Trump breaks with precedent on second night of convention

President Trump broke with precedent on the second night of the Republican National Convention, granting a pardon and participating in a naturalization ceremony at the White House in videos that aired Tuesday during the prime-time event.

Speeches from Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and first lady Melania Trump also pushed the boundaries of rules surrounding the mix of politics and governance.

Several portions of the convention used the White House as a backdrop for Trump to put his presidential powers on full display in an election year that has him trailing Democratic nominee Joe Biden as he fights for a second term.

The events Tuesday offered up powerful images and striking visuals for Trump to leverage in his campaign against Biden, who is leading the incumbent president in national and key battleground state polls.

William Howell, a political scientist and professor at the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy, said the choice of venue was part of a larger phenomenon of Trump and his administration pushing back against a host of democratic norms and blurring the lines between governing and partisan maneuvering.

“All presidents in various ways challenge it. It’s hard to maintain. I think that distinction has really been smudged under this administration,” said Howell.

The second night of the convention featured Pompeo delivering a speech supporting Trump’s reelection campaign in an address given from Jerusalem on an official State Department trip. Secretaries of State and Defense normally refrain from delivering political addresses at party conventions.