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Jim Banks praises Trump in prime-time speech at Republican National Convention

U.S. Rep. Jim Banks (R-Columbia City) delivered remarks at the Republican National Convention during an hour dedicated to U.S. Senate candidates.
U.S. Rep. Jim Banks (R-Columbia City) delivered remarks at the Republican National Convention during an hour dedicated to U.S. Senate candidates.

Indiana U.S. Senate candidate Jim Banks used his prime-time speech at the  Republican National Convention Tuesday to lavishly praise former President Donald Trump.

Banks spoke during an hour dedicated to Senate candidates and called Trump the greatest and strongest president of his lifetime.

“We need President Trump back in the White House if we’re going to make America great once again,” Banks said.

Banks touched on his own background — “born in a trailer park, the son of a factory worker and a nursing home cook.”

 

He also briefly mentioned policy, focusing on immigration and mass deportation.

“If you came here illegally  under Joe Biden, you’re going back to where you came from under Donald Trump,” Banks said.

Banks’s opponents in the open U.S. Senate race are  Democrat Valerie McCray and  Libertarian Andrew Horning.

Brandon is our Statehouse bureau chief. Contact him at  bsmith@ipbs.org  or follow him on Twitter at  @brandonjsmith5 .

Brandon J. Smith has previously worked as a reporter and anchor for KBIA Radio in Columbia, MO. Prior to that, he worked for WSPY Radio in Plano, IL as a show host, reporter, producer and anchor. His first job in radio was in another state capitol, in Jefferson City, as a reporter for three radio stations around Missouri. Brandon graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia with a Bachelor of Journalism in 2010, with minors in political science and history. He was born and raised in Chicago.