CLEVELAND — Barring a last-minute jolt to the proceedings, Donald Trump is hours away from attaining the 2016 presidential nomination despite efforts to stop him that spilled messily into the opening of the Republican National Convention. As his wife, Melania, put it from the stage, "It would not be a Trump contest without excitement and drama."
She generated a lot of buzz with her well-received speech and, later, a controversy over some of her remarks. Two passages of her address matched nearly word-for-word the speech that Michelle Obama delivered in 2008 at the Democratic National Convention.
A senior Trump adviser, Paul Manafort, dismissed the criticism as "just absurd," and insisted that she used "words that are common words." The campaign said the speech was written by a "team of writers" who included fragments that reflected Mrs. Trump's thinking.
For a time Monday, the Cleveland arena resembled the convention-floor battles of old as aggrieved anti-Trump Republicans protested the adoption by voice vote of rules aimed at quashing an already flailing effort to deny him the prize. 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.
But to borrow the parlance of Trump the businessman, the deal will almost certainly be sealed Tuesday night.
That's when the roll call of states is set to unfold, delivering the delegates to make him the standard-bearer after a rollicking primary season that saw him vanquish 16 rivals. Typically in both parties, the roll call is heavy with ceremonial flourishes, good cheer and puffery about the virtues of each state. This time, it's also another opportunity for discord to be heard.
On Monday, the floor flight gave way to a lineup of hard-edged, prime-time speeches in which Republicans painted a grim picture of the country's future and an evener darker view of Democratic rival Hillary Clinton.
Speakers accused Clinton of lying, "putting all of our children's lives at risk," and threatening the nation's security. When delegates chanted "Lock her up!," Ret. Gen. Michael Flynn responded from the podium: "You're damn right. There's nothing wrong with that."
With a rock-star entrance, Trump changed the tone and introduced his wife, Melania. She traced her own life story, coming to America from Slovenia, and painted a softer, more rounded portrait of her husband than the hard-nosed, insult-throwing candidate GOP voters have seen at every turn. She praised his "simple goodness" and his loyalty to and love of family — while noting the "drama" that comes with Trump in politics.
"If you want someone to fight for you and your country, I can assure you, he is the guy," Mrs. Trump told delegates.
Her speech contained a striking resemblance to Michelle Obama's when she said her parents "impressed on me the values that you work hard for what you want in life, that your word is your bond and you do what you say and keep your promise, that you treat people with respect." Mrs. Obama, in her 2008 speech, talked being raised learning about "values, like, you work hard for what you want in life, that your word is your bond, that you do what you say you're going to do, that you treat people with dignity and respect."
Similarly, Mrs. Trump said, "we want our children in this nation to know that the only limit to your achievements is the strength of your dreams and your willingness to work for them." Mrs. Obama said in 2008, "we want our children — and all children in this nation — to know that the only limit to the height of your achievements is the reach of your dreams and your willingness to work hard for them."
The White House declined to comment Tuesday morning, but was expected to answer questions about the similarities in the remarks later in the day.
Mrs. Trump's speech was part of a four-day campaign to show the softer side of the tough-talking showman. On Tuesday night, two of Trump's children will pick up where she left off. Tiffany Trump, Trump's 22-year-old daughter from his marriage to Marla Maples, and Donald Trump Jr., his eldest son and an executive vice president at The Trump Organization, will take the podium.
Former GOP presidents, the home-state governor and other top Republicans have skipped Trump'sconvention, but Tuesday's bill highlights some establishment support.
House Speaker Paul Ryan, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie planned to address the convention along with Sen. Steve Daines, who had planned to go fly-fishing in Montana.
Themes of the four-day event are all rooted in Trump's Make America Great Again slogan: safe again, work again, first again and one again, in turn.
Safety was first on tap, and a succession of speakers cast Trump as the leader for perilous times and Hillary Clinton as the embodiment of a system that has left America vulnerable — or worse.
-- No Major Clashes Outside RNC --
Cleveland police said there were few problems and only one arrest as night fell on the first day of the Republican National Convention.
At a Monday night news briefing, Police Chief Calvin Williams said, "So far, so good."
Williams said there has been no violence and no property damage. He said about a dozen people have been seen exercising their right under Ohio law to openly carry guns.
Williams said the one arrest involved a person on the city's Public Square who had a felony warrant and is also being charged with resisting arrest and obstructing official business.
He said bicycle officers moved in several times to stop sniping between various groups from becoming violent.
The police chief said he witnessed one encounter on Public Square between eight or nine Trump supporters and about a dozen people who are against the candidate.
Decision 2016: Full GOP Convention Coverage
In the morning, members of each state's delegation took part in welcome breakfasts.
-- New York Delegation Breakfast --
Members of the New York delegation heard from one of Donald Trump's once potential vice presidential nominees just hours before the start of the Republican National Convention in Ohio.
Newt Gingrich spoke to the delegation during a breakfast and touched on the topic of national security and how he feels that the Republican party could serve as a protector against potential terrorists.
The former speaker of the house also slammed the Republican presidential candidates who did not come to Cleveland.
"George Pataki lost, it's amazing how many of these folks, John Kasich lost I mean it's amazing, I've never seen so many bad losers, I'm not impressed," Gingrich said.
Gingrich says he also believes that Donald Trump can win New York, if Republicans expand their horizons to try to attract voters.
Democrats outnumber Republicans in New York two to one.
North Carolina Delegation Breakfast
Republican Nation Convention delegates from North Carolina’s had breakfast Monday morning with California Rep. Darrell Issa and a representative from Georgia at their hotel in Cleveland.
National security was today’s topic.
Texas Delegation Breakfast
The room at the Marriott in Downtown Cleveland was full of Texas Republicans, and in Texas style -- big names came on day one to address the delegation.
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, Texas GOP Chairman Tom Mechler and former Governor Rick Perry all spoke with a similar message: while Donald Trump may not have been their first choice -- there's more at stake than just the presidency.
"The simplicity of this moment could not be clearer. Donald Trump. Hillary Clinton. The Supreme Court. That is what his hands my friends," said Perry.
Abbott is not able to attend the convention. He's recovering from severe burns to his lower body.
He did call to thank the Texas delegation and Lt. Gov. Patrick.
The speaker schedule for Monday was as follows:
Monday, July 18: “Make America Safe Again”
- Willie Robertson, CEO of Duck Commander and Buck Commander, star of Duck Dynasty
- Gov. Rick Perry, Former Governor of Texas
- Marcus Luttrell, U.S. Navy SEAL
- Scott Baio, Actor and Television Producer
- Pat Smith, Mother of Benghazi victim Sean Smith
- Mark Geist, U.S. Marine Corps veteran, Fought in Battle of Benghazi
- John Tiegen, U.S. Marine Corps veteran, Fought in Battle of Benghazi
- Kent Terry and Kelly Terry-Willis, The Brian Terry Foundation
- Antonio Sabato Jr., Actor
- Mary Ann Mendoza, Immigration Reform Advocate
- Sabine Durden, Immigration Reform Advocate
- Jamiel Shaw, Immigration Reform Advocate
- U.S. Representative Michael McCaul, TX-10
- David Clarke, Sheriff of Milwaukee County
- U.S. Representative Sean Duffy, WI-7
- Rachel Campos Duffy, The LIBRE Initiative
- Darryl Glenn, El Paso County Commissioner
- U.S. Senator Tom Cotton, R-Arkansas
- Karen Vaughn, Mother of fallen U.S. Navy SEAL
- U.S. Senator Jeff Sessions, R-Alabama
- Rudy Giuliani, Former Mayor of New York City
- Melania Trump, Businesswoman and wife of Donald Trump
- Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, U.S. Army, retired
- U.S. Senator Joni Ernst, R-Iowa
- Jason Beardsley, Concerned Veterans for America
- U.S. Representative Ryan Zinke, R-Montana
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