Hillary Clinton used her Democratic Convention speech to paint herself as the polar opposite of GOP nominee Donald Trump, telling the crowd that “love trumps hate” and saying she didn’t grow up with her name on buildings.
Clinton’s acceptance speech made history, as she formally became the first woman presidential candidate for a major party. She praised everyone from 9/11 first responders to President Obama and Bernie Sanders, while portraying Trump as an egomaniac bully. Clinton said that Americans are not afraid because we “will rise to the challenge, just as we always have.”
Chelsea Clinton introduced her mother after a live performance of Katy Perry‘s “Roar.” There were early boos and jeers from holdouts for Sen. Bernie Sanders, but they soon dissipated — and were nowhere near as loud as the chants of “Hillary, Hillary.”
Seventeen minutes into her 57-minute speech, Clinton finally said the words, “I accept your nomination.”
Her first mention of Trump came nine minutes in, when she said, “He wants to divide us from the rest of the world and from each other.” Her anti-Trump messages came early and often.
“We will not build a wall, instead we will build an economy where everyone who wants a good job can get one. And we’ll build a path to citizenship for million of immigrants,” she said before chants of her name broke out.
“America is once again at a moment of reckoning. Powerful forces are threatening to pull us apart. Bonds of trust and respect are fraying. And just as with our founders there are no guarantees. It truly is up to us. We have to decide whether we will all work together so we can all rise together,” she said.
Many political pundits accused Trump of trying to scare Americans during his sometimes angry-sounding acceptance speech. Clinton essentially promised to keep America great with talk of perseverance and prosperity.
“So I want to tell you tonight how we’re going to empower all Americans to live better lives. My primary mission as president will be to create more opportunity and more good jobs with rising wages right here in the United States,” she said.
Like Trump, she tried to recruit Sanders supporters.
“I want to thank Bernie Sanders,” she said. “Bernie, your campaign inspired millions of Americas… Your cause is our cause.”
Clinton highlighted many elements of her platform, such as affordable prescription drugs and the opportunity for all children to attend decent schools. She said focusing on small details should be a big deal to the president.
“Don’t let anyone tell you our country is weak, we’re not,” she said, before citing part of Trump’s acceptance speech in which he said of America, ‘I alone can fix it.”
“Don’t believe anyone who says, ‘I alone can fix it,’” she said. “Americans don’t say ‘I alone can fix it.’ We say we’ll fix it together.”
She mocked Trump for saying he knows more about ISIS than the generals do.
“No, Donald. You don’t,” she deadpanned.
“He spoke for 70-odd minutes, and I do mean odd,” she said about the length of Trump’s speech.
“Trump says he wants to make America great again. Well, he can start by actually making things in America,” she said after naming Trump products made overseas.
When the crowd booed Trump’s name, Clinton called back President Obama’s line from Wednesday, “Don’t boo, vote.”
She said that Trump “is in the pocket” of gun lobbyists and said she won’t appeal the 2nd Amendment, but doesn’t want Americans being shot by people who shouldn’t possess guns in the first place.
Vice presidential nominee Tim Kaine joined her on stage and eventually, her family followed as Perry’s anthem blasted inside the convention. Balloons fell from the ceiling, covering the convention floor as history was made in Philadelphia.