes freedom in all its forms while working to advance technological progress and long-term thinking about the future.

Good evening. I'm Peter Thiel.

I build companies and I support people who are building new things, from social networks to rocket ships.

I'm not a politician.

But neither is Donald Trump.

He is a builder, and it's time to rebuild America.

Where I work in Silicon Valley, it's hard to see where America has gone wrong.

My industry has made a lot of progress in computers and in software, and, of course, it's made a lot of money.

But Silicon Valley is a small place.

Drive out to Sacramento, or even just across the bridge to Oakland, and you won't see the same prosperity. That's just how small it is.

Across the country, wages are flat.

Americans get paid less today than ten years ago. But healthcare and college tuition cost more every year. Meanwhile Wall Street bankers inflate bubbles in everything from government bonds to Hillary Clinton's speaking fees.

Our economy is broken. If you're watching me right now, you understand this better than any politician in Washington. And you know this isn't the dream we looked forward to. Back when my parents came to America looking for that dream, they found it—right here in Cleveland.

They brought me here as a one-year-old, and this is where I became an American.

Opportunity was everywhere.

My Dad studied engineering at Case Western Reserve University, just down the road from where we are now. Because in 1968, the world's high tech capital wasn't just one city: all of America was high tech.

It's hard to remember this, but our government was once high tech, too. When I moved to Cleveland, defense research was laying the foundations for the Internet. The Apollo program was just about to put a man on the moon—and it was Neil Armstrong, from right here in Ohio.

The future felt limitless.

But today our government is broken. Our nuclear bases still use floppy disks. Our newest fighter jets can't even fly in the rain. And it would be kind to say the government's software works poorly, because much of the time it doesn't even work at all.

That is a staggering decline for the country that completed the Manhattan Project. We don't accept such incompetence in Silicon Valley, and we must not accept it from our government.

Instead of going to Mars, we have invaded the Middle East. We don't need to see Hillary Clinton's deleted emails: her incompetence is in plain sight. She pushed for a war in Libya, and today it's a training ground for ISIS. On this most important issue, Donald Trump is right. It's time to end the era of stupid wars and rebuild our country.

When I was a kid, the great debate was about how to defeat the Soviet Union. And we won. Now we are told that the great debate is about who gets to use which bathroom.

This is a distraction from our real problems. Who cares?

Of course, every American has a unique identity.

I am proud to be gay.

I am proud to be a Republican.

But most of all I am proud to be an American.

I don't pretend to agree with every plank in our party's platform. But fake culture wars only distract us from our economic decline.

And nobody in this race is being honest about it except Donald Trump.

While it is fitting to talk about who we are, today it's even more important to remember where we came from. For me that is Cleveland, and the bright future it promised.

When Donald Trump asks us to Make America Great Again, he's not suggesting a return to the past. He's running to lead us back to that bright future.

Tonight I urge all of my fellow Americans to stand up and vote for Donald Trump.

Pastor Mark Burns, Co-Founder and CEO of The NOW Television Network Pastor Mark Burns is the co-founder and CEO of The NOW Television Network, a Christian television network based out of South Carolina that reaches 11 million homes in the U.S., in Canada, on Roku, and online at theNOWnetwork.org. Burns is also the creator, executive producer, and host of the Lift Your Voice Gospel Show that currently airs in more than 45 million homes.

Hello Republicans, are you Ready to elect the next President of these United States of America? I'm Pastor Mark Burns from the Great State of South Carolina!

It is so important Republicans, that we come together to defeat Hillary Clinton and those liberal race-baiting, Democrats who will do whatever it takes to keep us Americans focusing on the colors that divide us and not the colors that unite us. Because only together we will never allow Hillary Clinton to become the next President of the United States of America.

And I want to declare to the whole world and to the Republican Party that under a Donald Trump Administration, all lives matter. That means black lives, white lives, Hispanic lives, Asian lives, Christian lives, Muslim lives, shout with me, all lives matter.

Even though I disagree with the tactics and divisive rhetoric of the Black Lives Matter movement, I do understand that hopelessness and lack of opportunity breeds desperation.

This is true in many of our nation's ghettos and underprivileged communities. Much of protests in urban centers are born out of this kind of desperation. Good jobs, urban economic revitalization, and an opportunity for job training are long-term solutions that can turn our troubled cities around.

We as Republicans are declaring to the world that we are more determined than ever to listen to the cries of the disenfranchised, of the low-income and at-risk communities. And I know, without a shadow of doubt, that Donald J. Trump will make sure that all Americans will have   jobs!

And if we together, not as black Americans, white Americans, brown Americans, yellow Americans, or red Americans, but just as Americans, that we as a people will get to the promise land where jobs have returned to this country, college degrees replace mass incarcerations, and no matter what terrorist group that tries to destroy our way of life, we will always rise from the ashes, we will never die, why, because we are the United States of America! And despite the color you was born with, here in America, the only colors that matter is the colors of red, white and blue! USA. USA. USA.

I'm Pastor Mark Burns, and I invite you to help me elect the next President of the United States of America, Donald J. Trump!

Tom Barrack, CEO of Colony CapitalTom Barrack is a real estate investor and the founder and executive chairman of Colony Capital. Prior to starting his own business, Barrack served in the Reagan administration as deputy undersecretary of the Department of the Interior. Barrack and Donald Trump have worked together on many real estate deals during their time in business.

Tonight, I am honored to stand before you as the son of a humble Lebanese grocer,

the grandson of immigrants, and a proud American blessed to live in the freest nation on Earth.

For over three decades, I have seen Donald up close and personal, as a great pal and business partner, across the spectrum of life's twists and turns. My purpose here in front of you today is to share a different side of Donald Trump – a side that is not always made visible by the press but one that becomes as clear as day when you move a little closer, beyond the glaring lights, and television cameras.

The words that I use to describe Donald are words that people do not hear often: compassionate, kind, loyal, dedicated, trustworthy, courageous, empathetic and fatherly.

Children are the true litmus test for all of us as parents. Many of you have gotten to know Donald's children during this Convention, and, as you have seen, they are far from children of entitlement and privilege but rather share a legacy of grace, dedication, intense discipline and a rare touch, like their father, to connect with people.

I could share many stories about Donald's tremendous business acumen and instincts – his incredible ability to build consensus among warring factions and bring adversaries together behind a workable solution.

I have nothing negative to say about Hillary because I do not need to. Instead, I will share why Donald is the best and the most capable athlete on the field, in what has become a simple race between entrenched status quo and enlightened disruption. I know that Donald is that athlete because I have watched him through the mountains and the valleys by sticking to simple, practical tenets like:

Don't confuse efforts with results. Do what you say. Do it now.

Always give the bad news first. Be clear and direct.

Take care of all those around you and the universe will take care of you. Hire smarter people than yourself.

Most importantly, Donald knows that every morning in the jungle a lion awakes knowing that he must run faster than the slowest gazelle. And every gazelle awakens knowing that she must run faster than the fastest lion. Whether a lion or gazelle, you better wake up and run like crazy. And this he does. No one works harder or runs faster than Donald. Standing still is simply not an option.

Ronald Reagan taught us that the best presidents are not always those with the longest resumes, but those who are able to lead, inspire, define the race, recruit a world class team and then set the pace.

I'd like to give you some insight into the Donald Trump you don't see on TV or read about in his books by sharing two small examples that reveal his heart and compassion. In 1988, Donald invited my son and me to join him and his son at the Tyson-Holmes heavyweight title fight. We arrived in Atlantic City in Donald's helicopter to a frenzy of paparazzi. We approached the convention center, lights flashing … hundreds of people yelling … everyone fighting for Donald's attention - a zoo!

As we entered the service entrance amidst this chaos, a doorman called out, "Mr.

Trump." Donald remembered him and stopped the entire procession. "Hey, Louie, how's it going," he asked? They traded small talk, and then Louie thanked Donald for all he had done for his employees and to tell him his son, who was ill, thought he was the greatest man in the world.  Donald grasped his hand, looked him in the eye, and said, "No, Louie, you're the greatest."

We got to our seats five minutes before the bell rang to start the fight. The crowd was going nuts. People were tugging at Donald, vying for his attention, but Donald seemed agitated. He asked me for my program.

He wrote out a note and had it hand-deliver it to Louie, inviting him and his son to visit with him the next day. About a decade later, Donald and I sat in the foyer of Frank Campbell Funeral Home awaiting the wake of his father, Fred Trump, the son of immigrants, a carpenter who made the most of the blessings of freedom.

We sat alone, musing about life's challenges and that, at the end of the day, it is not about accumulating things or fame but about being relevant. In that solemn moment, Donald shared something so simple, yet so resonating and powerful. "Tom," he said "I think I have the strength of my dad and the sensitivities of my mom. All I want to do now is to take the Trump name and the legacy they built brick by brick and leave it a little bit better than I found it."

The world is at a tipping point. The old order is crumbling like a house built on shifting sands. Americans will no longer accept those who just talk of change. People understand that we need a battle-hardened CEO with the proven ability of "being" the change to once again jewel the varied and disparate gems of a disenfranchised society back into a seamless necklace of national pride.  He can do this not because the opposition is so bad. But because he is so good.

That is the kind of man Donald Trump is. And, with your help that is the kind of President he will be.

Fran Tarkenton, Former NFL Quarterback

The greatest and most revered coaching legend of the National Football League is one Vince Lombardi, Italian-American, tough as nails.

In the 50s, he took over a broken Green Bay Packers football team and made it into a world championship team year after year.

As great as he was, he didn't always win. There's a video that's been out there for years.  It tells the story. Lombardi, fists thrust in the pockets of his heavy wool coat, paces the Lambeau Field sideline, like a caged tiger.

That day, the Packers couldn't seem to do anything right.

Suddenly Lombardi screams towards his players running off the field, "What the hell's going on out here?"

Right now, I look around America, and I need to ask: What the hell's going on here?

The most anemic recovery in modern history. And Washington? It's broken for everybody – at least for everybody who doesn't make their living inside the Beltway.

What the hell's going on here?!

We are stuck, stuck in frustration, mired in anger and fear.

As quarterback, my mission was very simple: to make my teammates better.

Of course, I made a fortune playing football.

My rookie year in professional football, 1961, I was paid $12,500. So I had a second job every off-season.

As a small business owner, I feel connected to the millions of Americans in this vital sector of our economy.

And let's look at the facts. Small business in America is the heart and soul of equal opportunity.

The facts are that 40 percent of the 530,000 start-ups each month are started by African Americans, Hispanics, or Asians.

Almost a third of small businesses in America are started by immigrants. And nearly 40 percent by women.

But the thing is, small businesses have been surviving not because of government policies, but in spite of them, especially these past eight years.

High taxes.

Strangling regulations.

And practically no access to credit.  So I ask: What the hell's going on here?   Imagine what could happen in our nation if 27 million job-creating enterprises were suddenly empowered and set free in every neighborhood, to grow and build, and contribute  even more.

I believe it all comes down to leadership.

Whether it's Vince Lombardi years ago or, Nick Saban of Alabama today, I can tell you in just five simple words what every great leader does.

A leader gets stuff done.       

I've known Donald Trump for 48 years.

Like those other leaders I've known, he gets stuff done.

He is a builder.

He understands that teams win. Individuals don't.

He builds great teams.

Donald Trump is a proven leader.

A team builder, Donald Trump knows how to get the best out of all people.

I've watched him succeed.

I've watched him fail.

I've watched him get back up. He never quits.

I believe Donald Trump can provide the leadership that will help us all make America great again.

Make it great for everyone.

Let's go win this game together.  Together, let's go make America great again.

Thank you. Goodnight.

Tony Perkins, President of Family Research Council

I am here speaking tonight in my personal capacity and not on behalf of any of the nonprofit organizations that I lead.

We have gathered here in Cleveland to select the Republican nominee for president. We have accomplished that mission. Donald Trump is the nominee of the Republican Party. I will be voting for Donald Trump in November, and I will urge my fellow Americans to do the same.

Allow me to explain why. Tonight we focus on making America one again. In the pledge that we just recited, we said we are one nation under God. Congress added the words "under God" to our pledge of allegiance in 1954.

The context in which those words were added is instructive. The cold war had begun. As a nation, we faced an existential threat. Children practiced the art of duck and cover in classrooms across the country fearing a nuclear attack.

The threats to our nation's survival were as real then as they are today. The difference is, President Eisenhower knew where to place America's trust. And upon hearing a sermon Reverend George Docherty delivered, President Eisenhower prompted Congress to adopt the words "under God."

The Rev. Docherty had pointed to the words of the first Republican President Abraham Lincoln. Speaking to a divided nation at Gettysburg Lincoln said, "under God, this people shall know a new birth of freedom." A lot has changed since then, but the source of America's hope and future has not.

It is found in the same place today as it was in 1863 and 1954 – under God.

Our freedom to appeal to and unite under God has been under steady assault. This is why we must stop those in our government and on our courts who have either in principle or in practice attempted to remove these two words, "under God"

and all that they mean from public life.

From his judicial nominees, to his running mate, to the party platform and the policies it promotes, Donald Trump has committed to upholding and protecting this first freedom and therefore our ability as citizens to unite our nation once again under God.

Thank you.

Paid for by the Committee on Arrangements for the 2016 Republican National Convention. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. www.convention.gop.

Contact: [email protected]

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SOURCE 2016 Republican National Convention