Editor's note: Dr. John Gong is a professor at the University of International Business and Economics and a research fellow at the Academy of China Open Economy Studies at the University of International Business and  Economics (UIBE). The article reflects the author's views, and not necessarily those of CGTN.

The first night of the four-day Republican National Committee (RNC) event, as New York Times columnist David Brooks put it, "is to make his (Trump's) lonely soul feel affirmed." And for that, Trump has enlisted six Trump-last-named family members, including himself who will appear every day of the RNC, as key convention speakers. And for that, the RNC has issued a 67-page policy platform paper, which turns out to be exactly the 66-page policy platform paper of the 2016 GOP campaign, plus one short page inserted at the very front that reads the following, among other things: "RESOLVED, That the 2020 Republican National Convention will adjourn without adopting a new platform until the 2024 Republican National Convention; … and RESOLVED, That any motion to amend the 2016 Platform or to adopt a new platform, including any motion to suspend the procedures that will allow doing so, will be ruled out of order."

This RNC convention is targeted to one and one only voter: Donald Trump.

But when it comes to the RNC messaging so far, the standard bearer slogans from this Trump campaign are basically the same old God-and-gun stuff from the GOP tool box. Trump of course has self-proclaimed to be the "chosen one" before. Although Trump identifies as Presbyterian, he is reported to have referred to himself as "the best president for the Catholic church in our nation's history." A few days ago during a campaign rally, he wickedly shared with the audience his personal conversation with God about how God praised his handling of the economy and wanted him to do it for another four years. God knows – I literally mean God knows – if this lying king is telling the truth!

This time, the godly face was put on by the opening prayer performed by the Archbishop of New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan. On Monday, CNN ran an op-ed piece by an Augustinian Catholic priest Brian Frawley that criticizes Cardinal Dolan's showing at RNC as Trump's immigration policy goes squarely against the biblical mandate of welcoming strangers that rests at the heart of the gospel.

Nevertheless Cardinal Dolan did a good job. As for the gun part, RNC went as far as putting in a couple from St. Louis, the McCloskeys, who are currently still under felony indictment for pointing guns at Black Lives Matter protesters. But the best mixture of God and gun is best reserved for Jim Jordan, the Republican Congressman from Ohio who has been acting as President Trump's pit bull in the House since his impeachment days. By my account, almost half of the things he praised Trump for have to do with God and gun. And he didn't miss any part of the fear-mongering by declaring "Democrats won't let you go to church."

It is now clear that the Trump campaign strategy is built on three pillars: bragging about the economic performance before the pandemic, falsifying Trump's leadership effectiveness in combating the pandemic, and fear-mongering the prospect of a Biden win.

But there is not a shred of truth in any of the three pillars. The economy was already running out of steam in January and February before COVID-19 swept through the U.S. His leadership during the pandemic is now the laughing stock among international leaders, each one of whose administration has performed way better than the White House.

When it comes to fear-mongering of a Biden win, practically every one of the speakers last night did their fair share. But none has exalted to the level of Trump's son Donald Trump Jr., whose 10 minute diatribe, after a short bragging beginning, is almost exclusively about fear-mongering. He said, "Biden's entire economic platform seems to be designed to crush the working men and women." He said, "Biden and the radical left are coming for our freedom of speech."

Pertaining to China, he wantonly claimed that COVID-19 is at the courtesy of China's Communist Party. He then coined the phrase "Beijing Biden" in a vicious attack on Biden's alleged connection to China. 

This election is about American people's referendum on Trump's character and his handling of COVID-19.

Too many people have died for simply brushing it aside as "It is what it is." The more Trump lies and brags about his so-called leadership during the pandemic, the more ballots go the other way. The more Trump attacks China for releasing the virus to America, the more American people get fed up with his lying and diversion.

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