On July 18th, the 41st Republican National Convention opened in Cleveland, Ohio. During the convention, Donald Trump officially became the Republican presidential nominee. There has been little mention of HIV/AIDS during the convention or within the 2016 Republican Platform, which was finalized and officially released at the convention.

The 2016 Republican Platform only mentions AIDS in a section on Africa highlighting lives saved by PEPFAR and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria, and noting their connection to President George W. Bush. There is no mention of the domestic HIV epidemic within the United States. The platform also calls for the repeal of the Affordable Care Act and calls for funding for abstinence only education. The platform discusses the opioid epidemic and calls for action, including support for the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act legislation. Disappointingly, the platform pledges support for widely discredited conversion therapy for LGBT people and scathingly condemns the Supreme Court’s verdict in Obergefell v. Hodges legalizing same-sex marriage nationwide.

In his speech, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) discussed the bills that a Republican-majority Congress would pass and become law if Donald Trump were president. One of these bills would defund Planned Parenthood, which provides vital HIV testing for communities throughout the country.

Neurosurgeon and 2016 presidential candidate Dr. Ben Carson also spoke at the convention. In a recent interview with The Hill, he said that “being transgender does not make any sense.”

The convention additionally nominated Indiana Governor Mike Pence for Vice President after Trump announced that he would be his running mate last week. Pence could emerge as a major decision maker within a Trump administration given Trump’s professed lack of interest in policy. In his speech, Pence highlighted his identity as a Christian, a conservative and a Republican. He implicitly opposed “Obamacare” but failed to note that Indiana was able to add health care funding despite cuts in taxes in large part by expanding Medicaid through the Affordable Care Act. Pence is notable on HIV issues because Indiana experienced an HIV outbreak resulting in 189 new cases of HIV in rural Scott County last year. During the outbreak Pence went from taking a stand against syringe access to signing a law in favor of it within months. This additionally provided cover for conservatives in Congress to allow federal funding to be spent on syringe access in December.

Pence has also taken strong anti-LGBT and outlier HIV-issue stances in the past. In particular, he first supported, then under pressure walked back, Indiana’s Religious Freedom Restoration Act. While he was campaigning for Congress in 2000, his campaign website stated he would refuse to support federal funding for the Ryan White Program unless funds were cut to organizations that “celebrate and encourage behaviors that facilitate the spreading of the HIV virus.”

Ironicly, Pence’s speech to the convention was overshadowed by Senator Ted Cruz’s pointed failure to endorse Donald Trump. This led to further acrimony between Cruz and Trump and created the appearance of discord among delegates, although the party did unite in support of Trump on the convention’s final day.

Donald Trump’s unusually long acceptance speech last night presented a dark and fearful vision of a failing America and presenting Trump as a leader who could return the U.S. to safety and reinstate “law and order.” Trump did not mention HIV or AIDS and repeated his vow to overturn the Affordable Care Act stating, “We will repeal and replace disastrous Obamacare. You will be able to choose your own doctor again.” There were no details about how Trump plans to allow individuals to choose doctors, given the cost and that insurers have created narrower care networks to control costs. AIDS United opposes repeal of the ACA. Trump linked LGBT issues to terrorism noting the shootings in Orlando, Florida and vowed to “protect our LGBT citizens from the violence and oppression of a hateful foreign ideology.” Trump failed to mention homophobia and anti-LGBT discrimination.

Next week July 25-28, 2016, the Democratic National Convention will take place in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. AIDS United will report on that convention and continue to monitor the election as it progresses.

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