Melania Trump’s speech controversy casts shadow over RNC

GWEN IFILL:

This is the night that Republicans formally nominate Donald Trump as their 2016 candidate for president. The official roll call of the states begins this hour, but it was overshadowed all day today by uproar over Melania Trump's speech last night.

Correspondent John Yang reports from Cleveland on the events of day two.

DONALD TRUMP, Republican Presidential Nominee:

I am officially running for president of the United States, and we are going to make our country great again.

JOHN YANG:

Thirteen months ago, Donald Trump launched a long-shot campaign for the Republican nomination. Tonight, at Quicken Loans Arena, the prize is his.

Campaign manager Paul Manafort:

PAUL MANAFORT, Trump Convention Manager:

He's excited about the fact that his quest will finally come to an end. And all of you who doubted that he could be nominated will no longer be able to say, yes, but maybe it won't happen. It will have happened.

JOHN YANG:

The convention is also nominating Trump's running mate, Indiana Governor Mike Pence.

GOV. MIKE PENCE, Republican Vice Presidential Nominee:

This is no ordinary time in the life of our nation. The truth of the matter is, the agenda of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton has weakened America's place in world and stifled our nation's economy.

JOHN YANG:

After the roll call, the convention gets down to the theme for the night, make America work again. A list of speakers will take aim at President Obama's economic record, including House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.

Both leaders have endorsed Trump, even as they continue to criticize some of his rhetoric. The convention will also hear from one-time Trump rivals Ben Carson and Chris Christie, both now campaign surrogates. Away from the convention hall, protests continue, amid heavy security.

Here on Cleveland's Public Square, there's a lot of emotion, both for and against Donald Trump. But it's mostly been peaceful. Cleveland police report only a very small number of arrests for they say are minor issues.

Today, much of the focus was on last night's speech by Melania Trump. Two passages were strikingly similar to the speech Michelle Obama gave at the Democratic Convention in 2008.

MELANIA TRUMP, Wife of Donald Trump: 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.

MICHELLE OBAMA, First Lady:

Barack and I were raised with so many of the same 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.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

JOHN YANG:

Campaign manager Manafort argued it's all been blown out of proportion.

PAUL MANAFORT:

We don't believe there's anything in that speech that doesn't reflect her thinking. The fact that there are things like care and respect and compassion, you know, you know those are not extraordinary words.

JOHN YANG:

He suggested the criticism was prompted by Hillary Clinton, and that she tries to destroy women who threaten her. Clinton herself was campaigning in Las Vegas today.

HILLARY CLINTON, Presumptive Democratic Presidential Nominee:

Last night in Cleveland was surreal. I kept thinking, what's this like? You know, lots of sound and fury, even a fog machine, but when you pulled back the curtain, it was just Donald Trump with nothing to offer the American people.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

JOHN YANG:

Trump stayed largely out of sight. He will appear in the convention hall tonight by satellite from New York, introducing Senator McConnell.

For the PBS NewsHour, I'm John Yang in Cleveland.

JUDY WOODRUFF:

And let's go down to the convention floor now.

NPR "Weekend Edition Sunday" host Rachel Martin will be with us this week and next for our joint "PBS NewsHour"-NPR coverage of the conventions.

Rachel, what can we expect tonight?

RACHEL MARTIN:

Good evening, Judy.

So, it has all been building up to this moment actually for the Republican Party. After so many months, it all gets down to what is about to happen, which is the final roll call vote. Donald Trump's name has officially been placed into nomination. Senator Jeff Sessions of Alabama made that happen, and we are expecting the final roll call vote to happen momentarily. This is when each state gets their moment.

They send their representative to the microphone to declare their state's pick for president. That will put Donald Trump over the edge; 1,237, 1,237 is the magic number. We have been hearing about that number, of course, for months. New York state is — his home state is expected to send him over that threshold.

Of course, you have heard how the Trump campaign has established a theme for every night. Tonight, as we know, is make America work again. We're going to hear an awful lot about the economy and trade in particular. Donald Trump has made that a platform in his campaign, speaking out against America's free trade agreements. We will hear about that.

We are also going to hear from some very important establishment Republicans. Chris Christie, of course, will be speaking, also Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who has been a very reluctant supporter of Donald Trump, and, of course, Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, also a reluctant supporter of Donald Trump who has been very critical of him even recently.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

RACHEL MARTIN:

As you can tell, the excitement building in the hall.

It will be up to those Republicans to try to bring this party together, a party that has been divided even in the last few days of this convention. That's what coming up.

GWEN IFILL:

Thank you, Rachel. A lot of noise going on around you, as they get ready to nominate their candidate tonight. Thanks. We will talk to you later.