it was a campaign unlike any we've seen before. >> we are going to build a wall. i would bring back waterboarding. >> started with 17 candidates, and tonight, only one remains. donald j. trump. this is an abc news special event. >> we will make america great again. >> right now, as the republican gather in cleveland to anoint their nominee. >> we're going to win, win, win. >> we are just minutes away from donald trump taking the stage, speaking to america, rallying the crowd, and introducing his wife, melania. this is the republican national convention. live from cleveland. now reporting, george stephanopoulos.

loans arena, they call it the "q" in cleveland. in just minutes, donald trump will bulldoze through tradition one more time. making the first primetime speech at his own convention. i'm here with our team of political analysts right here. strategists from both parties. our reporters tracking all security issues surrounding the event. and matthew dowd, looks like a normal convention. but this is no ordinary convention, no ordinary time. >> i don't think you can underestimate what's going on in the country, and with the republican party. we have immense social, cultural, and political

and a billionaire is taking over a party and the establishment. >> and martha raddatz, it comes against the backdrop of so much turmoil around the world. and the theme tonight, make america safe again. >> people are scared. you look at nice, paris, and san bernardino. and donald trump is talking right to these fears. donald trump, they say, will make america safe. he says waterboarding, bomb isis. these are complex problems, he doesn't have detailed plans, but this is what he's saying. >> and david muir, one of the never trump

trouble. >> some real tense moments to start the convention. there are still real divisions on full view. the never trump faction, the stop trump faction, they've been in existence since trump started to gain steam. trying to force a roll call vote on the rules, but the ayes prevailed. you heard chants of shame, shame, shame, and trump supporters chanting trump, trump, usa. but there's a real energy inside the room, expecting donald trump, melania trump, and the only question, will his introduction be longer than melania trump's speech? >> and one of the big storylines tonight, jonathan karl, you see the energy on the floor, but those republicans that are

here. the last two nominees, not here. the last two republican presidents, not here. >> you see bob dole, the only surviving previous nominee that is here. no bush, the first republican national convention in 40 years without a bush. and 21 republican senators not here. one of them said he had to mow his lawn. and the biggest absence, the sitting governor of the state, john kasich, the most popular republican in the state of ohio, not here. >> he ran against donald trump for an awful long time. and trump's campaign manager calling him out on it today. >> calling him petulant, embarrassing the republican party, but he's in the city of cleveland, but not wki

>> also in the city of cleveland, a lot of protesters. and police are geared up for it. let's go to linsey davis, where the protesters are gathered. so far, they're here, but fairly quiet? >> relatively quiet. but the protest groups that said they were going to be, are here. pro-trump, anti-trump, black lives matter. they're here, and so far, so good. the most recent brief from the cleveland police chief, he said, listen, we're still prepared for anything. still prepared for everything. just one arrest today, one arrest yesterday. but still, a lot more people, certainly we have a lot of police presence. i'm just noticing some police have gathered in this corner

you can see them here, they're everywhere. >> and we see rudy giuliani on the podium. he's riling up the crowd as well, as we wait for donald trump. this convention, just a little bit behind schedule. i want to go with tom llamas, who has been with mr. trump since the beginning of the campaign. he'll be out in just a few minutes. perhaps to give a brief introduction to his wife, perhaps to go on. >> this is right. i've never heard donald trump give a brief speech, even on saturday, introducing governor mike pence, he spoke for nearly 30 minutes. he said tonight would be a brief speech, and melania trump is ske scheduled to speak for about five

always forceful, reminding voters about how strong her husband is. but trump the husband, the father, they want voters to get a better understanding of who trump the man is. we may hear that tonight. sources say she has practiced this speech with the same kind of teleprompter she will have tonight. >> and cokie roberts, she will be the first foreign-born first lady if trump is elected since m mrs. adams. >> yes, but the wife traditionally does give sort of a character reference. this is somebody i love, and you can

but talking about no ordinary time, that was eleanor rooseve t roosevelt, at the end of the depression, the eve of world war ii. this was also a time when people are feeling unordinary. and the republican party has gone through lots of upheaval, and the trump family are really the only stars of this convention. >> and i want to go back to terry moran. that demonstration earlier today, did really unleash some feelings on that floor. >> and the feelings have been unsettled. we live in unsettled times, certainly. and you get a sense, this is not a contested convention, but it remains a divided one. and donald trump is a candida

people, drawn protesters. behind me, this is the trump box. mike pence, the vice presidential nominee. just behind them, a single protester tried to raise a pink banner. she stood up, an amazing security breach, essentially the enemy getting into the republican convention. a little bit of pulling or yanking, no violence, nothing thuggish or anything like that. but it was the kind of unsettled emotions that donald trump has sparked in many people around the country. and as i say, a security breach. and the whole sense here tonight, many of the speeches from the podium, we've heard a grieving mother of one of the dead from the benghazi attacks. a blow-by-blow description of killing people on the

podium, and it's that kind of emotion that one feels here. >> i want to go to kristen soltis anderson, we saw mike pence, the vice presidential candidate. that was one step he took to unify this party coming into the convention. but he still has a way to go. >> he certainly does. a lot of republican still have questions about donald trump. is he going to represent their values? but we're not seeing a lot of republican saying they'll vote for hillary clinton. republican still may not quite be sure that donald trump is representing their values fully, but they're not breaking away to vote for other candidates. >> you're there with donna brazile as well, democratic stra

stream of press releases, but hillary clinton is running closer to donald trump than a lot of democrats expected. >> it's been a very difficult two weeks for hillary clinton, but she's not just competitive. i think hillary clinton has the ability to expand her vote, reach the voters with a common sense message of things that she will do to help the economy, and keep america safe. today, no policy proposals, no plan. and we're hearing it here, from the former mayor of new york city, who believes that the only way to bring america together is by dividing each other. so, we have a long way to go. >> matthew dowd, what does d donald trump

week? >> convince the republicans, get them onboard in the course of this, and convince the american public that he's for change, but not scary change. they want to vote change, but very reluctant to go for change they believe is scary. >> and jon karl, that's the strategy of the trump team. they believe if trump can cross that bar of acceptability, they think the change voters will prevail. >> they believe that hillary clinton's negatives are so high, she's distrusted by so many voters, all donald trump has to prove is that he can sit in the oval office, and be the president of the united states. >> and martha raddatz, that cuts both ways. after the attacks in

country, his numbers surged. >> we covered the terrible events in dallas, and drove up here, and talked to so many people. i was astonished by the undecided and unhappy people. so many are watching this so presidential candidate. republicans saying they can't vote for trump, maybe voting for hillary. many are unhappy. >> let's go back to the podium, rudy julgiuliani is wrapping up >> doing one of the worst deals america ever made. obama's nuclear agreement with

to become a nuclear power, and is putting billions of dollars back into a country that is the world's largest supporter of terrorism. we're helping fund the terrorists. we're giving them the money. are we crazy? donald trump will make sure that any agreement with iran meets the original goals of the u.n. and our allies. a nonnuclear iran. [ applause ] donald trump is a leader. >> rudy giuliani -- >> he's been talking about president obama, and really making the link you've heard from so many republicans,

hillary clinton will be a third term. with the same foreign policy, particularly on iran. but we should mention, you're going to hear from melania trump tonight. this is going to be a trump family affair this week. six members of the trump family will be speaking on that stage, and as you mentioned earlier, some noticeable people missing. the bush family, mccains, romneys. and ivanka trump made the point, when asked, how do you feel about the romneys, bushes, and mccains not being here. she said, it's their choice. but if they don't want to be a part of a forward-thinking moment for the republican party, it's their choice. >> and there are voters that voted for donald trump say they don't like the republican establishment. and they thought their party leaders had abandoned them.

so, they have no interest in seeing the bushes and romneys here. these are people that have rejected that republican party. >> and that goes to the point that you, matthew dowd, were making. no matter what happens for donald trump, it's a brand new day for the republican party. >> it's a fundamental change for the two-party system. the republican party has been taken over by an outsider. and that changes how you conduct a campaign. donald trump hasn't run television ads, but he's gotten more votes than anybody else, and has beaten 16 other candidates. >> chris christie there, came close to getting the vice presidential nod. let's go back to the podium. >> usa!

usa! usa! usa! usa! usa! usa! >> it means we're getting to them. it means we're getting to them. it means we're getting to them. anyone who can say that it makes no difference how or why people serving america are killed. >> looks like giuliani is talking to the protesters in the hall tonight. >> and should not be allowed to be our commander-in-chief. who would trust hillary clinton to protect them? i wouldn't. would you? donald trump will change all of that. and more. in short, he will lead by leading, not by following.

you know donald trump will secure our borders. his opponent has had her chance to do it, and has failed. hillary clinton for open borders. [ booing ] she's in favor of even taking syrian refugees, even though the islamic state has told us, they're going to put their operatives with the syrian r refugees to come here and kill us. they've told us that, and she still wants to take in these syrians. we can't afford to repeat the mistakes of the past. [ applause ] hillary clinton's experience is the basis for her campaign.

hillary clinton's experience is exactly the reason she should not be president of the united states. [ cheers and applause ] >> jon karl, tomorrow is supposed to be the hillary clinton night. sounds like tonight. >> yes. it's extraordinary, because paul manafort said this would be about who donald trump is. so far, at least today, we're hearing about who hillary clinton is. >> and donald trump is the agent of change, and he will be the leader of the change we need! [ cheers and applause ] he will make america once again like the president i worked for, ronald reagan.

>> and make the case for change. >> a city on a hill. vote for donald trump for a safer america, and for an america headed in a different direction. greatness! [ cheers and applause ] god bless our next president, donald trump. and god bless the united states of america! [ cheers and applause ] >> matthew dowd, giuliani echoing ronald reagan, with a shining city on a hill. first used by ronald reagan in 1980. >> i think since reagan left office, it's been a huge fixture of every republican convention since 1980. i wonder if they think

has been as disciplined as they want it to be. >> 15 minutes behind schedule. bob dole in the box with mike pence. crowd getting ready for donald trump to be here in just about a minute. >> discipline has not been a defining characteristic of this campaign. >> very true. >> but it is a goal of this convention. when they talk about trump's speech, not tonight but his big speech, they say it will be a well-planned, well-structured speech. >> and they're convinced that speech will be a real takeoff place. >> they hope it is. they're saying it could be modeled on richard nixon's speech in 1968, when he talked about the silent majority. we're now expecting donald trump, and there he is. [ cheers and applause ]

[ cheers and applause ] ♪ >> thank you, everybody. thank you. we love you. thank you very much. we're going to win, we're going to win so big. thank you very much, everybody. thank you. [ cheers and applause ] thank you very muff. -- much. thank you. >> that's don jr., donald trump's son. >> we're going to win

thank you very much, ladies and gentlemen. we're going to win so big. thank you. ladies and gentlemen, it is my great honor to present the next first lady of the united states, my wife, an amazing mother. an incredible woman. melania trump. thank you very much. >> now, thawas a disciplined donald trump. less than a minute there for donald trump. introducing his wife melania in white. ♪ [ cheers and applause ] >> thank you. [ cheers and applause ]

you have all been very kind to donald and me, to our young son and to our whole family. it's a very nice welcome. and we are excited to be with you at this historic convention. >> we love you! [ cheers and applause ] >> i'm so proud of your choice for president of the united states, my husband, donald j. trump! [ cheers and applause ] and i can assure you, he's moved by this great honor. the 2016 republican primaries were fierce, and started with many candidates, 17, to be exact. and i know donald agrees with me

of them are. they deserve the respect and gratitude from all of us. [ cheers and applause ] however, when it comes to my husband, i will say, i'm definitely biased and for good reason. i have been with donald for 18 years. and i have been aware of his love for this country since we first met. he never had a hidden agenda when it comes to his patriotism, because like me, he loves this country very much. [ applause ] i was born in slovenia, a small, beautiful, and then communist country in central europe. my sister, who is an incredible woman, and a friend, and i, were raised by my wonderful

my elegant and hard-working mother introduced me to fashion and beauty. my father installing in my a passion for business and travel. their integrity, compassion, and intelligence reflects to this day on me, and for my love of family and america. [ cheers and applause ] from a young age, my 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, they showed memoria mo in our daily life. we need to pass those

to the many generations to follow. [ applause ] because -- because 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. [ cheers and applause ] i'm fortunate for my heritage, but also for where it brought me today. i traveled the world when working hard in the incredible arena of fashion. after living and working in milan and paris, i arrived in new york city 20 years ago. and i saw both the joys and hardships of daily life. on july 28th, 2006, i was very proud to become citizens of

[ cheers and applause ] the greatest privilege on planet earth. [ cheers and applause ] i cannot or will not take the freedoms this country offers for granted. but these freedoms have come with a price so many times. the sacrifices made by our veterans are reminders to us of this. i would like to take a moment to recognize an amazing veteran, the great senator bob dole. [ cheers and applause ] [ cheers and applause ]

and let us applaud all of our veterans here and across our great country. we are all truly blessed to be here. that will never change. i can tell you with certainty, my husband has been concerned about our country for as long as i have known him. with all of my heart, i know that he will make a great and lasting difference. donald has a great and deep and unbound determination, and a never give up attitude. i have seen him fight for years to get a project

started, and he does not give up. [ cheers and applause ] if you want someone to fight for you and your country, i can assure you, he's the guy. [ cheers and applause ] he will never, ever give up. and most importantly, he will never, ever let you down. [ cheers and applause ] donald is, and always has been, an amazing leader. now, he will go to work for you. [ cheers and applause ] his achievements speak for themselves, and his performance through all of the primary campaign proved that he knows how to win. he also knows

focused on improving our country, keeping it safe and secure. [ cheers and applause ] he's tough when he has to be. but he's also kind and fair. and caring. this kindness is not always noted. but it is there for all to see. that is one reason i fell in love with him to begin with. [ applause ] donald is intensely loyal to family, friends, employees, country. he has the utmost respect for his parents, mary and fred. to his sisters, brother, and to the memory of his late brother fred. his children have been cared for and mentored to the ex

even his advisors admit, they're an amazing testament to who he is as a man and a father. [ cheers and applause ] there is a great deal of love in the trump family. that is our bond, and that is our strength. yes, donald thinks big. which is especially important when considering the presidency of the united states. no room for small thinking. no room for small results. donald gets things done. [ cheers and applause ] our country is underperforming and needs new leadership. leadership is also what the world needs. donald wants our world to move forward i

ways. everyone wants change. donald is the only one that can deliver it. we should not be satisfied with stagnation. donald wants prosperity for all americans. [ cheers and applause ] we need new programs to help the poor, and opportunities to challenge the young. there has to be a plan for growth, only then will it result. my husband's experience exemplifies growth, and successful passage of opportunity to the next generation. his success indicates inclusion rather than division. my husband offers a new direction. welcoming change. prosperity, and greater cooperation among peoples and nations. dold

the people, not just some of the people. [ cheers and applause ] that includes christians, and jews, and muslims, hispanics african-americans, asians, and the poor and the middle class. [ cheers and applause ] throughout his career, donald has successfully worked with people of many faiths and with many nations. like no one else, i have seen the talent, the energy, the resourceful mind, and the simple goodness of the heart that god gave to donald trump. now is the time to use those gifts as never before.

ever. and he will do this better than anyone else can. and it won't even be close. [ cheers and applause ] everything depends on it for our cause and for our country. people are counting on him, all the millions of you who have touched us so much with your kindness and confidence. you have turned this unlikely campaign into a movement that is still gaining in strength and in number. [ cheers and applause ] the primary season and its toughness is behind us. let's all come together in a national campaign like no other. [ cheers and applause ]

the race will be hard-fought, all the way to november. there will be good times, and hard times. and unexpected turns. it will not be a trump contest without excitement and drama. but throughout it all, my husband will remain focused on only one thing. this beautiful country that he loves so much. [ cheers and applause ] if i'm honored to serve as first lady, i will use that wonderful privilege to try to help people in our country who need it the most. one of the many causes dear to my heart is helping children and

women. you judge society by the way it treats it citizens. we must do our best to ensure that every child can live in comfort and security, with the best possible education. [ cheers and applause ] as the citizens of this great nation, it is kindness, love, and compassion for each other that will bring us together and keep us together. [ cheers and applause ] these are the values donald and i will bring to the white house. [ cheers and applause ] my husband is ready to lead this great nation. he's ready to fight every day to give our children the better future they deserve. [ cheers andpp

ladies and gentlemen, donald j. trump is ready to serve and lead this country as the next president of the united states. [ cheers and applause ] thank you, god bless you, and god bless america! ♪ [ cheers and applause ] >> melania trump wrapping up with a big smile, and look who is out to greet her. she seemed to warm to the subject, enjoyed the crowd, even echoed him when she said the election won't even be close. ♪ [ cheers and applause ]

also used the speech to reach out to groups that haven't been so favorably disposed to donald trump. immigrants, talked about what he would do for children. they are enjoying that moment on the stage, as they walk off, martha raddatz, that was about donald trump. he just can't quite leave the stage. there he goes. that was about donald trump. now we'll hear -- >> lieutenant general and former director of the defense intelligence agency, michael flynn. >> served under president barack obama. expected to take off on hib hic. -- hillary clinton. >> i don't know how you follow an act like melania trump, who will be the next first lady of the united states of america. another big round of applause for her. unbeliev

i'm here tonight as a determined american who loves our country. and my message to you is very clear. wake up, america. there's no substitute for american leadership and exceptionalism. america should not fear our enemies. in fact, we should clearly define our enemies, face them head-on, and then defeat those that seek to threaten our country and our way of life. you're darn right, that's right. good for you.

together as proud patriots who deeply love our country and believe in the principles of freedom, democracy, and liberty. [ applause ] usa, you're darn right. get it going. usa, usa, usa! get fired up. this is about this country. this is about the future of our children. we know -- >> we're going to continue to monitor general flynn, but i'm going to bring back our team, to get a little more reaction to melania. matthew? >> i think she did a good job. it's tough, because english wasn't the language

to. i think she did a great job. but donald trump's entrance, reminded me of a stevie nicks song, through a fog. >> it looked like a rocky movie, coming out like that. but he was very disciplined and quick. but melania trump, not only did a good job, but did an important job, only in talking about donald trump as a kind person. she said that kindness is not always seen, but that's why i fell in love with him. that was the most important thing she said in the speech. it gave people a sense of him as a human, someone that they could relate to other than this big personality that's a leader. >> as we watch mike pence

congratulate rudy giuliani, i want to go back to tom llamas on the floor. that was clearly a trump production as he came in. >> i haven't seen an entrance like that since my wife took me to see beyonce. it was incredible producing, donald trump larger than life, right there on stage. and i have to be honest with you, i said i had never seen donald trump give a brief speech. he did what he had to do, make it about his wife. and i think melania summed it up in one line, he's tough when he has to be, but he's tough, kind, and fair. that's the message they want to push through the convention. >> we're going to take a quick break. we'll be back with more from general flynn.

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back live in cleveland. here again is george stephanopoulos.

republican national convention, at the "q" arena in cleveland. that's retired general michael flynn. i'm here with martha raddatz, also a finalist for vice president with donald trump. >> yes, indeed. people said he was a finalist, but i also asked him how he felt about certain things he would be asked about if he were vice president, like abortion. he actually after that did say he has some disagreements with donald trump about certain thin things. >> the real disagreement he's expressing, his disagreement with barac

clinton on national security. >> and the one thing that donald trump and hillary clinton to agree on, hillary clinton is running to essentially continue and finish the obama agenda. this is very explicitly, continue the work of president obama. >> we've gone from kindness, love, and compassion, to make america safe again. >> but donna brazile, how does hillary clinton become the candidate of change, clearly what donald trump is trying to own tonight. >> she has to make this campaign about the future, the future of the country and the american people. it can't be a campaign about herself. unless she can find that language, which i do believe she possesses, to show the american people that vision, that will be a

i think you'll see it next week in philadelphia. >> chrkristin, for the republic on the fence tonight, what's the big moment tonight? >> seeing the entrance that donald trump made, he's trying to make the case that he knows how to win and get things done. but he also wants to be someone you can imagine in the oval office. he doesn't seem like a traditional president, and melania doesn't seem like a traditional first lady. but they're trying to make the case, you can see them in those roles. >> we're going to take

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back live in cleveland. here again is george stephanopoulos. >> and still on the podium, general michael flynn. i want to go back to david muir on the floor, it does seem as we see scott walker and the rest of the crowd out there. it does seem, after they saw melania trump, a lot of the delegates wanted to go home, or at least go out and party. >> no question. the people out here are listening to general flynn, but this is night number one in primetime. melania trump, the moment she walked off the stage, you begin to see the people moving out, and many of them leaving. it's interesting to think about where the nation is, the last couple of weeks, the

deadly police shootings, attacks on police officers in dallas and baton rouge. going into tonight, everyone was watching donald trump. with the exception of the incredible moment when he walked out, it's clear that the trump campaign and trump himself knew what they were walking into. it was melania trump's night, and i think they accomplished what they needed to do. >> and cokie roberts, you can see a member of the trump family every night. >> when a trump speaks, the convention will be energized and paying attention. and when a trump is not speaking, they will be normal convention delegates, wandering the floors. this is trump's convention, his rules, his party. >> i've got to say about melania trump,'v

campaign trail not that often. has spoken very few times, with very few words. she came out in this raucous hall, millions of people watching, an extensive speech in her second language, really a great accomplishment. >> she owned it. >> and i think it's smart for them to make the convention about the family. because the american public for the last 25 years, they don't just vote for a candidate, they vote for a family. they did it with the bushes and obamas, and now they're looking for another family. >> we're going to see the trump family on the podium this week, and we've also known, they're real forces behind closed doors as well. it's kind of remarkable to see his sons and daughter fly out for the final interviews with mike pence. >> yes, from choosing a running mate t

trail, and doing the cable talk shows, the trump children are a huge part of the campaign. donald trump said at one point, he was considering ivanka as a running mate. he may have been kidding, but it didn't sound like it. >> and jon karl, you saw don jr. holding court with bob dole. they've really stepped into the li limelight. >> yes, and it's astounding to see a half dozen primetime slots taken up by trumps, filling in the void left by the absence of the mainstream republican party. >> bob dole is still here. but it's emptying

>> and we talked about the trump family, general flynn one of the few foreign policy military add visors that donald trump has been able to name. >> he came in very early, and as we've seen tonight, very passionate about donald trump. he says he was fired by president obama, and has clear issues, talking about that tonight. as secretary of state, hillary clinton, how they went about going after isis, especially in syria, and how things ended up. >> kristin, what did the trump team not do tonight? >> they were looking to say, a lot of americans are saying we're not as safe as we were eight years ago. i, as president, want to change that. he hasn't answered how he'll do it, but he will say, i won't do what president obama

>> and matthew, take us inside the trump high command. when they go back, and review tonight, what will they say worked, and what will they say we need help on? >> i think they'll say, it wasn't a perfect evening, but we hit a triple with melania and donald trump's entrance. we know that's going to be the primary coverage, melania's speech, and donald trump's entrance. they're going to be very happy with it. and the other thing they're going to be happy about, hillary and donald trump agree on one other thing. they want to make this race about the other person, not fundamentally about themselves. today was primarily, other that be melania's speech, about hillary clinton. >> and it got a little messy on the floor, but they did tamp down the protests from the never trump movement.

back. we may hear a little bit more noise when they put the vice presidential name and trump's name into nomination, but it's done. but it was a loud and raucous protest, and the colorado delegation walked out. >> they came back. >> donna, what is one thing you saw tonight that made you worried? >> well, george, i still think this is a party still trying to come together. donald trump has to pivot off of an olive branch, but he still has to answer the question, is he qualified? he still has some work to do. >> that's all from us

alison: leon: within the first few hours, chaos in cleveland at the republican national convention. protesters within the party try to force a state-by-state roll call to allow them to stand up and vote against donald