Donald Trump gives a thumbs to the crowd during his speech Thursday in Cleveland.
Donald Trump ended his party’s convention Thursday the way he began his history-making campaign: attacking the political establishment, playing to voters’ fears of crime and foreigners, and making bold promises to fix America’s ills.
“I have joined the political arena so that the powerful can no longer beat up on people who cannot defend themselves,” the first-time politician whose populist message helped him defeat more than a dozen more experienced lawmakers and capture the Republican presidential nomination said.
The speech painted a grim view of the U.S. economy and world affairs under President Barack Obama, and Trump presented himself as uniquely equipped to lead the nation in a “moment of crisis.”
“Nobody knows the system better than me, which is why I alone can fix it,” he said.
Trump’s speech was the capstone of a four-day convention marked by factional divisions and turmoil, exposing some of the risks he faces as he takes his unorthodox campaign into a general-election campaign against Democratic rival Hillary Clinton’s well-funded and well-oiled machine.
He intensified his attack on Clinton, the one issue that is guaranteed to galvanize the Republican Party in November. Arguing that her tenure as secretary of state under Obama fomented instability abroad, including the expansion of Islamic State, he said, “This is the legacy of Hillary Clinton: death, destruction, terrorism and weakness.”
“America is far less safe — and the world is far less stable — than when Obama made the decision to put Hillary Clinton in charge of America’s foreign policy,” he said, to chants of “lock her up” from the audience.
He returned to familiar campaign themes of opposing international-trade deals and cracking down on illegal immigration. But, citing recent episodes of gun violence and attacks on police officers, he put fresh emphasis on law and order.
“Beginning on January 20th of 2017, safety will be restored,” he said. “The first task for our new administration will be to liberate our citizens from the crime and terrorism and lawlessness that threatens our communities.”
Trump’s message has been honed before oversize crowds on the primary campaign trail. It’s less clear how it will play in a tough general election ahead with a broader audience of swing voters. Testing that was one of the chief convention goals, along with trying to unite the party and broaden Trump’s personal profile.
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