On Tuesday evening, the inevitable happened: the Republican Party nominated the same man whose unexpected candidacy it scoffed at several months prior. Shortly after becoming the official GOP nominee, Donald Trump responded by reflecting upon his political ascent. Hyping the crowd for the final half of the Republican National Convention, he promised to deliver change and, of course, "make America great again." In the months to come, uniting the GOP will remain one of the nominee's greatest challenges. His speech, which was more refined and humbled than many of his earlier ones, hints that the effort is underway.
Calling into the RNC, Trump appeared on the big screen, breaking with tradition by speaking to the nation prior to the last day of the convention. Not surprisingly, that wasn't the first time. The then-presumptive GOP nominee had done the same on Monday evening by introducing his wife Melania to the stage. He began Tuesday's acceptance speech, which was made from New York City, by reminiscing upon the day he began his candidacy.
A little over one year ago, I announced my candidacy for president and with your vote today, this stage of the presidential process has come to a close. Together we've achieved historic results with the largest vote total in the history of the Republican Party. This is a movement, but we have to go all the way.
Earlier in the evening, House Speaker Paul Ryan took to the stage, announcing that Trump had won 1,725 votes. Prior to that, his son Donald Trump Jr. cast the New York delegation votes that ultimately determined the outcome. Though the nominee acquired more than the 1,237 delegate votes required for a nomination, the convention has been particularly tumultuous. Protesters, some of whom are delegates, prove that the camaraderie of the Republican Party remains an elephant in the room. Still, Trump spoke with confidence, perhaps in an attempt to convince dissenters.
We're going to win the presidency and bring real change and leadership back to Washington. This is going to be a leadership, by the way, that puts the American people first.
He reaffirmed that statement in a tweet that ended with an exclamatory "America First!" in all capital letters.
He went on to make promises that focused on many of the GOP's primary concerns: national security, the military, and the economy. And with little room left for any additional missteps after Melania was accused of allegedly plagiarizing Michelle Obama's 2008 DNC speech on Monday evening, there's a good chance that Trump will maintain a more professional attitude, as introduced in his acceptance speech, during the next days of the convention.
