He promises to put America first

Mr Donald Trump rallied Republicans by vowing he alone could fix a nation adrift in a dangerous world, storming into an election showdown with Hillary Clinton, the presumptive Democratic nominee determined to become America's first female president.

The billionaire and former reality TV star electrified the Republican National Convention on Thursday in his presidential nomination acceptance speech, promising to restore security, clamp down on immigration and put America first.

Speaking for over an hour, he repeated many of the hard-right themes from his primary campaign.

Foreigners from terror-linked countries will be banned, a wall will be built on the Mexican border and trade deals will be ripped up and renegotiated.

"Nobody knows the system better than me, which is why I alone can fix it," he said.

PROUD: Mr Donald Trump at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio. PHOTO: AFP

Mr Trump also painted Mrs Clinton as corrupt, incompetent and hopelessly out of touch.

"This is the legacy of Hillary Clinton: Death, destruction, terrorism and weakness," he said.

Mr Trump's campaign has defied political norms - fuelling racial tensions, offending key voting blocs, eschewing big-spending ad buys and an elaborate campaign organisation.

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"Nobody knows the system better than me, which is why I alone can fix it."

- US Republican nominee Donald Trump

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TWITTER REACTIONS

Reactions to Mr Trump's acceptance speech:

Bernie Sanders, former candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination @SenSanders

Trump: "I alone can fix this." Is this guy running for president or dictator?

Stephen King, author 
@StephenKing

That wasn't a convention. It was something closer to a lynch mob. Republicans, you should hang your heads in shame.

Hillary Clinton, presumptive nominee of the Democratic Party 
@HillaryClinton

We are better than this.

Garry Kasparov, former world chess champion 
@Kasparov63

I've heard this sort of speech a lot in the last 15 years and trust me, it doesn't sound any better in Russian.

Meghan McCain, daughter of Republican Senator John McCain 
@MeghanMcCain

The party I was part of is dead.

Michael Cohen, Boston Globe columnist 
@speechboy71

This is the bleakest, darkest, most fascistic speech I've ever heard delivered by an American politician.

Bill Kristol, founder of the conservative magazine The Weekly Standard 
@BillKristol

Trump's speech wasn't a speech in the normal sense, with pace & rhythm & argument. It was a shouted series of assertions. Which might work.