He bragged about the “movement” behind his improbable political rise. It was a suggestion Trump first floated during their heated primary battle – one that cause Cruz to explode in anger at the real-estate mogul at the time.
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“It’s hard to be sympathetic to Donald Trump but a lot of Cruz delegates have come up to me to say they’re embarrassed and are going to support Donald Trump now. But I don’t want his endorsement”, Trump said.
The moment was typical Trump, not just in its freewheeling, unplugged style, but in his penchant for dredging up past grievances when he could be forward looking to new challenges.
Trump’s diatribe left Hillary Clinton a golden opportunity.
On Day One of the convention, the star speaker was Melania Trump, the candidate’s wife.
“One of the ways I judge a person is the quality of their children”, said Mr Dan Perrier, a delegate from Washington state. “If he gives it, I will not accept it”. But Trump took no blame for those episodes. “I don’t think I’d advise my kid to get involved in it”, he said.
Of Cruz’s father, whom he dubbed “a lovely guy”, Trump said, “All I did is point out the fact that on the cover of the National Enquirer there was a picture of him and insane Lee Harvey Oswald having breakfast”.
“By the way, I have to say though that the Trump supporters in that crowd were not very gracious about this either”, he said. “Ted, stay home. Relax”.
“T$3 here was a picture on the front page of the National Enquirer, which does have credibility”, Trump said, falsely contending the magazine is careful not to run false reports because they could be sued. Turning to his running mate, he said, “Are you allowed to set up a super-PAC, Mike, if you are the president, to fight somebody?” A presidential candidate’s acceptance speech would be scrutinised minutely for facts and many of Trump’s verbal assaults on the U.S. economy during the primaries were factually way off the mark.
“Don’t let anyone tell you that America is second rate, especially somebody running for president”, George H.W. Bush said at the 1992 Republican National Convention in Houston.
But then Trump is not a conventional Republican on issues like abortion and gay rights.
For his part, Trump finally did focus on Clinton, as Democrats prepared for their own convention next week in Philadelphia.
He promised to hit the campaign trail with vigor, and said that after the Republican convention, he doubted anyone would want to watch the Democrats with Clinton because it would be so “boring”.
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Giuliani went even further in remarks to reporters at the RNC, which took place in Cleveland this week.
