Pence tries to reunite divided Republicans
Plea to bring the party together comes as Donald Trump formally gains its presidential nomination
DONALD TRUMP was formally adopted as the Republican Party’s presidential candidate last night as his would-be vice-president today launches a passionate bid to unite the fractured party after a year of bitter divisions that have thrown its future into doubt.
Mike Pence, the Indiana governor, will attempt to convince disillusioned members of the Republican establishment that they can trust Mr Trump, and seek to reassure the party’s evan- gelical wing with his arch-conservative views on social issues including abortion and gay marriage.
Mr Trump was named the Republican presidential candidate last night, having seen off late attempts on Monday to block him. The businessman’s son, Donald Trump Jr, announced the New York results that secured the formal nomination for his father. “Congratulations Dad we love you!” Mr Trump Jr shouted as the convention hall cheered and erupted into a rendition of “New York, New York”.
Today, further appeals for party unity will be made by Mr Trump’s former foes Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio, with whom he clashed furiously during the race for the nomination, who will make keynote speeches to the party convention in Cleveland.
Their presence will boost the billion- aire’s chances of mobilising Republican voters in the Nov 8 general election as polls showed him closing in on his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton.
But the task of unifying the party was brought into sharp focus as com- ments emerged from former president George W Bush lamenting its divided state. Mr Bush reportedly told a private gathering in Texas: “I’m worried that I will be the last Republican president.” He and his brother Jeb Bush, who was defeated by Mr Trump in this year’s race, have stayed away from the convention.
John Kasich, the popular Republican governor of Ohio, has also stayed away even though the event is being held in his own state. The Trump campaign called him “an embarrassment to Ohio”.
Tiffany Trump, 22, the nominee’s daughter, was also due to make a speech to the convention last night in her first major public appearance.
While Mr Trump is the most unorthodox Republican nominee in decades, Mr Pence, 57, is the most conventional of choices as his running mate. He climbed the Republican leadership ladder during 12 years serving in Congress before being elected Indiana governor in 2012.
Ahead of his speech tonight to a tele- vision audience of 35 million people, Mr Pence compared Mr Trump to his own political hero Ronald Reagan, declaring they both had the common touch despite their personal achievements.
Mr Pence said: “I am a Christian, a conservative, and a Republican in that order. And I know in my heart of hearts we will make America great again at home and abroad.
“Donald Trump is a builder, he’s a fighter, he’s a father and a patriot. I know Donald Trump will be a great president because his heart beats with those of the American people.”
Mr Pence said it was time for the party to “come together” after the bruising primary season.
“We must come together around this good man, this is not an ordinary time in the life of the nation,” he said.
His appeal came as the Republican Party adopted a highly conservative platform of policies which included no exceptions for rape in abortion cases, requiring the Bible to be taught in high schools, barring female soldiers from combat, and rejecting gun controls. The agenda is not binding on a future leader.
In speeches to the convention floor delegates characterised the election as a seminal moment in American history and portrayed a Hillary Clinton presidency in almost apocalyptic terms.
One of the most enthusiastically greeted speeches of the convention so far came from Rudy Giuliani, the former New York mayor.
He said that America had been made “weak and vulnerable” by its leaders and had become a target for “terrorists planning to come here and kill us”.
Mr Giuliani added: “There’s no next election. This is it.”