Clinton's DNC Speech vs. Trump's RNC Speech: Who's The Greater Evil? | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Politics

Clinton's DNC Speech vs. Trump's RNC Speech: Who's The Greater Evil?

Both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump twisted words and facts for their respective party's presidential nomination acceptance speeches.

14
Clinton's DNC Speech vs. Trump's RNC Speech: Who's The Greater Evil?
The Fiscal Times

The 2016 race for the White House is unlike anything the American people have seen before. Democrats have nominated Hillary Clinton, who is known by some as an untrustworthy, selfish criminal. While Republicans have nominated Donald Trump who some Americans believe to be a cantankerous, misogynistic racist. From the beginning of the election season, Trump and Clinton have set records in regards to how much they are disliked by the American people. Regardless of America's distaste for the former Secretary of State and real estate tycoon, Trump and Clinton were both still able to secure their party's nominations. Trump officially accepted the nomination with a speech at the Republican National Convention on July 21, while Clinton made her acceptance speech at Democratic National Convention on July 28.

A candidate's convention speech is without hesitation the most crucial moment in the campaign so far. It offers candidates a massive platform to address America and potentially right any wrongdoings. Did Clinton and Trump take full advantage of this opportunity? I've compared fact-checked versions of both of speeches, and it is apparent that Mr. Trump and Mrs. Clinton are both guilty of distorting facts and twisting words. So, America, based on their convention speeches, who is the bigger evil between Clinton and Trump? Let's begin. Check here for the full fact-checked report of Trump's speech. Check here for Clinton's.

Donald Trump's Convention Speech

Donald Trump blatantly stated that at the Republican Convention there would be no lies. Well, shockingly enough, Mr. Trump's acceptance speech boasted a plethora falsified points and contradictions. Here are a few of the biggest fallacies that stuck out to me.

"My opponent has called for a radical 550 percent increase in Syrian refugees on top of existing massive refugee flows coming into our country under President Obama. She proposes this despite the fact that there’s no way to screen these refugees in order to find out who they are or where they come from."

Oh really? Donald Trump must not know that all refugees admitted entry into the United States undergo an extremely lengthy and thorough screening process. It requires a multistep security clearance and is overseen by numerous government agencies. The process can usually take anywhere between 18 and 24 months. The individual attempting to gain entry is also checked throughout multiple federal databases, so if there is anything for the government to be concerned about, they'll know.

"We must abandon the failed policy of nation-building and regime change that Hillary Clinton pushed in Iraq, Libya, in Egypt, and Syria."



This is one of multiple examples of Trump contradicting statements he had made prior to clinching the Republican nomination. Donald Trump was the same person who voiced his support for the military removal of Moammar Gadhafi in Libya. Senator Ted Cruz reminded Mr. Trump of his contradictory words at a Republican debate in February, however, Trump denied and dismissed the claim. Too bad for Mr. Trump that he posted a YouTube video in 2011 in which he said, "We have soldiers all over the Middle East and we’re not bringing them in to stop this horrible carnage. And that’s what it is, a carnage. … Now we should go in. We should stop this guy which would be very easy and very quick."


"Millions of Democrats will join our movement, because we are going to fix the system so it works fairly and justly for all Americans."

Yet another farfetched claim from Mr. Trump. Polls have shown that a very slim margin of Democrats have pledged their support for Trump, less than 10 percent actually. The majority of Democrats (around 85 percent) plan to support Clinton in the general election. Recent polls have also shown that Trump is doing a better job at turning undecided voters away than he is at garnering their support.

Hillary Clinton's Convention Speech

Mrs. Clinton did seem to have one advantage over Trump in terms of these big speeches. The Republican National Convention took place a week prior to the Democratic National Convention, giving Clinton the opportunity to capitalize on any controversial or distorted points in Trump's speech. However, it seemed she focused more on taking things out of context in addition to using outdated figures. Let's take a look at some of the highlights from the fact-checked version of Clinton's speech.

"And most of all, don’t believe anyone who says: 'I alone can fix it.' Those were actually Donald Trump’s words in Cleveland. And they should set off alarm bells for all of us. Really? I alone can fix it? Isn’t he forgetting? Troops on the front lines. Police officers and fire fighters who run toward danger. Doctors and nurses who care for us. Teachers who change lives. Entrepreneurs who see possibilities in every problem. Mothers who lost children to violence and are building a movement to keep other kids safe. He’s forgetting every last one of us. Americans don’t say: 'I alone can fix it.' We say: 'We’ll fix it together.'”

This was without hesitation the first thing that stood out to me. In this instance, Mrs. Clinton took Mr. Trump's comment out of context and arguably blew it way out of proportion. When Donald Trump said that he could fix everything, he claimed that he was the only one who could fix a "rigged system" fueled by politicians because he isn't one himself. Within his speech, Trump remarked on multiple occasions about how he would not be able to lead the nation alone and how he is willing to appoint the right people to the right positions to move the country forward. Other members of the Democratic party are also guilty of misconstruing Trump's words following the Republican Convention.

"Wall Street, corporations, and the super-rich are going to start paying their fair share of taxes. Not because we resent success. Because when more than 90 percent of the gains have gone to the top 1 percent, that’s where the money is."

Clinton was relying on an outdated figure. Updated data has shown that contrary to popular belief, the top 1 percent of income earners have only acquired 52 percent of all income growth. The Clinton campaign attributed the use of the outdated statistic to an article from PolitiFact.com. Bernie Sanders is also often credited with popularizing the idea that only the top 1 percent have seen recent income gains because he pulled points for a speech from the same article.

“We will not build a wall.”

Interesting. Clinton made this statement as a direct rebuttal to Donald Trump's controversial plan regarding immigration. The irony of this is that Hillary Clinton (on more than one occasion) has supported the idea of adding more fencing to the Mexican border. In 2006, Clinton and a large group of Senators voted to add 370 miles of fencing to the border. Later in the year, Clinton voted on legislation to add upwards of 700 miles of fencing in addition to updated security to the southwest border. Looks to me like Hilldog was down to build that wall.

With less than 100 days to the general election, anything could happen. Perhaps we'll see these two candidates cut back on the lying and attacks on one another and focus on how they could be the best president possible. Or, perhaps, we'll see increased mudslinging and name calling. Who knows? It is ultimately the job of the voters to decide who is lesser of the two evils when they cast their ballots in November.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Featured

15 Mind-Bending Riddles

Hopefully they will make you laugh.

191423
 Ilistrated image of the planet and images of questions
StableDiffusion

I've been super busy lately with school work, studying, etc. Besides the fact that I do nothing but AP chemistry and AP economics, I constantly think of stupid questions that are almost impossible to answer. So, maybe you could answer them for me, and if not then we can both wonder what the answers to these 15 questions could be.

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

Most Epic Aurora Borealis Photos: October 2024

As if May wasn't enough, a truly spectacular Northern Lights show lit up the sky on Oct. 10, 2024

15548
stunning aurora borealis display over a forest of trees and lake
StableDiffusion

From sea to shining sea, the United States was uniquely positioned for an incredible Aurora Borealis display on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, going into Friday, Oct. 11.

It was the second time this year after an historic geomagnetic storm in May 2024. Those Northern Lights were visible in Europe and North America, just like this latest rendition.

Keep Reading...Show less
 silhouette of a woman on the beach at sunrise
StableDiffusion

Content warning: This article contains descriptions of suicide/suicidal thoughts.

When you are feeling down, please know that there are many reasons to keep living.

Keep Reading...Show less
Relationships

Power of Love Letters

I don't think I say it enough...

458347
Illistrated image of a letter with 2 red hearts
StableDiffusion

To My Loving Boyfriend,

  • Thank you for all that you do for me
  • Thank you for working through disagreements with me
  • Thank you for always supporting me
  • I appreciate you more than words can express
  • You have helped me grow and become a better person
  • I can't wait to see where life takes us next
  • I promise to cherish every moment with you
  • Thank you for being my best friend and confidante
  • I love you and everything you do

To start off, here's something I don't say nearly enough: thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart. You do so much for me that I can't even put into words how much I appreciate everything you do - and have done - for me over the course of our relationship so far. While every couple has their fair share of tiffs and disagreements, thank you for getting through all of them with me and making us a better couple at the other end. With any argument, we don't just throw in the towel and say we're done, but we work towards a solution that puts us in a greater place each day. Thank you for always working with me and never giving up on us.

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

11 Signs You Grew Up In Hauppauge, NY

Because no one ever really leaves.

26874
Map of Hauppauge, New York
Google

Ah, yes, good old Hauppauge. We are that town in the dead center of Long Island that barely anyone knows how to pronounce unless they're from the town itself or live in a nearby area. Hauppauge is home to people of all kinds. We always have new families joining the community but honestly, the majority of the town is filled with people who never leave (high school alumni) and elders who have raised their kids here. Around the town, there are some just some landmarks and places that only the people of Hauppauge will ever understand the importance or even the annoyance of.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments