WASHINGTON, Aug. 27 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump will close the 2020 Republican National Convention (RNC) on Thursday night by accepting the party's nomination for four more years in a speech from the White House South Lawn.
Trump is expected to make the case why he should be reelected amid the coronavirus pandemic that has killed nearly 180,000 people in the United States, an economic recession, and rekindled anger over police brutality and racism.
The speech will come after Hurricane Laura made landfall near Cameron, southern state of Louisiana, early Thursday morning as Category 4 storm. It has weakened to a Category 1 hurricane.
"Hurricane Laura continues moving north affecting the states of Louisiana, Texas, and Arkansas," the White House said in a statement on Thursday. "Hurricane Laura remains a deadly hurricane with devastating coastal storm surges, destructive winds, and flash flooding."
Trump will visit the Federal Emergency Management Agency Headquarters in Washington, D.C. Thursday afternoon to receive a briefing on the hurricane.
The RNC finale, under the theme "Land of Greatness," will also feature other speakers, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy, former New York City mayor and Trump's personal attorney Rudy Giuliani, and the president's daughter and senior adviser Ivanka Trump.
A fireworks display is expected to light up the sky above the National Mall after Trump concludes his remarks.
U.S. Senator from California and 2020 Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris will make a speech in Washington, D.C. on Thursday afternoon to counter Trump's acceptance remarks.
Harris will speak on Trump's "failure to contain COVID-19 and protect working families from the economic fallout," according to former U.S. Vice President and 2020 Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden's campaign. Enditem
