Supporters for President Donald Trump are canvassing Ohio during the Republican National Convention, trying to rally support for November's election. Although 2020 has been upended by the coronavirus pandemic, the Republican party says their main message is the impact Trump has had on the economy.
Ohio Republican Party Chair Jane Timken is among the many party leaders stumping for Trump during the RNC, which is now composed of smaller meetups around the state instead of the larger fanfare of an in-person convention.
Timken says Trump delivered a successful economy before the pandemic, and that the country is already seeing recovery.
"If there's anyone who's going to lead us out of a pandemic, recession, and shut down it's the president. He's proven that his strategies work," Timken says.
Timken says the DNC last week showcased a "dark and gloomy" convention, but she believes the RNC is bringing a brighter message.
"Whether it's lowering taxes, standing up for our national security, investing in our veterans," Timken says. "And we had a thriving economy, thank goodness, before we had this horrendous pandemic. But I think you're going to continue to see a very positive, uplifting, hopeful convention."
But Democrats argue that Trump's leadership and rhetoric has created division around the country. Supporters for Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden say Trump mishandled the country's response to the pandemic by making cuts to global health security programs in the first place and not taking the virus more seriously when it started to spread.
