RNC 2024 Day 4 updates: Trump pitches unity, but revives old grievances

Trump leaned into his usual talking points during his RNC speech.

ByMeredith Deliso, Ivan Pereira, Alexandra Hutzler, Chris Boccia, and Tal Axelrod
Last Updated: July 19, 2024, 12:29 AM EDT

On the fourth and final day of the Republican National Convention, former President Donald Trump gave a highly anticipated speech, which he said beforehand would call for unity following his assassination attempt.

However in his first speech since the incident, Trump leaned into his usual talking points, slamming President Joe Biden, Democrats and other critics on a wide variety of issues from the economy, immigration and crime.

For over an hour, Trump went off script much to the crowd's delight. The former president told them he was grateful for their support after his brush with death but argued that the country needed to be fixed due to Biden's policies.

The night also included wild speeches from guests such as Hulk Hogan and Eric Trump, who echoed some of the former president's rhetoric bashing Biden and the Democrats.

Latest headlines:

Here's how the news is developing.
Jul 18, 2024, 11:31 PM EDT

Fact-checking Trump’s claim about Biden-era inflation.

Trump said, “We’ve had the worst inflation we’ve ever had, under this person (Biden).”

Although inflation is still considered an economic problem for the U.S., the overall rate is nowhere near a record.

The highest inflation rates were recorded in the 1970s and early 1980s, when the annual price increase sometimes hovered between 12% and 15%. The highest rate on Biden’s watch was around 9% in summer 2022. That was the highest monthly figure in about four decades, but not the highest ever.

Inflation is down to around 3% now, about two-thirds lower than its 2022 peak.

—PolitiFact’s Louis Jacobson

Jul 18, 2024, 11:30 PM EDT

No, Trump isn't leading in Nevada by 14 points

Trump claimed in his speech that he's leading in Nevada by 14 points. That's not true; according to 538's polling average, he leads Biden by only 6 points in the Silver State (that's still impressive, though!). Even the best poll for Trump gives him only a 10-point lead in Nevada.

—538's Nathaniel Rakich

Jul 18, 2024, 11:29 PM EDT

Fact-checking Trump’s claim that the auto industry is being obliterated

Trump said he would reverse government regulations to encourage the development of electric vehicles, saying in doing so, he’d be “saving the U.S. auto industry from complete obliteration, which is happening right now.”

That’s inaccurate. During Biden’s presidency, employment in auto and parts manufacturing had risen by 127,800 jobs through December 2023.

—PolitiFact’s Aaron Sharockman

Jul 18, 2024, 11:28 PM EDT

Crowd cheers after Trump refers to COVID-19 as 'China virus'

The RNC crowd cheered Trump after he referred to COVID-19 as the "China virus."

The term has been seen as a racist remark against Asian Americans.