A mix of politicians, veterans, activists and celebrities are speaking tonight on Day 1 of the Republican National Convention. The theme is Make America Safe Again. We will post the speeches throughout the night.

Willie Robertson

Thank you. I’m honored to be here.

As some of you know, we end every episode of Duck Dynasty with a family prayer at the dinner table. So tonight, I want to start with a prayer: “Father-God, bless our time here tonight. Let everything we say and do be pleasing and acceptable to you, and please bless our country.”

I’ve always said that I have three things in common with Mr. Trump. We’re both successful businessmen. We’ve both had hit TV shows. And we both have intelligent wives who are MUCH better looking than we are.

It's been a ROUGH year for the media experts.  It must be humbling to be  so wrong about so much for so long.

But I have a theory about why they missed the Trump Train: they don’t hang out with regular folks like us who hunt, fish, pray and actually work for a  living.

Heck, they don’t even know how to talk to people from middle America. You tell them you're from Louisiana and they usually start talking REALLY SLOW AND REALLY LOUD.

Let me tell you why I’ve been on the Trump Train from the beginning. When you grow up in the South with rednecks, there are some occasional… disagreements. Disagreements sometimes turn into… fisticuffs. But anytime I was ever in a bad spot, I always knew my brothers would have my back.

Today… in a lot of ways… America is in a bad spot. We need a president who will have our back.

I can promise you this: no matter who you are, DONALD TRUMP WILL  HAVE YOUR BACK.

If you’re looking for a job… or trying to grow a business… DONALD TRUMP WILL HAVE YOUR BACK.

If you’re a serviceman fighting overseas… or a cop keeping us safe at home… DONALD TRUMP WILL HAVE YOUR BACK.

If you’re an average American who feels like you’ve been forgotten… neglected by far away leaders… that the deck is stacked against you and you just can’t  win… DONALD TRUMP WILL HAVE YOUR BACK.

He may not always tell you what you want to hear… you may not always agree… and it may not always be politically correct. (But when your dad is Phil Robertson, you get used to that sort of thing.)

But Donald Trump will always – always – tell you the truth as he sees  it.

And that's why we can trust him to make America great again as our next president.

Thank you, and God bless you.

Scott Baio

Thank you for the kind welcome.  

Aren’t we blessed to have such brave heroes protecting us like Retired Lt. Col. Charles Kettles... who just this morning received the Medal of Honor for his heroism in Vietnam?  

I want to thank Mr. Trump for asking me to be here tonight. I can't tell you how much of an honor it is to talk about a man I trust with the lives of my family and the health of our country ... America ... the greatest country God created.

America is an easy place to get to.  But -- for you first time voters -- it’s important to know what it means to be an American.

It doesn't mean getting free stuff.

It means sacrificing, winning, losing, failing, succeeding.

Sometimes doing things you don't want to do, including the hard work ... in order to get where you want to be.

That's what it means to be an American. 

But our country is in a bad spot right now.

You can feel it... and you can see it everywhere.

There's no stability, nothing seems right.

All the things that we hold dear... are being attacked every day.

We cannot go down this road anymore.  We need to stop!!

We need Donald Trump to fix this.

Is he a messiah?  No, he's just a man.  A man who wants to give back to his country ... America.

The country that has given him everything.

A country that has given all of us so much.

Now it's time to give back to her.

We have a choice in November.

We can go for Hillary Clinton: who wants to continue the same policies that are wrecking this country.

Policies that make us unsafe.

A woman who somehow feels entitled to the presidency... that she is somehow owed it.

Or we can go for Donald Trump: A man doing this from the goodness of his heart... and genuinely wants to help.

A man who knows how to get things done... and a man who says what he means... and means what he says.  

Hillary Clinton wants to be president for Hillary Clinton.

Donald Trump wants to be President for all of  us.  

So, let's not just make America great again... let's make America... America again!

Thank you so much and God Bless you!

Pat Smith

My name is Patricia Smith.

My son Sean was one of four brave Americans killed during the 2012 terrorist attack at Benghazi.

Sean was a wonderful son and father to my two amazing grandchildren, Samantha and Nathan, now 10 and 11.

He was proud to serve his country with the United States Foreign Service.  The last time I talked to Sean, the night before the terrorist attack, he told me, “Mom, I am going to die.”

All security had been pulled from the embassy, he explained. And when he asked why, he never received a response. Nobody listened. Nobody seemed to care.

The very next day, he was murdered by radical Islamic  terrorists.

To this day, I don’t even know why a computer guy like Sean was sent to Benghazi.

That night, we lost sons, brothers, fathers, and husbands.

We lost four brave Americans who made the ultimate sacrifice for the country they chose to serve.

And the American people lost the truth.

For all of this loss, for all of this grief, for all of the cynicism the tragedy in Benghazi has wrought upon America, I blame Hillary Clinton.

I blame Hillary Clinton personally for the death of my son.

In an email to her daughter shortly after the attack, Hillary Clinton blamed it on terrorism.

But when I saw Hillary Clinton at Sean’s coffin ceremony, just days later, she looked me squarely in the eye and told me a video was responsible.

Since then, I have repeatedly asked Hillary Clinton to explain to me the real reason why my son is dead.

I’m still waiting.

Whenever I called the State Department, no one would speak to me because they say I am “not a member of the immediate family.”

Sean is my SON.

Hillary Clinton is a woman, a mother and a grandmother of two. I am a woman, a mother and a grandmother of two.

How could she do this to me? How could she do this to any American family? Donald Trump is everything Hillary Clinton is not.

He is blunt, direct, and strong.

He speaks his mind, and his heart.

And, when it comes to the threat posed by radical Islamic terrorism, he will not hesitate to kill the terrorists who threaten American lives.

He will make America stronger, not weaker. This entire campaign comes down to  a single question.

If Hillary Clinton... can’t give us the TRUTH... why should we give HER the presidency?

Antonio Sabato Jr.

Good evening.

I’m honored to be here.

I know I am not your typical convention speaker.

You might be wondering why I chose to speak. The truth is that I’ve never considered myself very political or spoken out politically  before.
But my belief in this country and my faith in Jesus Christ have compelled me to speak now.

I’m concerned about our country’s future. I’m concerned about my children’s future.

And I believe we need Donald Trump, who shares my beliefs and my faith, to get our country back on track.

In the past eight years, failed policies have caused our country to deteriorate. Our rights have been trampled and our security threatened.

We are weaker by almost every measure. We are on the wrong path.

It is clear even to someone who was not born here. I came to the United States from Rome in 1985.

I followed all the rules and finally became a naturalized citizen in 1996. Others who want to come to the U.S. to live and work should follow the same rules. We are a nation of laws for a reason.

There should be no shortcuts for those who don’t want to pay…or  wait.

My mother was born in communist Prague, escaped the Czech Republic and met my dad in Italy.

I know what socialism looks like. I don’t want that for my children.

But that’s the path we’re headed down with the leader we’ve had…and the candidate he endorses.

Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton promote division... don't be fooled... but Donald Trump is for unity.

Donald Trump believes in one America, with liberty and justice for all. Having secure borders, protecting our citizens... none of this is hateful. This is the responsiblity of the government... and the right thing to do.

Donald Trump will get it done and put us back on the right track. People know this, and that’s why they have voted as they have. We can no longer afford to be silent.

Our country needs Donald Trump to make us great again. God bless you and God bless the United States of America.

Rep. Mike McCaul -- Chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee

Good evening. I am Michael McCaul, Chairman of the Homeland Security Committee.

I am a fourth-generation Texan, born and raised in Dallas.

Let us remember tonight the Dallas, and Louisiana, police officers who tragically lost their lives.

America stands with my hometown, and we will NEVER forget.

And to law enforcement officers across this nation, we are with you and we will always support you.

Tonight we just heard powerful testimony from people who have been devastated by Obama’s reckless immigration policies.

Haven't we had ENOUGH?

And now Hillary Clinton is promising more of the same - open borders, executive amnesty, and the surge of Syrian refugees.

This is a dangerous... liberal agenda... and it’s time for a change. It's time to take back our country and make America SAFE  again.

We need to end sanctuary cities…keep dangerous people out of our country…and SECURE our borders.

Our country's national security is at risk.

Ronald Reagan once reminded us that America was “a shining city upon a hill”...a beacon of hope to all the world.

But after eight years of weak leadership, our “city on a hill” is now a city... under siege.

Today our allies no longer trust us, our adversaries no longer fear us, and our enemies are plotting against us.

This did not happen by accident, it happened by design.

It is the work of Barack Obama... and the architect of his failed foreign policy, Hillary Clinton.

For years they presided over America’s retreat. And the consequence is clear: leading from behind... has led us into danger.

When Hillary stopped talking about the “war on terror,” our enemies noticed.

When she helped withdraw our forces from Iraq, creating a power vacuum, she paved the way for ISIS to rear its ugly head... and our enemies noticed...

When four Americans were murdered... and Benghazi burned, she blamed it on a video... and our enemies noticed…

And when she stood on the sidelines while terror hotspots erupted across the globe, our enemies noticed…

We have all witnessed the recent attacks in Nice, Paris, Brussels and Istanbul...but now we are in the crosshairs.

Our own city streets have become the battleground: Fort Hood. Boston. Chattanooga. San Bernardino and Orlando.

Instead of protecting Americans, the Obama Administration turned a blind eye to the danger.

So let’s cut through the suffocating political correctness and call the threat what it really is... radical Islam.

These fanatics have radicalized a religion into a weapon, and they are targeting our way of life.

President Reagan once asked, “Are you better off than you were four years ago?”

But tonight let me ask you this question: are you SAFER than you were eight years ago?

Is our military stronger?

Is America still respected?

Over and over again, Obama and Hillary apologized for America... and allowed jihadists to spread like wildfire.

We CANNOT afford Hillary in the White House again.

We NEED someone who can repair the damage she has done, take the fight to the enemy, and put America first.

That man is Donald Trump.

I am proud to serve as a member of his national security team, and I can tell you this:

Donald will NEVER apologize for American greatness... he will promote it.

He will NEVER bow down to our enemies... he will stand up to  them.

And Donald will NEVER allow terrorists to gain ground against America ...he will shake the ground they walk on.

My father was a bombardier in World War II and participated in the D-Day invasion against the Nazis.

His generation - the greatest - defeated fascism and communism, handing down a better and safer America to my generation.

Now, we are in a struggle against the forces of radical Islam and terror, which must be defeated for our children and grandchildren.

A Trump Administration will take on this fight and send a clear message to the Islamist terrorists: you may have fired the first shot, but rest assured, America will fire the last.

Thank you, and may God bless America.

Sheriff David Clarke Jr. -- Milwaukee County, WI 

Ladies and Gentlemen, I would like to make something very clear: Blue Lives Matter!

I want to talk with you about something important, indeed, a concept that five law enforcement officers were murdered and nine more were wounded for earlier this month in Dallas, and for which three more were murdered yesterday in Baton Rouge:  that is the importance of Making America Safe Again.

I believe that this noble mission is not just a requirement, but a prerequisite for achieving this campaign’s goal of Making America Great  Again.
We simply cannot be great if we do not feel safe in our homes, on our streets, and in our communities.

I see this every day, at street level where many Americans increasingly have an uneasiness about the ability of their families to live safely in these troubling  times. This transcends race, religion, ethnicity, gender, age, and lifestyle.

If you don’t believe it, a recent Gallup poll confirms it: more than half of all Americans now worry a great deal about crime and violence, up consistently and dramatically from just a few years ago.

For African-Americans that number is 70 percent.

Sadly for a growing number of communities the sense of safety that many of us once took for granted has been shattered.

Americans don’t always feel safe no matter if they are working in a big city, living in a suburb or  rural areas all around our great country.

I often tell residents of Milwaukee, and the cities and towns I visit that safety  is a shared endeavor. It starts with the willing acceptance of people to play by society’s rules: a code we collectively agree upon that ensures stability, order, fairness, and respect.

It’s built on a foundation of trust in each other and in the people who administer and enforce society’s rules, which at its foundation is the rule of law.

In 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. wrote passionately about “the interrelatedness of all communities and states” and about our “inescapable network of mutuality, tying us in a single garment of destiny.”

He spoke of the basic morality of the rule of law, provided that it is applied equally to both the wealthy and the impoverished; both men and women, and yes, the majority and the minority.

What we witnessed in Ferguson, in Baltimore, and in Baton Rouge was a collapse of social order. So many of the actions of the Occupy movement and Black Lives Matter transcend peaceful protest, and violates the code of conduct we rely on.

American law enforcement officers understand that race is and has been a heated issue in our country. Most appreciate the vital need for thoroughness and transparency in pursuit of the greater good in their actions, and in their investigations.

These are truths that are self-evident to me, and which I practice, and they are the truths that Donald Trump understands and supports. Donald Trump is the steadfast leader our nation needs.

He has spoken passionately to me of his belief in our American system of justice, and he speaks to the values that are at the foundation of our social  contract.

Throughout his campaign and over many years before he has consistently and constantly raised his voice not only in defense of the character of the American police officer, but the need for ALL people to feel they are being treated fairly and respectfully by law enforcement.

Donald Trump understands that what can make our nation safe again is a recommitment to a system of justice in which no government official, not even  those who have fought their way to the marble and granite halls of Washington; no private citizen, not even Hillary Clinton; and no group of people, despite the fervor with which they press forward their grievances, can claim privilege above the law.

The tradition of the primacy of the rule of law in America is strong. It is in those simple facts and in our acts that we will move forward and toward Making America Safe Again. God Bless you, and may God continue to bless these United States of America.

Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas

For eight years, we’ve seen what happens when America leads from behind. Leading from behind that’s not what the Army taught me. To everyone who agrees that America should lead the way, let me say loud and clear: help is on the way.

Let me tell you a story about an Arkansas farm boy. When America was at war, he was in school and then in a comfortable job. But he sacrificed that comfort, against the wishes of his father, who himself had served. He volunteered for the Army. He became an infantryman.

That farm boy was my dad. He went to Vietnam in 1969.

Thirty-five years later, I did the same. Against the wishes of my family, I gave up my legal career and I volunteered for the Army. I became an infantryman. I went to Iraq and Afghanistan. My dad said he felt like God was punishing him for what he did to his dad.

But God wasn’t punishing them; God had called us to serve. Just as He calls so many of you.

My family isn’t extraordinary; in fact, we’re very ordinary. From farms in Arkansas to fire stations in New York, many families could tell the same story. The defense of this country is a family affair.

We don’t fight because we hate our enemies, but because we love our country. We love its freedom. We love that we’re born equal and live free, that no one rules without consent.

We know these things are worth fighting and dying for because they make life worth living for.

Our warriors and their families don’t ask for much. But there are a few things we’d like.

A commander-in-chief who speaks of winning wars and not merely ending wars, calls the enemy by its name, and draws red lines carefully, but enforces them ruthlessly.

And politicians who treat our common defense as the chief responsibility of our federal government, not just another government program.

This isn’t much to ask for, but eight years without it is more than enough. So I  say again: In a Trump-Pence administration and with a Republican Congress, help is on the way.

No man wants more war if he’s planned memorial services for fallen comrades, carried their flag-draped caskets off a plane, and buried them at Arlington National Cemetery.

But as Washington said: “To be prepared for war is one of the most effectual means of preserving peace.”

The purpose of our common defense, after all, is to protect our people so that we can enjoy the blessings of peacefaith, freedom, family, prosperity.

My father and his father were willing to fight so that their children and grandchildren might live in peace. That wasn’t to be. But my generation is willing to fight so that our children might live in peace.

And for that cause, I speak tonight not only to Republicans, but to the millions of Independents and Democrats who share that dream and who wish to make America safe again.

Thank you, and God bless you.

Sen. Jeff Sessions of Alabama

Thank you good friends.  Speaking from this podium today is a long way from the rafter seats my wife and I had as college students in Miami in 1972.

Our voters spoke clearly on two critical issues in our primaries: trade and immigration.  They affirmed Donald Trump and his positions.

They oppose Obamatrade.  They demand a lawful system of immigration that protects their safety and their financial well-being.

Average Americans have been the first to know something is wrong with this economy.

Our middle class is steadily declining, with our African American and Hispanic communities being hurt the most.  But, the Washington establishment, the media, and big corporations have been in denial.

Fellow Republicans, we must understand that the incomes of middle class Americans today are $4,186 per year less than in 1999.

This is an economic disaster.  We are on the wrong track and the people know it.

Yet, Hillary Clinton’s plan is more of the same: more government, more taxes, more regulation, more immigration, and more debt.

She has been a champion of globalist trade agreements.  But the facts are in.  They have not worked for our people.  When those agreements were signed, Presidents Clinton and Obama promised our dangerous trade deficits with China and Korea would be reduced.  But, the deficit with China has increased five-fold and the deficit with Korea doubled.  These are job-killing numbers.  Worst of all, they are now pushing the disastrous 5,554-page Obamatrade – the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement.

This election has also been about immigration.  For 30 years, our good people have rightly pleaded for an end to the lawlessness, and for sound immigration policies that are fair and advance the national interest.

To this legitimate plea, our elites have responded with disdain, dismissal, and scorn.

But is there anyone in America that does not understand that when we bring in more workers than we have jobs for that job prospects and wages will fall? Top economists and the Congressional Budget Office have told us that.  Is it too much to ask that we slow down and protect our national security and jobs?

Let’s consider the facts. We lawfully admit 1.1 million permanent residents annually, more than any other country.  In addition, we have 700,000 foreign guest workers taking jobs.

The majority of these are not seasonal or agricultural.  There are about 350,000 people who succeed in crossing our borders illegally each year, and almost 500,000 more unlawfully overstay their visas.  These are extreme numbers.  But the only solution from Obama and Hillary Clinton is to capitulate to the lawlessness and give amnesty and citizenship to all.

Understand this.  From 2000 to 2014, while our existing population increased by millions, the number of jobs held by Americans actually declined.

Amazingly, all the net job growth during that period went to immigrants.  Combine that with the reality of efficient businesses, robots, and slow growth.

The fact is, we don’t have enough jobs for the people who are here.  Doesn’t this help to explain why our wages have fallen and why we have the lowest percentage of Americans actually holding a job in 40 years?  Our duty as elected officials is to get our people jobs first.

It cannot be our policy to have workers from abroad take jobs while we provide support payments for unemployed Americans.

Bad trade deals close factories, and end high paying jobs. Excess immigration floods the labor market reducing jobs and wages.

Improper vetting places our nation at risk of terrorism.  Remember, the President has the clear power to “suspend” immigration to protect America.

Americans want help now. This election will make it happen.

That is why we need Donald Trump.     

Donald Trump is the leader that will bring change.

He has the strength, courage, and will to get it done.  He is attracting more and more Independents and Democrats to our movement.

Donald Trump will kill Obamatrade.

Donald Trump will build the wall.

DONALD TRUMP WILL MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!

Rudy Giuliani

I am here to speak to you about how to make America safe.

The vast majority of Americans today do not feel safe.  They fear for their children and they fear for themselves.

They fear for our police officers who are being targeted.

We pray for our police officers in Dallas and Baton Rouge and their families; And we say thank you to the Cleveland Police Department for protecting us and all police officers protecting all of us.

We also reach out with understanding and compassion to those who have lost loved ones because of police shootings unjustified and justified.

It’s time to make America safe again.

It's time to make America ONE again.

I know it can be done because I did it by changing New York City from 'the crime capital of America' to according to the FBI the safest large city in America.

What I did for New York City... Donald Trump WILL do for America.

I have known Donald Trump for almost 30 years. And he has created and accomplished great things.   But beyond that this is a man with a big heart.

Every time New York City suffered a tragedy, Donald Trump was there to help.

And he did it anonymously. (I bet that's a surprise)

You deserve to know this personal side about our next President.  He has been a great father, father-in-law, grandfather and friend to me and my family.

He will keep us safe and help us achieve and embrace our greatness.

In the last seven months, there have been five major Islamic extremist terrorists attacks on us and our allies.  We must not be afraid to define our enemy.

It is Islamic extremist terrorism.

I did not say all of Islam. I said Islamic extremist terrorism.

Failing to identify them properly maligns decent Muslims around the world.

It also sets up a fear of being politically incorrect that can have serious consequences. And it has.

This is why our enemies see us as weak and vulnerable.

Donald Trump has said the first step in defeating our enemies is to identify them properly and see the connections between them.

To defeat Islamic extremist terrorism we must put them on defense.

If they are at war against us -- which they have declared -- we must commit ourselves to unconditional victory against them.

This includes undoing one of the worst deals America ever made – Obama’s Nuclear Agreement with Iran that will eventually let them become a nuclear power and put billions of dollars back into a country that the world’s biggest state sponsor of terrorism.

Donald Trump will make sure that any agreement with Iran meets the original goals of the U.N and our allies: a non-nuclear Iran.     

Donald Trump is a leader.  He will reassert America’s position as the nation with the best values to lead the world.

It was Hillary Clinton who advocated for the overthrow of Qaddafi in Libya.

Now Libya is in chaos.

Hillary Clinton is accountable for this and much more.

Her dereliction of duty and failure to keep her people safe played a major role in the horrific Islamic terrorist murders on September 11-12, 2012 in Benghazi which claimed the lives of four brave Americans; our Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens, U.S. Foreign Service Officer Sean Smith, and CIA agents Tyrone S. Woods, and Glen Doherty.

And Clinton, and the Obama administration, for political reasons lied about the purpose of the attacks including her lying directly to the families of those who were killed.

Hillary Clinton's answer to Congress about the death of these four brave Americans because of her failures as Secretary of State was "what difference at this point does it make?"

Watch the video for yourself and see the arrogant disregard for American lives lost unnecessarily.  Make up your own mind.

Anyone who can say that it makes no difference how or why people serving America are killed, should not be entrusted with the awesome responsibility to protect them and us and should not be allowed to be our Commander in Chief.

Who would trust her to protect them?

I do not.

Do you?

Donald Trump will change all of that.

In short he will lead by leading, not by following.

You know Donald Trump will secure our borders. His opponent has had her chance to do this and failed. Hillary Clinton is for open borders.

She is in favor of taking in Syrian refugees even though the Islamic state  has told us they are going to put their operatives in these groups so they can carry out terrorist acts against us and our allies.

We can’t afford to repeat the mistakes of the past.

Hillary CIinton's experience is the basis for her campaign.  Well, Hillary Clinton's experience is exactly the reason she should not be our president.

There is no more time for us left to revive our great country.  No more time to repeat our mistakes of the past.

Washington needs a complete turnaround and Donald Trump is the agent of change and he will be the leader of the change we need.

He will make America, like the president I worked for Ronald Reagan, once again be the shining City on the Hill.

Vote for Donald Trump for a safer America and for an America headed in a different direction... Greatness!  God Bless the United States of America.

Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa

Distinguished delegates, Republicans, and millions of my fellow Americans watching around the country, especially those in Iowa: it’s an honor to be with you from Cleveland, and to be on this stage with fellow veterans. Among them are Special Operations Master Sargent Jason Beardsley, and my colleague, Congressman and Navy SEAL Ryan Zinke, who you’ll hear from shortly.

I never would have imagined a small town girl like me, from Red Oak would have the opportunity to serve as the first woman elected to federal office from Iowa: however, my parents always said to my brother, sister, and me that if we worked hard, anything was possible.

Growing up, we didn’t have much, but what we didn’t have in money, my parents, particularly my mom, made up for with tenacity.   

She really encouraged us: you’d never hear her say “no you can’t do this.” Instead, if something was challenging, she’d say “Joni, we’ll figure out a way. If this is what you want, let’s make it happen: we’ll figure it out together.”

That’s a trait I carry with me today, and it’s something I teach my own daughter. In our household, and in the homes of many of those in the military, including those up here tonight, giving up, quitting or accepting failure are not options. 

That resilience is not unique to our house: that “can do” attitude has served as the foundation of our country for 240 years. It continues tonight here in Ohio, in Iowa, and all around our great nation.

In between my freshman and sophomore years in college, I went on an agricultural exchange to the Soviet Union. At night, the Ukrainians didn’t talk about farming: rather, they wanted to know what it was like to live in a country where they could experience freedom. They wanted to know about our country, a place where anything was possible.

When I came home, I realized it wasn’t enough to simply enjoy freedom and liberty: I had to do my part to protect and preserve it. So I joined the military which as those of us up here with me know is a tremendously important institution that defends the freedoms that we Americans cherish. 

I’ve had the great privilege of serving my state and our country while working alongside some of our nation’s finest soldiers. For 14 months I served as a company commander during Operation Iraqi Freedom where my unit was tasked with running convoys through Kuwait and southern Iraq. Last November, after more than 23 years of service, I retired as a Lieutenant Colonel in the Iowa Army National Guard.

As I travel across Iowa and around our great country, I hear from folks who are worried America is no longer leading, but rather following from behind. 

Those concerns are echoed by our allies around the world, and rightfully so.  

The question I hear time and again is “where is America’s leadership?” There's a void in the world: a deficit that cannot be filled by others. Our country and the world of which we are a part simply cannot afford four more years of this lack of leadership under Hillary Clinton. 

Our allies see us shrinking from our place as a leader in the world as we have failed time and again to address threats. They are looking for American leaders who are willing to stand up and say ‘enough is enough.’

Unfortunately, Hillary Clinton cannot be trusted. Her judgment and character are not suited to be sitting in the most powerful office in the world.

She has already failed us too many times before.

Hillary Clinton has failed to stop the expansion of terrorism—her policies in Libya, Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria have created more safe havens for terrorism. Shockingly, she continues to support a policy that brings captured terrorists into our back yards. All of us up here believe that’s unacceptable. 

Hillary Clinton has failed to support our allies—her decision to back the Iran nuclear deal puts in peril our longtime friends and allies in the region, especially Israel. They have continued to threaten to destroy Israel, both directly and indirectly through its terrorist proxies, such as Hezbollah. They remain the top sponsor of terrorism, which endangers not just Israel, but Europe and the United States. 

And look at the pathetic track record she and Obama have in the war on ISIS. This administration has called them junior varsity adversaries, ignoring some of the best advice they were given. They represent a threat that is not limited to the Middle East, and which is spreading rapidly. In fact, according to the FBI, ISIS is present in all 50 states. Think about that for a moment. Terrorists from ISIS are in every one of our 50 states.  They will use whatever weapons they have: guns, trucks, knives, poisons, and bombs to kill innocent people.

Under this current administration’s wayward policies, ISIS continues to spread, while the President fails to put forward a comprehensive strategy to defeat and destroy them.

Yet Hillary Clinton has failed to protect our national security in other ways. She jeopardized our safety by deciding our laws don’t apply to her, setting up her own private e-mail server, and then lying about how it was used.

Our men and women of the armed services do not fail us: they cannot. The veterans beside me did not fail us: they too are individuals of the highest integrity. Our presidents cannot fail us either: how can we accept Hillary Clinton when she has failed them, failed us, and cannot be trusted? She has proven time and again that she is entirely unfit to serve our nation as Commander-in-Chief.

For too long Americans have felt abandoned, and their warnings unheard. Donald Trump has heard these voices loud and clear. We cannot afford four more years of the same failed policies.

If that is not enough, the Veteran’s Administration has been failing those who have served alongside those of us here on stage with me tonight, with scandal after scandal at the highest levels. Inferior care, long wait times, extraordinary inefficiency, and a bureaucracy that has gone wild still continues.

We need a commander-in-chief who will stand up to our enemies and stand up for our veterans. We need a leader who will ensure America remains a strong, stabilizing force around the globe, and who will keep us safe here at home.

Our country cannot take another four years just like the eight we’ve just had. It is time to stand up and fight for the security of our children, our grandchildren, and ourselves.

With Hillary Clinton it’s always about her, when it should be about you. Donald Trump is focused on you. He gave voice to a movement of millions of Americans who are tired of politics as usual, and I know as president he will work tirelessly to keep our nation safe.

Now is the time to make America safe again.

Thank you, and may God bless all of you, the wonderful state of Iowa, our brave men and women in uniform, and these great United States of America.