CLEVELAND, Ohio — Donald Trump focused on a safer America at home and abroad as he officially accepted the GOP presidential nomination Thursday night 13 months after launching his campaign.
“Americanism and not globalism will be our credo,” Trump declared as the New York businessman’s improbable run to the nomination culminated in over an hour-long speech at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland.
“I am with you, I will fight for you and I will win for you,” Trump told the crowd. “In this race for the White House, I am the law and order candidate.”
Trump vowed to support law enforcement in the wake of police murders in New Orleans and in Dallas, among other cities.
“America was shocked to its core when our police officers in Dallas were so brutally executed,” Trump said. “Immediately after Dallas, we’ve seen continued threats and violence against our law enforcement officials. An attack on law enforcement is an attack on all Americans.”
West Virginia GOP Chairman Conrad Lucas, who was in Cleveland for the RNC this week, thought that much of Trump’s speech resonated with the Mountain State, including his promise to put miners back to work, which he briefly spoke about Thursday night.
Lucas said Trump’s willingness to speak open and honestly transcended party lines.
“(He) openly speaks about our national security issues and our immigration issues. I think that Donald Trump will be our next president, and his message resonates across the board and all facets of society in the United States.”
In what may be the signature theme of his campaign, Trump again promised to build a wall on the Mexican border.
“We are going to build a great border wall to stop illegal immigration, to stop the gangs, and the violence and to stop the drugs from pouring into our communities,” he said. “Nearly 180,000 illegal immigrants with criminal records, ordered deported from our country are tonight roaming free to threaten peaceful citizens.”
Trump talked at length about defeating ISIS, referring to the terrorist group as “barbarians” at one point, but said that security during his presidency would begin at home.
“Which means safe neighborhoods, secure borders and protection from terrorism. There can be no prosperity without law and order,” he declared. “Homicides last year increased by 17 percent in America’s 50 largest cities. That’s the largest increase in 25 years.”
The one blemish on Trump’s week in Cleveland came Wednesday night, when Sen. Ted Cruz refused to endorse him in his speech. Lucas wasn’t concerned that Cruz’s snub would affect him negatively in November among supporters of the constitutional conservative Texas senator.
“Conservatives stand united behind Donald Trump right now,” he said. “And conservatives across West Virginia, despite how they may have voted in the primary, are excited to ensure that we don’t have another four years of Barack Obama in Hillary Clinton’s candidacy.”
The Democratic National Convention begins Monday in Philadelphia. Trump had no shortage of criticism for likely nominee Hillary Clinton in Thursday’s speech, attacking her tenure as secretary of state and the controversy surrounding her handling classified emails.
“Hillary Clinton’s message is that things will never change. Never ever,” said Trump. “My message is that things have to change – and they have to change right now.”
Trump was introduced for his acceptance speech by his daughter, Ivanka Trump.