Defeating 16 party rivals, warring with much of the Republican establishment and sparking controversy at the party convention, Donald Trump on Tuesday secured the party’s 2016 nomination for the White House.
His eldest child, Donald Trump Jr, announced the support of New York, their home state, during a roll-call vote at the Republican National Convention, ensuring Trump had the majority of delegates –1,237 – needed to contest the 8 November US presidential election against presumptive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.
Speaking to the convention for the first time since winning the nomination, Trump appeared on a video screen from New York, saying winning the nomination is something he will never forget.
Day One of Trump Show
In a summer of unsettling violence, Republicans rallied behind Donald Trump as the right man for turbulent times as they opened their presidential convention on Monday.
They also lambasted Democratic rival Hillary Clinton for being entrenched in a system that fails to keep Americans safe.
Trump, however, began the convention with a bang as his team lined up a great WWE style entrance for him as he entered to introduce his wife, Melania Trump.
The presumptive Republican nominee made a dramatic entrance, silhouetted in a white background, accompanied by Queen’s 1977 rock anthem We Are the Champions.
Donald is Talented and Compassionate, Says Melania Trump
Donald Trump’s wife, Melania, who maintained a low profile throughout the campaign, delivered her first major political speech.
The Slovenian-born jewellery designer and former model spoke to a cheering crowd at the convention in Cleveland after a one-minute introduction from Trump.
I have been with Donald for 18 years and I have been aware of his love for this country since we first met...He’s tough when he has to be, but he is also kind and fair and caring. Donald wants prosperity for all Americans.
Her speech was an attempt to soften the image of the New York businessman-turned-politician, who has been accused of callousness for his calls to suspend Muslim immigration and deport millions of undocumented immigrants if elected.
He has also been criticised for insults directed at women, political opponents and journalists.
Plagiarism Charge Against Melania Trump
A plagiarism charge against his wife, among other unforced errors, threatened to overshadow GOP efforts to unify behind him.
Two passages – each 30 words or longer – matched a 2008 Democratic convention address by current First Lady Michelle Obama nearly word-for-word.
Trump’s campaign insisted there was no evidence of plagiarism, while offering no explanation for how the strikingly similar passages wound up in Mrs Trump’s address.
Texas Governor and two-time presidential candidate Rick Perry even called plagiarism allegation “an old bait and switch.”
Trump’s adviser Paul Manafort echoed Perry’s words.
This is totally blown out of proportion. They’re not even sentences. They’re literally phrases. I was impressed somebody did their homework to think that that could be possibly done.Paul Manafort, Donald Trump’s Adviser
Violence at the Convention
On Tuesday, day two of the Republican National Convention, three women were arrested after climbing a 60ft flagpole near the site of the convention and hanging a banner protesting against Donald Trump.
The convention turned violent after a planned demonstration against police shootings of African-Americans turned into mayhem, with scuffles breaking out among protestors.
Almost 100 police officers separated the duelling groups and maintained a strict cordon, quickly defusing tensions between rival protesters.
Convention Comes Amid a Period of Unrest
On the eve of the convention’s commencement, three police officers were killed in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, the city where a black man was killed by police two weeks ago.
Republican National Committee chairperson Reince Priebus welcomed delegates with a brief acknowledgement of the “troubling times” swirling outside.
Trump has seized on the instability, casting recent events as a direct result of failed leadership by President Barack Obama and by Clinton.
However, he has not provided an alternative policy or a different course.
(With inputs from AP and Reuters.)
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