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RECAP: A Round-Up Of Can't-Miss Stories From The RNC

As balloons fell after Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump accepted his party nomination last night, the Rolling Stones' "You Can't Always Get What You Want' rang through the arena
Jim Watson
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AFP/Getty Images
As balloons fell after Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump accepted his party nomination last night, the Rolling Stones' "You Can't Always Get What You Want' rang through the arena

The NPR Politics team was on the road this week, bringing you stories from the Republican National Convention in Cleveland.

In case you weren't sitting at home, awaiting our daily podcasts, videos and deluge of digital and radio stories from the four-day convention (although no judgment if you were), here are some of our picks to catch you up before we start all over again at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia next week.


Stories From Inside The Arena:

FACT CHECK: Donald Trump's Republican Convention Speech, Annotated

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump takes the stage on the final evening of the Republican National Conventio
Win McNamee / Getty Images
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Getty Images
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump takes the stage on the final evening of the Republican National Conventio

At the start of Donald Trump's Thursday night speech, he promised that "here, at our convention, there will be no lies. We will honor the American people with the truth, and nothing else."

The NPR Politics team held him to that standard and fact-checked his remarks, adding context and analysis to his 73-minute acceptance speech.

Here's an excerpt; Trump's words are bolded:

The number of police officers killed in the line of duty has risen by almost 50 percent compared to this point last year.

[The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund says as of July 21, 2016, total fatalities this year compared with the same time last year reflect an increase of five deaths, or 8 percent. Deaths related to firearms are up by 14 deaths, or 78 percent. — Carrie Johnson]

Union Of Trump And GOP Cemented On Final Night Of Convention

Donald Trump accepted the Republican nomination for president on Thursday, the fourth day of the Republican National Convention, at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland.
Tasos Katopodis / Getty Images
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Getty Images
Donald Trump accepted the Republican nomination for president on Thursday, the fourth day of the Republican National Convention, at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland.

From NPR's Ron Elving:

"It has been said that 'to cleave' is the only verb in English that connotes one specific action and its direct opposite. To cleave sometimes means to hold together, and it can also mean to split apart.

That's why Cleveland was the perfect city to host the 2016 Republican National Convention. Because this week, in this town, the GOP demonstrated both its persistent divisions and its instinct for overcoming them."

A Culmination Of Trump's Decades In The Limelight

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump shows a police officer his photo on the cover of a <em>Playboy </em>magazine during a campaign event at the Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts on July 5 in Raleigh, N.C.
Sara D. Davis / Getty Images
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Getty Images
Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump shows a police officer his photo on the cover of a Playboy magazine during a campaign event at the Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts on July 5 in Raleigh, N.C.

From NPR's Sarah McCammon:

"When Donald Trump takes the stage in Cleveland to accept the Republican nomination Thursday, it will be the culmination of decades in the limelight.

From his early days as a New York real estate developer to his entertainment career to his rise in politics, Trump has used his celebrity status to enhance his brand."

Meet Mike Pence, 'Midwestern Polite' With An Unrelenting Conservative Message

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump introduces his newly selected running mate, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, in New York City on Saturday.
Drew Angerer / Getty Images
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Getty Images
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump introduces his newly selected running mate, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, in New York City on Saturday.

From NPR's Nina Totenberg:

"In choosing Indiana Gov. Mike Pence as his running mate, Donald Trump has reassured both establishment republicans and social conservatives — but he has also picked someone who in many ways is his polar opposite."


Stories From Outside The Arena:

In Cleveland, A Wall Stands Between Latinos' Praise And Protest For Trump

Bob Koontz, from Florida, is concerned about one thing: the Islamic State. Trump, he says, will handle it.
Eyder Peralta / NPR
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NPR
Bob Koontz, from Florida, is concerned about one thing: the Islamic State. Trump, he says, will handle it.

From NPR's Eyder Peralta:

"The protesters made it all the way to the security perimeter around the arena. They stopped right in front of the 8-foot-tall fence protecting the site of the Republican National Convention.

They linked arms and unfurled the canvas. They chanted, "Trump equals hate; there is no debate."

And for a brief moment at least, they accomplished what they came to do: They built a symbolic wall between Trump and his rhetoric and the rest of the city."

We Asked People At The RNC In Cleveland: Why Are You Voting For Trump?

Protesters march with large sections of fabric painted to resemble a wall as part of the "Wall Off Trump" protest on Wednesday.
/ Gabriella Demczuk for NPR
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Gabriella Demczuk for NPR
Protesters march with large sections of fabric painted to resemble a wall as part of the "Wall Off Trump" protest on Wednesday.

From NPR's Eyder Peralta:

"During our time covering the Republican National Convention in Cleveland this week, we asked pretty much everyone we met why they were supporting Donald Trump. Here are some of their answers."


And when words don't quite cut it...

True Believers, Protesters And Trump: Scenes From Cleveland

(Left) A woman with the California delegation cheers for Trump during the convention. (Right) A protester with Code Pink demonstrates during the convention on Tuesday and is later escorted outside the hall.
/ Gabriella Demczuk for NPR
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Gabriella Demczuk for NPR
(Left) A woman with the California delegation cheers for Trump during the convention. (Right) A protester with Code Pink demonstrates during the convention on Tuesday and is later escorted outside the hall.

From NPR's Ariel Zambelich:

"During her week in Cleveland, photographer Gabriella Demczuk explored the ways that people are embracing and challenging the Republican Party's mission in this election — both from inside and outside the party. Here is a selection of what she saw."

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Meg Anderson is an editor on NPR's Investigations team, where she shapes the team's groundbreaking work for radio, digital and social platforms. She served as a producer on the Peabody Award-winning series Lost Mothers, which investigated the high rate of maternal mortality in the United States. She also does her own original reporting for the team, including the series Heat and Health in American Cities, which won multiple awards, and the story of a COVID-19 outbreak in a Black community and the systemic factors at play. She also completed a fellowship as a local reporter for WAMU, the public radio station for Washington, D.C. Before joining the Investigations team, she worked on NPR's politics desk, education desk and on Morning Edition. Her roots are in the Midwest, where she graduated with a Master's degree from Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism.