Lou Holtz’s time to speak at the Republican National Convention was slotted between a nun who touted President Donald Trump’s right to life advocacy and the head of the National Association of Police Organizations who praised Trump’s commitment to supporting police.
Holtz, Notre Dame’s legendary football coach and longtime Republican ally, his speech Wednesday as a coach, calling Trump a “winner,” a guy “who appears” and criticizing his Democratic opponent Joe Biden.
Biden, Holtz said, is a guy who can be trusted, has shown no commitment to get things done and called the Biden-Harris price ticket “the ultimate radically pro-abortion crusade in history. Them… they abandon lives without guilt.”
But his greatest argument came here when Holtz called Biden a “Catholic by call alone.” The comment provoked complaints from those who said Holtz might not judge what was in Biden’s heart.
“(He) cannot look into Joe Biden’s soul,” said James Martin, a Jesuit priest, at MSNBC. “I think it’s awful to say something about someone. He has no idea what’s going on in Joe Biden’s heart.”
Biden is known for carrying rosaries in his wallet and said he trusted his religion when he lost his wife and granddaughter in a car accident in 1972 and when his son Beau died of brain cancer in 2015.
Earlier this month, Trump said Biden “against the Bible” and would “hurt God” if he was elected to the White House.
“Like many people, my religion has been the basis of my life,” Biden told Politico in reaction to Trump’s comments. triumph and joy. “
Holtz’s speech on the third night of the conference covered many topics, but the subject was the same. Choose Trump for a moment because it will make “America bigger,” Holtz said.
“I used to ask our athletes at Notre Dame,” if you didn’t show up, who would you miss and why? “A said Holtz, 83.” Can you believe what would happen to us if President Trump hadn’t run for president in 2016? I’m glad you showed up.”
“There is a statue of mine in Notre Dame. I suppose they’re a position for the pigeons to land,” Holtz joked. “But if you look closer, you’ll see those 3 words: trust, commitment, and love.”
Holtz said the three words had been at his center when he made life selections possible: that the selection referred to his overdue wife of Beth, 59, who died in July, the athletes he trained or politicians.
When it comes to making a selection about a president, Holtz said he had three questions he asked based on one’s words.
“One, can I accept as true with them?” Holtz said. “When a leader tells you something, you’ll have to be able to count on it. This is President Trump. He says what he means. He thinks what he says. And he did what he said he’d do every shift. . “
One of the main reasons Holtz trusts Trump, he said, is that “no one has been a greater advocate for unborn children than President Trump.”
The moment you ask is: are you determined to do your best?
“President Trump finds a way to do anything,” he said. “If you need to do something bad enough, you’ll find a way. Otherwise, you will find an excuse and the excuses are much less difficult to find than solutions. President Trump is looking for solutions. President Trump is engaged.”
“To me, it’s very clear, ” said Holtz. “President Trump has demonstrated through his criminal reform, advocating for school selection and welfare reform, that he needs Americans from all walks of life to have the opportunity to succeed and live the American dream.
“If I implemented this verification to Joe Biden, I can’t say “Yes” to any of those 3 questions.”
Holtz began his speech with a presentation of himself. “Many of you would possibly know me as a Holtz coach,” he said, “or possibly it would be this kind of football.”
He asked for “a blessing and an honor” to come to the United States why he thinks “Trump is a constant winner, a remarkable leader (and) merits to be re-elected as president.”
Holtz told the story of his training years in a one-bedroom space in West Virginia.
“I probably would have been poor, but the classes my parents taught me were invaluable,” he said. “They taught me that life is about making decisions. Wherever you’re smart or bad, don’t blame anyone.
Holtz said he lived the principles of painting and responsibility, “living the history of America,” he said. “And he paints.”
He criticized the media and others for taking responsibility.
“There are other people today as politicians, teachers, protesters and, of course, President Trump’s wary parties in the media who like to blame others for their problems,” he said. “They are not proud of our country and because they no longer ask, “What can I do for my country?” ” They’re not proud of themselves. It’s not true.”
Holtz ended his speech by asking the United States to run for Trump in November by giving his vote.
Follow IndyStar journalist Dana Benbow on Twitter: @DanaBenbow.