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Trump Says Democrats Aren't Focusing On Terrorism

DAVID GREENE, HOST:

And I'm David Greene in Philadelphia. They are picking up all of those balloons at the Wells Fargo Center a few miles from where we are here near the Liberty Bell. My colleague, Don Gonyea, is in the studio with me. And, Don, I guess it's, from here on, it's game-on time for this election.

DON GONYEA, BYLINE: Absolutely. And last week, Republicans got a small bump, a medium-sized bump in the polls from their convention. We'll see if that happens for the Democrats. But we do see now that they have set a template, the Clinton campaign, for how to go forward - try to take the high ground but also tear into Donald Trump.

GREENE: All right. Well, Trump, speaking of him, had a little advice for his supporters. Our colleague Sarah McCammon is traveling with him.

SARAH MCCAMMON, BYLINE: As Donald Trump took the stage in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, last night, he reminded the crowd of supporters that Democrats were also gathering in another city...

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

DONALD TRUMP: Thank you...

UNIDENTIFIED TRUMP SUPPORTERS: (Chanting) USA, USA, USA...

TRUMP: Thank you. You know, they have a little thing going on right now in Philadelphia. But I want to be right here. Look at what we have, look...

MCCAMMON: Trump's campaign had sent out an email earlier in the day telling supporters not to watch Clinton's acceptance speech unless, as they put it, they wanted to be lied to. But Trump suggested he would watch.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

TRUMP: I'll go home, I guess, and watch. I guess. Are we going to watch tonight?

UNIDENTIFIED TRUMP SUPPORTERS: (Booing).

TRUMP: I don't know. I don't know.

UNIDENTIFIED TRUMP SUPPORTERS: (Chanting) Lock her up. Lock her up...

TRUMP: (Laughter).

UNIDENTIFIED TRUMP SUPPORTERS: ...Lock her up...

MCCAMMON: Lock her up, the crowd was shouting. It's become a frequent chant at Trump rallies directed toward Clinton.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

TRUMP: So let's do this, let's do this. On Nov. 8, let's just win. That's the best, Nov. 8.

MCCAMMON: Trump accused Clinton and President Obama of painting an overly-rosy picture of the state of the country. He said they should instead be focusing on terrorism, crime and problems in the economy. Citing recent deadly attacks in Europe and the United States, he promised to stop groups like ISIS.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

TRUMP: They have to be stopped very, very strongly and very viciously if we have to, if we have to.

MCCAMMON: Trump said ISIS is playing by different rules and suggested the U.S. should be, too. Again, criticizing President Obama's rejection of torture, Trump said, bring on the waterboarding.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

TRUMP: So they asked me about it. I say, no problem, no problem. You have to do it.

MCCAMMON: As Democrats wrapped up their convention, Trump also took a swipe at Clinton's former rival, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, who has spent much of the week urging his supporters to back the Democratic nominee.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

TRUMP: He made a deal with the devil. He got nothing from making the deal.

MCCAMMON: Trump has spent much of the last few days mocking Sanders for endorsing Clinton, while also asking disaffected Sanders voters to back him in November. With the general election in mind, the Republican nominee is rounding out the week with two stops in another swing state, Colorado. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.

Sarah McCammon worked for Iowa Public Radio as Morning Edition Host from January 2010 until December 2013.
Sarah McCammon
Sarah McCammon is a National Correspondent covering the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast for NPR. Her work focuses on political, social and cultural divides in America, including abortion and reproductive rights, and the intersections of politics and religion. She's also a frequent guest host for NPR news magazines, podcasts and special coverage.
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