United States President Donald Trump has officially accepted the re-nomination of the Republican Party as its presidential candidate for the November elections, telling his fellow Americans that at no time before have voters faced a clearer choice between two parties, two visions, two philosophies or two agendas.
Trump, 74, in his acceptance speech from the South Lawns of the White House amidst cheers from his supporters on Thursday night, said: “My fellow Americans, tonight, with a heart full of gratitude and boundless optimism, I proudly accept this nomination for President of the United States”.
“I stand before you tonight honoured by your support. Proud of the extraordinary progress we have made together over the last four incredible years, and brimming with confidence in the bright future, we will build for America over the next four years,” Trump said.
“In a new term as president, we will again build the greatest economy in history -- quickly returning to full employment, soaring incomes, and record prosperity!” he said.
Party's delegates from across the country at Republican National Convention, which has been drastically scaled down at its original venue of Charlotte in North Carolina, on Monday re-nominated Trump and Vice President Mike Pence as its presidential and vice-presidential candidates respectively.
Pence delivered his acceptance speech from Fort McHenry in Baltimore on Wednesday. This is for the first time in recent memory that a presidential candidate has delivered his acceptance speech from the White House.
Addressing an audience of about 1,500 invited guests, Trump said that the Republican Party goes forward united, determined and ready to welcome millions of Democrats, independents and anyone who believes in the greatness of America and the righteous heart of the American people.
Trump and Pence are being challenged by Democratic presidential nominee and former vice president Joe Biden and his running mate, Indian-origin senator Kamala Harris.
Harris, 55, has scripted history by becoming the first African-American and Indian-origin person to be nominated as a vice presidential candidate by a major political party.
As per an average of major national polls tracked by Real Clear Politics, Biden leads Trump by 7.1 percentage points and in the battleground states it has come down to 3.7 percentage points, indicating that the presidential elections in less than 70 days from now is headed for an interesting finish.
Trump's acceptance speech concluded four days of star-studded convention of the Republican Party, which gathers once in four years in one of the American cities to nominate its presidential candidate.
This year it was scheduled to be held in Charlotte in North Carolina. Due to the restrictions on social gatherings as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, the convention went into a virtual mode, with only essential official business being held in Charlotte.
Popular Indian-American politician Nikki Haley was the star speaker on Monday, the first day. US First Lady Melania Trump addressed the convention from Rose Garden of the White House on Tuesday, while Pence delivered his acceptance speech on Wednesday.
Trump's daughter Ivanka, who is also his presidential advisor, addressed the convention before him on Thursday night.
“He's our commander-in-chief, champion of the American worker, defender of common sense and our voice for the forgotten men and women of this country. He is our president, and my father, Donald J Trump,” Ivanka said.
\His son Donald Trump Jr addressed the convention on Monday, while daughter Tiffany and other son Eric addressed the convention on Tuesday and daughter-in-law Lara on Wednesday. A group of protesters had gathered at Black Lives Matter Plaza near the White House in advance of Trump's speech.
Al Mason, co-chair of the Trump Victory Indian American Finance Committee, and his wife were among the special invitees on the South Lawns of the White House for Trump's acceptance speech. Al Mason said it was amazing spectacular and full of enthusiasm never seen in the Democratic convention last week.
Describing Donald Trump as the "people's president" and listing out his administration's "people-friendly" policies during his first term, his daughter Ivanka Trump delivered a fiery speech in support of her father's re-election bid.
"America doesn't need another empty vessel who will do whatever the media and the fringe of his party demands. Now more than ever, America needs four more years of a warrior in the White House," 38-year-old Ivanka said in her address to the Republican National Convention on Thursday from the South Lawn of the White House.
Introducing Trump to the audience before his presidential nomination acceptance, she said four years ago she introduced to them a builder and entrepreneur, an outsider, and the people's nominee for president of the United States.
“Tonight, I stand before you as the proud daughter of the people's president. He's our commander-in-chief, champion of the American workers, defender of common sense and our voice for the forgotten men and women of this country. He is our president, and my father, Donald J Trump,” she said amid loud cheer from the Republican Party supporters.
"Dad, people attack you for being unconventional but I love you for being real and I respect you for being effective," said Ivanka, who is also the senior advisor to the president.
She said for the first time in a long time, the US has a president who has called out Washington's hypocrisy and his rivals hate him for that.
"President refuses to surrender his beliefs to score point with the political elite. To my father, you are the elite. You are the only people he cares about scoring points with.
"If these problems were easy to solve previous presidents would have done so. But you don't achieve different results by doing things the same way," Ivanka said.
Ivanka said his father did not come to Washington to win praise from the Beltway elites, but to "make America great again".
"Washington has not changed Donald Trump. Donald Trump has changed Washington," she said.
She said his father has strong convictions and he knows what he believes, and he says what he thinks.
"Whether you agree with him or not, you always know where he stands. I recognise that my dad's communication style is not to everyone's taste. And I know that his tweets can feel a bit unfiltered, But the results speak for themselves,” Ivanka said.
"He is so unapologetic about his beliefs that he has caused me, and countless Americans to take a hard look at our own convictions and ask ourselves, what do we stand for, what kind of America, do we want to leave for our children,” she said.
Ivanka said Trump is working to build a society where every child can live in a safe community and go to a great school of their choice.
"We want a culture where differences of opinion and debate are encouraged not cancelled, where law enforcement is respected, where our country's rich diversity is celebrated, and where people of all backgrounds, races, genders and creeds have the chance to achieve their God given potential. This is the future my father is working to build each and every day," she said.
