CLEVELAND, Ohio — United for a night, Republicans nominated Donald Trump Tuesday as their presidential standard-bearer, capping the billionaire businessman's stunning takeover of the GOP and propelling him into a November faceoff with Democrat Hillary Clinton.
"This is a movement, but we have to go all the way," Trump said in videotaped remarks beamed into the convention hall.
For Trump, the celebrations were a much-needed opportunity to regroup after a chaotic convention kickoff that included a plagiarism charge involving wife Melania Trump's address on opening night. There were no big missteps Tuesday, but the event was void of the glitzy, Hollywood touch Trump promised, with a series of Republican officials parading on stage to level sharp, but repetitive, criticisms of Clinton.
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie was one of the few speakers to energize the crowd, delivering a full-throated takedown of Clinton and imploring delegates to shout "Guilty!" as he ticked through numerous accusations of wrongdoing.
"We didn't disqualify Hillary Clinton to be president of the United States, the facts of her life and career disqualifies her," Christie said.
Trump's family again took center stage, underscoring the campaign's urgent task to reshape the image of a candidate seen by large swaths of voters as harsh and divisive. Two of Trump's children testified to his character, casting him as a man undeterred by challenges.
"For my father, impossible is just the starting point," said Donald Trump Jr., the oldest of the Republican nominee's five children.
For some Republicans, the night also offered a glimpse of what could have been. House Speaker Paul Ryan, who resisted calls to jump into the presidential race, made a vigorous call for party unity — though his message focused more on the risks of letting Democrats keep the White House and make gains in Congress than a rationale for Trump.
"Let's compete in every part of America, and turn out at the polls like every last vote matters, because it will," Ryan said.
Many Republican leaders stayed away from the convention, still wary of being associated with the divisive candidate and unsure how his nomination impacts their own political futures.
The crowd gathered in the cavernous convention hall reflected the growing dissatisfaction among some Republicans with party elites. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who has been a lukewarm supporter of Trump, was greeted with a smattering of boos as he took the stage.
It was one of the occasional flurries of dissent on the convention floor, including jeers as states that Trump did not win recorded their votes during the nominating roll call vote. Still, Trump far outdistanced his primary rivals, and his vice presidential pick, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, was also formally nominated.
Trump was put over the top by his home state of New York. Four of his children joined the state's delegation on the convention floor for the historic moment and appeared overwhelmed with emotion.
Tiffany Trump, the candidate's 22-year-old daughter with ex-wife Marla Maples, sprinkled her remarks with rarely heard anecdotes about her father, including the handwritten notes he left on her childhood report cards.
"My dad is a natural born encourager, the last person to ever tell you to lower your sights," she said.
Georgia playing a big role in convention
The convention has a part business and part fair-like atmosphere.%
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Channel 2’s Justin Farmer arrived in Cleveland Tuesday and caught up with many Georgia delegates in Uncle Sam hats, using noisemakers, and wearing red, white and blue everything.
On the business side, Georgia has a prestigious role in Cleveland, as one of the few states to officially nominate Trump.
"We made a decision a year ago that we wanted to play a role in this presidential race and so I think we will," Georgia Republican delegate Rachel Little.
Georgia's 70 plus delegates at the RNC wanted more than just a supporting role at the convention, and they'll get it.
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"I think the fact that Georgia has been asked to be one of the states that actually puts Mr. Trump into nomination speaks volumes about how important Georgia is and where we are."
Georgia is one of the eight nominating states for the convention as part of the official nominating process.
"Georgia's not had that honor before. And it's my understanding Donald Trump requested Georgia to be one of the eight states. I got to sign those documents as a delegate so that was very, very cool," said Georgia Republican Delegate Liz Hausmann.
U.S. Sen. David Perdue is urging the Georgia delegation to unify behind Donald Trump, even if he wasn't their first choice for president.
And while Georgia’s playing a key role at the RNC, Perdue doesn't think our state will be any competition for Trump come November.
“I don't want to get greedy but I want to win big because this is a directional issue. This is not about Donald Trump, it's not really about just this election in my view, and it’s about the direction of the country," Perdue told Farmer.
Perdue said solidifying a big lead in Georgia early will free up Trump and his supporters to focus their resources and attention on swing states.
The delegates Farmer spoke with in Cleveland told him they're committed to helping Trump win big.
"Our goal is to hope we leave here united. We believe if we're a united party coming out of Cleveland we can win," said Georgia delegate Ashley Bell.
Trump doesn't officially become the nominee until he accepts that nomination. That will happen Thursday night.
Police break up skirmishes among demonstrators
Police broke up scuffles between groups of demonstrators a few blocks from the Republican National Convention as crowds in the hundreds gathered Tuesday afternoon. There was no immediate word on any arrests or injuries.
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.
Minutes later, more officers on bicycles formed a line between a conservative religious group and a communist-leaning organization carrying a sign that read, "America Was Never Great."
The demonstrators — including anti-Muslim protesters, religious conservatives and marchers decrying racism and "murder by police" — appeared outnumbered by law officers and members of the media. Police on bike and on foot formed lines to keep pockets of protesters separated.
Demonstrators soon spilled into the streets, and some appeared to be making their way toward the convention arena before turning back. More skirmishes broke out at one intersection.
The crowds and the police presence were some of the largest and most raucous gatherings in downtown Cleveland since the convention got underway Monday.
Cleveland's police chief was talking to the crowd before one of the skirmishes broke out.
Cox Media Group
