Donald Trump accused Democratic rival Hillary Clinton of a legacy of “death, destruction, terrorism and weakness” as USA secretary of state and declared himself a friend of the working class in a speech on Thursday accepting the Republican presidential nomination.
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Trump’s speech was generally well received by members of the Texas delegation, even some Cruz loyalists. She noted that although “things were said about his father and wife, he was in a campaign and that’s what campaign’s are about”.
With the Trump campaign saying it knew all along Cruz was not going to get behind Trump for president, Limbaugh said Trump was aware what he was doing. Mike Pence, the vice-presidential nominee, gave a conservative speech that nearly all Republicans could applaud.
The GOP is not a social club, he added.
“We either stand for shared principles or we’re not worth anything”, he said.
The senator also let the audience of Texas Republicans question him.
About half the people in the ballroom appeared upset at him. The New York businessman shocked the political world this spring by consistently defeating more established rivals such as former Florida governor Jeb Bush, senators Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio, and OH governor John Kasich (pronounced KAY-sick) in primary elections and caucuses. I am watching. I am listening. “Corey Lewandowski was great, I have to tell you”, he said. Just like you’re bound by the pledge. “As far as the contract [of party unity] was concerned, he was the one in violation, not anybody else”.
Trump’s final address, a seminal moment for the nominee and the Republican Party that he now leads, could act to counter some of the negative narrative from the convention.
At one point during the speech, it seemed like Cruz was going to endorse his former rival, but then didn’t.
To a heckler who made crying motions at him from the back of the room, Cruz responded that he “hopes you have a similar view if someone attacked your wife and father”.
The senator spoke what was on his heart this morning knowing that some in his own party would not like it, said Jeff Roe, campaign manager.
As the last speaker in a four-day marathon of events in Cleveland, Trump has his biggest chance yet to try to end the bickering among various factions of the Republican Party and foster a spirit of unity. “I am voting for Donald Trump”. “And it could well be that Trump has pulled off a masterful move letting all this happen”.
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The runner-up in the Republican presidential primary expressed his wonderment that “rabid” Trump supporters would object to his statement that Americans should “vote their conscience”.
