So the white supremacist David Duke, who was nearly elected governor of Louisiana in 1991 by channeling white resentment, posted a rave review of the address on Twitter.
Great Trump Speech, America First! Stop Wars! Defeat the Corrupt elites! Protect our Borders!, Fair Trade! Couldn't have said it better!
— David Duke (@DrDavidDuke) July 22, 2016
Trump’s fear-mongering speech — which featured a chilling distillation of his call for a ban on Muslims entering the United States in the line, “We don’t want them in our country!” — was also praised by Geert Wilders, a Dutch nationalist politician who was in the hall.
Great speech @realDonaldTrump !#RNCinCLE pic.twitter.com/BTuYEg7EaR
— Geert Wilders (@geertwilderspvv) July 22, 2016
In an interview on Wednesday, Wilders pledged to “close the Dutch borders for immigrants from Islamic countries immediately,” if he becomes prime minister of the Netherlands next year.
Trump’s long, loud address went down less well with critics of the candidate, including members of his own party like Michael Gerson, a former speechwriter for George W. Bush, and Stuart Stevens, who ran Mitt Romney’s campaign in 2012.
He is summoning primal forces of anger/fear, displaying leadership without moral guardrails, religious principles or civic responsibility.
— Michael Gerson (@MJGerson) July 22, 2016
Give him credit for this: @realDonaldTrump is a dark, disturbed man & he sees in the country what he sees in the mirror.
— stuart stevens (@stuartpstevens) July 22, 2016
The speech, which in tone and content seemed like a sequel to the opening remarks of his campaign a year ago — when he hyped fears about Mexican immigrants being rapists and criminals — was also panned from the other side of the political spectrum, by Sen. Bernie Sanders, watching at home, and Medea Benjamin, a protester who interrupted Trump’s speech and was dragged from the hall.
#RNCwithBernie pic.twitter.com/x5nuSI6AuN
— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) July 22, 2016
Trump: “I alone can fix this.”
Is this guy running for president or dictator? #RNCwithBernie— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) July 22, 2016
Watch @codepink's @medeabenjamin interrupt @realdonaldtrump's remarks at #RNCinCLE (via @paulblu) pic.twitter.com/57O55EvppX
— HuffPost Politics (@HuffPostPol) July 22, 2016
Here is footage of the anti Trump protester being dragged out of the arena: pic.twitter.com/WLXMFL11ZY
— Olivia Nuzzi (@Olivianuzzi) July 22, 2016
Those negative reviews were amplified by an array of Trump critics, including the rapper Chuck D, the Russian dissident Garry Kasparov and a retired satirist, Jon Stewart, who borrowed Stephen Colbert’s Late Show desk to deliver some analysis.
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha Trump speech alienated 70% of USA the rest have stock in the confederacy & klan #ToldYall
— Chuck D (@MrChuckD) July 22, 2016
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.
— Garry Kasparov (@Kasparov63) July 22, 2016
This from Andrew Sullivan captures Trump's prepared remarks quite well t.co/wwaDBMBWJF pic.twitter.com/0uA2aRqtxy
— Shadi Hamid (@shadihamid) July 22, 2016
This speech sounds like Mexican state elections where throwing the incumbent governor in prison is a popular campaign promise. #RNCinCLE
— David Agren (@el_reportero) July 22, 2016
The reassuring thing about Trump's speech is no-one will fall for such a deceitful mix of xenophobia, made-up "facts" and lies. Oh. #Brexit
— David Schneider (@davidschneider) July 22, 2016
—@realDonaldTrump is crazier and more nassacistic than Gaddafi was #RNCinCLE
— josh stacher (@jstacher) July 22, 2016
The question isn't how the speech sounded in the hall, but to Americans locked in their panic rooms and bomb shelters.
— Conor Friedersdorf (@conor64) July 22, 2016
A system in which a charismatic figure says only he can fix things, restore order and expel unwanted groups. There should be a name for that
— Doug Saunders (@DougSaunders) July 22, 2016
Keep thinking of this… pic.twitter.com/RPS2Ir29hM
— Lisa Tozzi (@lisatozzi) July 22, 2016
Folks, we should really stop with the Hitler comparisons. Trump is a lot more like Mussolini. pic.twitter.com/4Y0Wsjt68z
— Bearded Stoner (@beardedstoner) July 22, 2016
Mussolini, in a rare English speech, saluted "my fellow citizens, who are working to make America great." pic.twitter.com/oUnk6f0ArY
— Alexis C. Madrigal (@alexismadrigal) July 22, 2016
Here is Jon Stewart’s @colbertlateshow monologue from tonight. Well worth your time. t.co/itI3oLvsc0
— Dave Itzkoff (@ditzkoff) July 22, 2016
All was not lost for the candidate, however, since the night did win him at least one well-known supporter, the former chief executive of Turing Pharmaceuticals, Martin Shkreli, who was charged with securities fraud last year.
Trump has my unmitigated endorsement. It was hard won and I was skeptical. The entire Trump family convinced me.
— Martin Shkreli (@MartinShkreli) July 22, 2016
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