CLEVELAND—A year ago, Donald Trump was a long-shot candidate with a big mouth, little campaign staff and what most pundits thought would be a short-lived lead in the polls.
Thursday night he was the undisputed champion of the Republican Primary.
But Trump was not in a mood for celebration, instead using his acceptance address to claim his strength in a foreboding and hostile world. He left seemingly no issue or interest group untouched in his 80-minute speech before a rapt, boisterous and packed crowd at Cleveland’s Quicken Loans Arena.
The big theme, which Trump repeated countless times, was that he would be the one to say what the hard-luck workers in Rust Belt cities across the country could not. He would be the one to push for the people in inner-cities where, he proclaimed, globalization has left behind.
"I have visited the laid-off factory workers, and the communities crushed by our horrible and unfair trade deals," Trump said. "These are the forgotten men and women of our country. People who work hard but no longer have a voice. I am your voice.”
In an address that was noticeably dark, Trump warned of the threat to the United States from terrorists globally, as well as detailing domestic attacks on law enforcement. He underscored that he and he alone would be the “law and order candidate.”
“Our convention occurs at a moment of crisis for our nation,” Trump said sharply. “The attacks on our police, and the terrorism in our cities, threaten our very way of life. Any politician who does not grasp this danger is not fit to lead our country.”
The crowd relished it, screaming “USA, USA” and Trump’s name between lines. There was a small skirmish, as a protester attempted to interrupt the address, but it was drowned out by cheers from the delegates.
Trump reiterated his plans to halt immigration from certain Muslim countries and boldly declared that “We are going to build a great border wall to stop illegal immigration, to stop the gangs and the violence.” Both policies have generated criticism and was the ammunition used by many of the anti-Trump protests groups that have crowded downtown Cleveland in recent days.
Clinton was firmly in Trump’s crosshairs, as she was all week at the convention. Trump attempted to contrast his approach to issues of terrorism, veteran’s services and job creation and said Clinton’s political career is replete with scandal.
“This is the legacy of Hillary Clinton: death, destruction and weakness,” Trump said. “But Hillary Clinton’s legacy does not have to be America’s legacy.”
Ultimately, however, Trump proclaimed a vision of the country that is far larger and would liberate its people from the constraints of political correctness and allow them to pursue the country of their dreams.
“Remember: all of the people telling you that you can’t have the country you want, are the same people telling you that I wouldn’t be standing here tonight,” Trump said. “No longer can we rely on those elites in media, and politics, who will say anything to keep a rigged system in place. Instead, we must choose to believe In America. History is watching us now.”
