NATIONWIDE — Night two of the Republican National Convention was just as atypical as the first, complete with a presidential pardon and naturalization ceremony.
First lady Melania Trump headlined the night from the newly-renovated White House Rose Garden, striking a much gentler tone than many of the night’s speakers.
"I know I speak for my husband and the family when I say we are so grateful that you have trusted him to be our president, and we will be honored to serve this incredible country for four more years," the first lady concluded her remarks.
But several incidents throughout the night raised questions of ethical violations.
In a previously recorded video, President Trump hosted a naturalization ceremony at the White House alongside Chad Wolf, the acting Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, could be construed as a violation of the Hatch Act. Earlier in the night, Trump pardoned a convicted felon in another prerecorded video at the White House.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the White House said that "there was no violation of law."
"The White House publicized the content of both events on a public website [Tuesday] afternoon and the campaign decided to use the publicly available content for campaign purposes," the spokesperson said in a statement.
Even though President Trump is exempt from the Hatch Act, which prohibits federal employees from engaging in political activities while on duty, the law may apply to Acting Secretary Wolf.
It also raises the question about whether two members of the U.S. armed forces who appeared in the naturalization ceremony video could be in violation of Defense Department policy for wearing their uniforms at a political event.
Two Army soldiers are being investigated for taking part in the roll call at last week’s Democratic National Convention under similar circumstances.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo delivered a speech from Jerusalem that also sparked concern around the Hatch Act, which "prohibits Federal employees from engaging in political activities while on duty, in a Government room or building, while wearing an official uniform, or while using a Government vehicle."
The State Department says Pompeo addressed the convention in his "personal capacity" and that the department was not involved in preparing the speech and “will not bear any costs in conjunction with this appearance.”
Walter Shaub, former Director of the United States Office of Government Ethics, shared his fury over Pompeo’s speech in a series of tweets.
“The Hatch Act was the wall standing between the government’s might and candidates. Tonight a candidate tore down that wall and wielded power for his own campaign,” Shaub wrote in part. “Citizen Trump is no longer presenting himself as a candidate. Now your government is telling you who should rule you.”
“The White House explanation is bizarre and vague,” Shaub later tweeted in response to The White House’s statement on Pompeo’s speech. “I’m not sure what they were trying to say. They can’t possibly mean they publiclicized that they were going to pull this stunt.”
While Joe Biden didn’t respond directly to Tuesday night’s speakers, the presidential candidate did share a message to his Twitter following the first night of the convention to warn viewers about the rhetoric used in several speeches.
“When they say ‘the best is yet to come,’ that’s a threat,” Biden captioned the video. The short film showed clips of Donald Trump Jr. and Kimberly Guilfoyle’s speeches from Monday night. Guilfoyle’s speech soon went viral for her passionate closing line, where she screamed “the best is yet to come.”
On Wednesday morning, Biden also tweeted a promise to his followers in an apparent dig at President Trump’s leadership.
“I promise you that as president, I will protect America. I will protect you and your family. I will defend our nation from threats seen and unseen,” the tweet read. “It's the least of what we should expect from an American president.”
Joe Biden’s running mate Kamala Harris took a more direct approach, focusing on one speech in particular: that of anti-abortion activist Abby Johnson.
“I support President Trump because he’s done more for the unborn than any other president,” Johnson said in her speech. “Life is a core tenet of who we are as Americans. This election is a choice between two radical, anti-life activists, and the most pro-life President we’ve ever had. That’s something that should compel you to action.”
Johnson, who previously worked at Planned Parenthood, told a gruesome story of her alleged experience witnessing a late-term abortion — a claim that has come under scrutiny for several details that cannot be confirmed.
In turn, Harris promised to protect a woman’s right to choose should she serve as Vice President.
"As states across our nation continue to attack reproductive rights, especially abortion, it’s more important than ever we have a president who will defend and expand these rights,” Harris tweeted.
Several other prominent Democrats also took to Twitter to slam the overall tone of the convention, with many claiming that the week is nothing more than a performance.
"Let's be clear about what we're going to see at the Republican National Convention: a parade of so-called 'leaders' who have stood at Donald Trump's side as he’s ignored science, fanned the flames of racism, shoveled trillions to giant corporations, and employed fascist tactics," Sen. Elizabeth Warren tweeted on Tuesday night.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar took issue with Mike Pompeo’s appearance, although her criticism was aimed at the Secretary of State’s choice of language when discussing the coronavirus pandemic.
"Yes Mike Pompeo is actually speaking at the Republican convention and just said 'China virus.,'" Klobuchar tweeted during Pompeo’s speech. "We have worked so hard as a nation to make our dealings with other countries and our place of leadership in the world above politics. I want it back."
With two nights left of the RNC, Democrats will have plenty of new material to sink their teeth into. Wednesday night’s speakers include Vice President Mike Pence and Kellyanne Conway.
