GOP Convention: Doom and gloom at home, clamor for Trump

By Philip Rucker, Sean Sullivan and Ed O’Keefe

The Washington Post

CLEVELAND — After getting off to a chaotic start because of a procedural skirmish, Republicans opened their national convention here Monday night with savage attacks on Hillary Clinton, blaming the former secretary of state for tragedies at home and abroad.

Nominee-in-waiting Donald Trump’s supporters took to the stage to prosecute the case against Clinton, the presumptive Democratic nominee, and convince Americans that he has the strength and judgment to be a credible commander-in-chief in the face of terrorist attacks on the homeland and around the world.

“What I did for New York, Donald Trump will do for America,” said Rudy Giuliani, the former New York mayor who steered his city through the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

Trump made a splashy debut on the convention stage about 10:20 p.m., walking out in silhouette to Queen’s anthem, “We Are the Champions.”

“We’re going to win so big,” the candidate vowed, as he introduced his wife, Melania, for her keynote address.

Melania Trump, a former fashion model born in Slovenia, who has shied away from public speaking, testified to Trump’s heart and love of country in a well-received speech.

She sought to broaden her husband’s appeal to the general population, including groups that have been outright hostile to his candidacy, saying that love binds their family and that together they would bring compassion to the White House.

“Donald intends to represent all the people, not just some of the people,” Melania Trump said. “That includes Christians and Jews and Muslims. It includes Hispanics and African Americans and Asians and the poor and the middle class.”

Earlier in the evening, however, many speakers delivered hard-edged remarks seemingly designed to play to Trump’s base supporters. A trio of speakers railed against undocumented immigrants — whom they repeatedly called “illegal aliens” — for killing their loved ones and argued that only Trump could keep the country safe.

“My son’s life was stolen at the hands of an illegal alien,” said Mary Ann Mendoza, mother of fallen police Sgt. Brandon Mendoza. “It’s time we had an administration that cares more about Americans than about illegals. A vote for Hillary is putting all our children’s lives at risk.”

Others leveled similar charges. The speakers — an eclectic lineup, including lawmakers, veterans and celebrities — tried to bring the fractured Republican Party together under the theme “Make America Safe Again.”

Patricia Smith, whose son, Sean, died in the 2012 terrorist attacks on a U.S. diplomatic outpost in Benghazi, Libya, reduced convention delegates to tears with an emotional address about her son’s death — which she said she blames on Clinton, the-then secretary of state.

“I blame Hillary Clinton personally for the death of my son,” Smith said. She pointed out a delegate holding up a “Hillary for Prison” sign and said, “That’s right — Hillary for prison. She deserves to be in stripes.”

A number of speakers of color echoed Trump’s core themes of grievance, including some racial provocations.

David Clarke, the Milwaukee County sheriff, who is black, cried out, “Blue lives matter in America.” His call of support for law enforcement officers was received with chants of “USA! USA! USA!” Clarke went on to criticize the Black Lives Matter movement.

The focus on national security and immigration comes at a perilous time. Recent terrorist attacks in the United States and abroad, coupled with police shootings in Dallas and Baton Rouge, Lousiana, have created fear and worry.

During the convention’s afternoon proceedings, anti-Trump forces expressed vocal dissent from the convention floor, though party officials snuffed out attempts to slow Trump’s march to the presidential nomination.

A renegade group of delegates seeking to force a rules vote that would have embarrassed Trump fell short.

They were hoping to register disapproval of new party rules that favor Trump, but a handful of state delegations backed out under pressure from party leaders.

The outcome cleared the path for Trump, who touched down in Cleveland around 7:30 p.m., to accept the GOP presidential nomination later this week without having to clear new hurdles. But it underscored the deep rifts that continue to plague the Republican Party during a week that was supposed to reflect unity.