Trump's speech: Candidate says he will seek to improve law and order

It was Donald Trump's big moment, and he sought to make the most of it.

In accepting the Republican nomination for president Thursday night in Cleveland, Trump painted himself as the candidate who will return law and order to America and who will not be politically correct in order to please special interests.

He vowed to champion the "forgotten" voters and emphasized the need for a new direction from the White House, placing the blame for the nation's ills, both domestic and foreign, at the feet of President Barack Obama and presumptive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.

Whether Republicans will be able to coalesce around their man and send him on to the White House is still questionable, but on Thursday night Trump made it sound urgent that all Americans come together to do so. He even reached out to the gay and lesbian community, promising to protect them from violence and oppression -- at the risk of alienating his base of support.

Trump will have little time to bask in the moment. The Democratic convention begins Monday, and Clinton is expected to announce her running mate today or tomorrow. The real battle is just around the corner.

Published in Editorials on July 22, 2016 10:20 AM