This was Ivanka Trump's convention
![ivanka trump](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/PU6RagDwrijTg4YNnxXVQH-415-80.jpg)
Ivanka Trump's speech on the final night of the 2020 Republican National Convention was not especially memorable. It did not need to be. Thursday and the three nights before it were her convention long before she took to the podium.
This was true for a number of reasons. The first is simply that it was for the most part a polished, professional affair. Speeches were not overlong; the last-minute Zoom ethos of the Democrats' convention was curiously absent. The RNC was a sunny, bright, well-organized affair.
The woman who is arguably the most influential child of a sitting president in American history has always found her father's base distasteful. This, I think, is the reason why this year's RNC felt utterly unlike its 2016 predecessor, with its atmosphere of doom and carnivalesque violence. The overriding theme of this convention was optimism about America over the last four years. We heard almost nothing about immigration, which polling has shown is still a top priority of white evangelical voters, or about impeachment. "American carnage" gave way to "Morning in America."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
![https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516-320-80.jpg)
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Instead of endless talk about the wall or the perfidy of Lyin' Jim Comey, we had segments devoted to criminal justice reform and a deliberate attempt to showcase the Trump administration's commitment to improving the lot of African-American voters. In the place of "Lock her up," we heard about the president's commitment to releasing millions of Americans from prison.
Was this the convention Donald Trump's fans wanted? I think probably not. But they are not about to abandon him because Louie Gohmert was not given a 35-minute slot to rehearse the number of injuries inflicted upon his asparagus. It was an attempt to reach for the center.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Matthew Walther is a national correspondent at The Week. His work has also appeared in First Things, The Spectator of London, The Catholic Herald, National Review, and other publications. He is currently writing a biography of the Rev. Montague Summers. He is also a Robert Novak Journalism Fellow.
-
Paloma recipe: the cocktail of the summer
The Week Recommends This refreshing drink balances the fresh and fizzy taste of grapefruit soda with a subtle flavour of smooth tequila
By Rebekah Evans, The Week UK Published
-
Mushroom edibles are tripping up users
the explainer The psychedelics can sometimes have questionable components
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
Prisons are simply not prepared for extreme heat
Under the radar Inmates are at severe risk of heat-related illness
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
How Biden's enablers may have delayed his bowing out
Talking Points Joe Biden's inner circle faces calls for a reckoning for allegedly shielding the president — and the public — from questions of aging and electoral viability
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
The Democrats 'resigned to a second Trump presidency'
Talking Points Did the assassination attempt end Biden's election chances?
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
How could J.D. Vance impact the special relationship?
Today's Big Question Trump's hawkish pick for VP said UK is the first 'truly Islamist country' with a nuclear weapon
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Are down-ticket Democrats doomed?
Talking Points President Joe Biden's refusal to step back from his reelection campaign has some local Democrats wondering if their own races are in trouble — but not everyone is worried
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Biden, Trump urge calm after assassination attempt
Speed Reads A 20-year-old gunman grazed Trump's ear and fatally shot a rally attendee on Saturday
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Why Project 2025 is creating headaches for the Trump campaign
Talking Points Democrats want to make Trump 'own' the controversial plan
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
Biden flopped, but did Trump really 'win' the debate?
Talking Points The president struggled to articulate a clear vision for the country, but Trump's cavalcade of aggressive falsehoods might not do the Republican candidate any favors in the long run
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Why the Hunter Biden verdict isn't the slam dunk Republicans have been calling for
Talking Points After years of targeting the President's family amidst claims of a rigged justice system, some conservatives still aren't satisfied with the younger Biden's three felony convictions.
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published