Michael Hernandez
22 July 2016•Update: 22 July 2016
By Michael Hernandez
WASHINGTON
Donald Trump “humbly and gratefully” accepted the Republican presidential nomination on Thursday night, passing a critical threshold for a months-long showdown with presumptive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.
“Together we will lead our party back to the White House, and we will lead our country back to safety, prosperity, and peace,” he said to raucous cheers from the packed Quicken Loans Center in Cleveland, Ohio.
Speaking at the finale of the four-day Republican National Convention, Trump painted a dire picture of the current state of American society, saying traditional politics will not mend the nation’s wounds.
The crowd most hotly responded to Trump when he singled out Clinton who has been dogged by accusations of wrongdoing during her tenure as Secretary of State relating to her use of a private email server.
Trump dismissed chants of “lock her up” from the crowd, saying instead “let’s defeat her in November.”
The billionaire painted Clinton, who is expected to formally accept her party's nomination next week in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as a "puppet" who is beholden to special interests.
“That is why Hillary Clinton’s message is that things will never change. Never ever. My message is that things have to change, and they have to change right now!” he said.
"I have joined the political arena so that the powerful can no longer beat up on people who can no longer defend themselves. Nobody knows the system better than me," he added to seemingly knowing laughter. "Which is why I alone can fix it."
At one point the crowd erupted in chants of "Yes you will", a play on President Barack Obama's popular "Yes We Can!" campaign slogan, eliciting a confident smile on Trump's face.
The celebrity real estate mogul doubled down on his controversial immigration plan, originally to ban Muslims from entering the U.S., but later revised to bar individuals from countries that have a high risk of terrorism.
“We must immediately suspend immigration from any nation that has been compromised by terrorism," he said. "Until such time as proven vetting mechanisms have been put in place we don’t want them in our country."
He notably vowed to protect the Lesbian, Gay Bisexual Transgender and Queer community following an attack on a gay nightclub in Orlando that was the worst terror attack on American soil since Sept. 11, 2001.
Among the proceeding chants he said, “As a Republican, it is so nice to hear you cheering for what I just said.”
