New York billionaire Donald Trump has officially accepted the Republican nomination as US presidential candidate, pledging that he will restore "law and order" in the country, and lead his party back to the White House.
In his acceptance speech in the US city of Cleveland on Thursday, Trump promised to "put America first", while tearing into his presumptive Democratic rival Hillary Clinton, for her legacy of "death, destruction, terrorism and weakness".
"Let's defeat her in November," Trump thundered, as his supporters repeatedly shouted back, "Lock her up!"
From Libya to Syria, Trump said Clinton's foreign policy record made the US less secure, adding that during her time as secretary of state, Clinton allowed the rise of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS).
Trump also warned of a "moment of crisis" facing the country, from attacks on police and "terrorism in our cities".
"The crime and violence that today afflicts our nation will soon, and I mean soon, come to an end. Beginning on January 20th 2017, safety will be restored," the real estate businessman said.
"The most basic duty of government is to defend the lives of its own citizens. Any government that fails to do so is a government unworthy to lead," blaming immigration for what he said is the spread of crime in the country.
"Nearly 180,000 illegal immigrants with criminal records, ordered deported from our country, are tonight roaming free to threaten peaceful citizens."
He also repeated his promise to build a wall along the border with Mexico.
"Nobody knows the system better than me. That is why I alone can fix it."
Trump's speech, following addresses by his top supporters and fundraisers, as well as by his daughter Ivanka, capped a four-day convention in Cleveland that has exposed anxiety and turmoil within Republican ranks over the party's nominee.
In advance of his address, the Trump campaign was roiled after a copy of his speech was leaked to the press, and was published by many news websites hours before he delivered it.
Conspiratorial' speech
Many Americans oppose Trump's ascension in US politics, lambasting his controversial campaign statements, including calling Mexican immigrants rapists and drug dealers whom he would deport if elected president.
He has also called for a ban on Muslims from entering the US.
On Wednesday, former rival Ted Cruz delivered a speech at the convention but refused to endorse Trump, prompting loud boos from the audience.
Overseas, US allies are also closely watching Trump's address, which comes the day after his suggestion that he might not defend America's NATO partners as president.
In an interview with the New York Times, Trump was quoted as saying that he would decide to come to the aid of states under threat by Russia, only after reviewing if they have "fulfilled their obligations to us".
Ian Bremmer, a political analyst, told Al Jazeera before the speech that there are many Americans who believe that the US gets "very little out of American allies", and Trump's statement appeals to them.
"It is true that the US overall will suffer under a Trump presidency from a foreign policy perspective. But the average American wanting to vote for Trump does not care, because they do not believe that they would gain anything from that system, and they are right."
Al Jazeera's Bill Schneider, senior political analyst who reviewed an advance text of Trump's speech, said it was "probably the most breathtakingly angry speech" he had heard from a major party presidential candidate.
"It's angry and conspiratorial. We have never elected an angry president," he said.
"There's not a great deal of Donald Trump's speech tonight that looks very aspirational."
(Al Jazeera) Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
Advertise on NigerianEye.com to reach thousands of our daily users
He vowed to fix America, but he forgot to remember that the world in general can never be the same again, many things have gone wrong already, cannot be fixed, only by God's divine mercy
ReplyDelete