Donald Trump officially won the nomination of the Republican party Tuesday, making the businessman the standard-bearer of the party after a rollicking primary season that saw him vanquish 16 rivals.
The roll call vote of states gave Trump enough delegates at the Republican National Convention to win the nomination after months of speculation and dissent among the GOP ranks. There was little opposition to the candidate on the floor as delegates cast votes for Trump state by state.
The vote came on the second day of the Cleveland convention, where the focus will turn to jobs after a series of grim speeches about national security Monday.
Speakers will advocate what the GOP calls the pro-growth, pro-jobs approach to the economy that Trump would encourage as president.
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THE NOMINATION
The traditional boisterous roll call featured officials bragging about their states and enthusiastically declaring Trump the winner of their delegates. New York put him over the top in the delegate count.
Texas Sen. Ted Cruz’s name wasn’t formally placed in nomination even though he was closest to Trump in the primaries. Earlier Tuesday, some Republicans were saying Cruz’s supporters wanted to gather enough signatures to allow the Texan to be nominated.
Being officially nominated means a candidate is entitled to have supporters deliver a nominating and seconding speech. But Trump’s campaign and GOP officials eager for a show of unity behind Trump worked to head that off.
Discord among delegates was on greater display Monday as aggrieved anti-Trump Republicans protested the adoption of rules aimed at quashing an unlikely effort to block the nomination. Instead of a manicured message of unity, viewers saw the fractured face of a party still coming to grips with the polarizing man of the moment.
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THE EVENING LINEUP
Following the vote, several of Trump’s former campaign rivals, Republican congressional leaders and two of his children, Tiffany Trump and Donald Trump Jr., were scheduled to speak. Tiffany is the candidate’s 22-year-old daughter from his marriage to Marla Maples. Donald Jr. is his eldest son and an executive vice president at The Trump Organization.
Republicans will be closely watching House Speaker Paul Ryan, who has endorsed Trump despite disagreeing with him on numerous issues.
The list of speakers on the economy includes some unusual names, including Andy Wist, founder and CEO of a waterproofing company in the Bronx, as well as Dana White, president of the popular Ultimate Fighting Championship, which promotes mixed martial arts and features top-ranked fighters in the sport.
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and retired surgeon Ben Carson, two former presidential rivals who now are key Trump supporters, also will speak.
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MONDAY NIGHT HANGOVER
Trump’s wife Melania received criticism because her speech Monday included two passages with similarities to a speech first lady Michelle Obama delivered at the 2008 Democratic convention. Mrs. Trump’s speech was well received in the convention hall.
Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort called the criticism “just absurd” and said the issue had been “totally blown out of proportion.”
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CLINTON WEIGHS IN
Democrat Hillary Clinton pounced on the tumult, saying the Republican gathering had so far been “surreal,” comparing it to the classic fantasy film “Wizard of Oz.”
“When you pull back the curtain, it was just Donald Trump with nothing to offer to the American people,” Clinton said during a speech in Las Vegas.
After Trump was officially nominated, Clinton tweeted: “Donald Trump just became the Republican nominee. Chip in now to make sure he never steps foot in the Oval Office.”
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OUTSIDE THE HALL
Police worked to break up scuffles between groups of demonstrators a few blocks from the Republican National Convention Tuesday afternoon and evening. There was no immediate word on any arrests or injuries.
In the afternoon, a skirmish broke out when right-wing conspiracy theorist and radio show host Alex Jones started speaking in downtown’s Public Square through a bullhorn. Police on bicycles pushed back a surging crowd, and Jones was whisked away.
The scene settled down quickly and the protesters outside the Republican National Convention were being kept apart.
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THE REST OF THE WEEK
Vice presidential pick Mike Pence, the Indiana governor who left Indianapolis for Cleveland on Monday, is set to speak Wednesday, with Trump scheduled to close the convention with an acceptance speech Thursday night.
MARY CLARE JALONICK
