CLEVELAND – The kick off to the Republican National Convention would not be complete without an appearance from the presumptive nominee himself.
Though he wasn’t originally expected to speak, Donald Trump took the stage at Quicken Loans Arena on Monday evening to introduce his wife, Melania, with a kiss on the cheek, and escort her off stage with his trademark thumbs up.
Entering and exiting to the music of Queen’s “We Are The Champions,” Trump only had one thing to say.
“We’re going to win,” he said with a grin. “We’re going to win so big.”
Trump’s appearance came just hours after Republican delegates were in open disagreement about convention rules that would possibly thwart his nomination. But Melania Trump perfectly summarized the day’s events.
“It would not be a Trump contest without excitement and drama,” she said. “But throughout it all my husband has been focused on one thing – this beautiful country he loves so much.”
Mrs. Trump also humanized her husband with anecdotes of Donald’s intense loyalty, tenacity, and softer side.
“He’s tough when he has to be, but he’s also kind, and fair, and caring,” she said. “This kindness is not always noted, but it is there. That is one reason I fell in love with him to begin with.”
Melania touched on the possibility of her serving as First Lady, saying she would use her platform to help children and women.
“We must do our best to ensure that every child can live in comfort and security with the best possible education,” she said.
Preceding the Trumps on Monday was a smorgasbord of speakers emphasizing some of the presumptive nominee’s major campaign topics – illegal immigration, the Benghazi attacks, and homeland security.
“It’s time for a change,” said Chairman of Homeland Security Committee, Rep. Mike McCaul. “It’s time to take back our country and make America safe again.”
McCaul echoed the theme of the evening, “Make America Safe Again.” The night’s themes for the rest of the week include replacing “safe” with the words “first,” “work” and “one,” mimicking Trump’s original campaign slogan.
The most emotional testimonies of the night came from those connected to veterans, particularly ones involved in the Benghazi attacks on Sept. 11, 2012. Patricia Smith, mother of Benghazi victim Sean Smith, recalled her last conversation with her son where he told her, “Mom, I am going to die.”
“The very next day he was murdered by radical Islamic terrorists,” Smith said, one of many speakers ready to invoke that title. “That night, we lost four great Americans who made the ultimate sacrifice for the country they chose to serve, and the American people lost the truth.”
Smith said she blamed presumptive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton personally for the death of her son.
“I’ve asked Hillary Clinton to explain to me why my son is dead. To this day, I am still waiting,” Smith said. “How could she do this to me?”
In contrast, Smith described Trump as blunt, direct and strong – “everything that Hillary Clinton is not.” Then she took a moment to go off-script.
“That’s right, Hillary for prison,” Smith said in response to chants from delegates. “She deserves to be in stripes.”
The topic of illegal immigration was also emphasized using personal anecdotes. Three speakers described as victims of illegal immigrants detailed how an illegal immigrant had been part of the deaths of a family member for each of them.
“My son’s life was stolen at the hands of an illegal alien,” said Mary Mendoza, whose son Brandon, a Mesa Police Sergeant, was killed by an illegal immigrant who was driving drunk. “It’s time we had an administration that cares more about Americans than about illegals.”
Hot-button issues of race and police brutality were also touched on, particularly with Sheriff David Clarke of Milwaukee County in Wisconsin.
“I would like to make something very clear: Blue. Lives. Matter,” Clarke declared, to rousing cheers.
Clarke referred to the Black Lives Matter movement as “anarchy.” He claimed the events in Ferguson, Baltimore and Baton Rogue were a collapse of social order.
“American law enforcement officers understand that race has been a heated issue in our country,” Clarke said.
Former mayor of New York Rudy Giuliani brought the energy late in the evening on Monday, eliciting some of the biggest cheers for his rhetoric on uniting the people and the police force.
“What I did for New York, Donald Trump will do for America,” Giuliani said, accompanied with emphatic gesturing.
Giuliani was tapped based on his experience facing terrorism in the wake of the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. He praised Trump for “properly identifying” the threat against America.
“For the purposes of the media, I did not say all of Islam,” Giuliani added. “I said Islamic extremist terrorism. We know who you are – and we’re coming to get you.”
And fitting for a former reality television star, Trump also assembled a lineup of celebrity speakers that might seem out of place at any other convention.
“Who said nothing good comes out of reality TV?” declared Rep. Sean Duffy, former cast member of “The Real World.”
Bearded “Duck Dynasty” star and businessman Willie Robertson began the celebrity appearances. He likened himself to Trump in saying they are both businessmen, both TV stars and both married to beautiful, intelligent wives.
“It’s been a rough year for media experts; it must be humbling to be so wrong about so much for so long,” Robertson said, echoing Trump’s anti-media message. “They don’t hang out with us regular folks who hunt and fish and pray.”
Robertson also touched on another favorite topic of Trump’s – political correctness, or lack thereof.
“(Trump) may not always be politically correct, but when your father is Phil Robertson I’m used to that,” he said with a laugh. “He’ll always tell it how he sees it, and that’s why we can trust him as our next president to make America great again.”
Rounding out the celebrity appearances on Monday night were former soap opera actor Antonio Sabato Jr. speaking on immigration, and “Happy Days” actor Scott Baio addressing the younger generation of voters.
“All the things we hold dear are being attacked every single day,” Baio said. “We cannot go down this road anymore, we need to stop. We need Donald Trump to fix this.”
