Donald Trump accepts Republican presidential nomination

WLS logo
Friday, July 22, 2016
Donald Trump accepts the Republican presidential nominee
Donald J. Trump accepted the Republican Party's nomination for president in Cleveland on Thursday, July 21, 2016.

New York billionaire Donald Trump, in his words, "humbly and gratefully" accepted the Republican nomination for president on the final night of the Republican National Convention.



"Who would've believed that when we started this journey on June 16th last year, we, and I say we, because we are a team, would have received almost 14 million votes, the most in the history of the republican party and that the republican party would get 60% more votes than it received 8 years ago, who would've believed this, who would've believed this," Trump said.



The GOP candidate told delegates that he will crack down on violence against police. Citing recent attacks, Trump said, "an attack on law enforcement is an attack on all Americans."



As the crowd chanted "Lock her up!" in reference to Trump's Democratic rival Hillary Clinton, Trump waved off their cries and said, "Let's defeat her in November."



1 of 149
Confetti and balloons fall during celebrations after Donald Trump's acceptance speech on the final day of the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Thursday, July 21, 2016.
Evan Vucci/AP


A protester from Code Pink briefly interrupted Trump's speech Thursday night, unfurling a banner that read "Build bridges, not walls." Trump paused as the woman was escorted off the convention floor before resuming his remarks.



Trump was introduced by his oldest daughter, Ivanka, who called her father "the people's champion." She touted his experience as a business leader who is "color blind and gender neutral" and said he will fight for equal pay for women.



"I have seen him fight for his employees," she said. "Now, I am seeing him fight for his country."



Ivanka Trump, 34, who says she doe not consider herself "categorically Republican or Democrat," was the fourth of Trump's children to speak at the RNC.



Trump concluded his speech with the promise he has made the slogan of his campaign: "We will make America great again."



At 75 minutes long, Trump's acceptance speech is the longest nomination speech since Bill Clinton clocked in at 64 minutes in 1996, according to CSPAN.



Watch the entirety of Donald Trump's speech to the Republican National Convention.


ABC News and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

Copyright © 2024 WLS-TV. All Rights Reserved.