So, it’s actually happened: Donald Trump IS the official Republican nominee to be President of the United States.

The moment very few members of the Washington elite or mainstream U.S. media thought was even remotely possible when Trump first announced he was running a year ago has arrived.

I’m not as shocked as they are.

Back on June 17, 2015, I wrote a column warning everyone snorting with derision not to underestimate the billionaire tycoon and predicting he would electrify the campaign.

That, whether you love or loathe Trump, he has indisputably done.

And he’s done it in sensational style, crushing his 17 rivals for the Republican nomination like a raging two-tonne bull careering through the proverbial china shop.

it’s actually happened: Donald Trump IS the official Republican nominee to be President of the United States

The big question now, with the latest polls showing them neck and neck, is can Trump now go one step further and actually win the presidency?

Here are ten ways I think he can pull it off:

1) ‘Crooked Hillary’. Trump’s most effective strategy has been to brand his opponents with mocking monikers they find impossible to shake off. ‘Low Energy Jeb’ was a devastating knockout blow to the chances of a third Bush reaching the White House. ‘Little Marco’ reduced Senator Rubio to a diminished laughing stock. ‘Lyin’ Ted’ struck a metaphorical machete into the Cruz campaign. And John Kasich’s miserable record of failure on the primary trail led to Trump dubbing him ‘1 for 38 Kasich’ then ‘1 for 44 Kasich’ and so on until he threw in the towel. Now Trump’s relentlessly targeting Clinton with the title ‘Crooked Hillary’ and it’s beginning to cause real damage as the RNC crowds last night chanting ‘JAIL HER!’ and her deteriorating approval numbers can attest. Expect to hear it a lot more.

Trump's family is a huge asset - like wealthier Kennedys without the baggage. The more we see and hear from them the better

2) His family. As we’ve seen already in this Republican National Convention week, the Trumps are a bunch of aesthetically pleasing, articulate charmers who would slip effortlessly into life as America’s new First Family. They’re like the Kennedys only without all the baggage and so wealthy they’d probably view the White House as a small holiday home. If you thought Don Jr and Tiffany were impressive, wait until Ivanka gets on that podium. I know her extremely well and she’s a beautiful, razor-smart, very personable, high-heeled vote-winner who will wow even the most anti-Trump Americans tomorrow night. As for Melania, those who rush to ridicule her over speech-gate miss the bigger picture: most normal Americans don’t care about plagiarism or even understand what it means. They just see a stunning, walking, talking personification of the American dream; an immigrant who worked hard and entirely legally to secure her U.S. citizenship and is now a loyal, supportive wife to a man many perceive to be an all-American hero. The more we see and hear of the Trumps, the better for his chances.

As for Melania, those who rush to ridicule her speech miss the bigger picture: most normal Americans don’t care about plagiarism. They just see a stunning, walking, talking personification of the American dream

3) The TV debates. These will break all records for U.S. election encounters as Americans rush to see the ultimate one-on-one showdown between two equally divisive and polarising, but also hugely famous candidates. Hillary’s not bad at debating, but the big stage is where Donald comes into his own. He’s a TV superstar and a natural showman who loves working the camera and audiences. It’s his domain, his lair, and I can see him working Hillary over with well-planned zingers which might penetrate even her Rhino-skin.

4) The Rust Belt. Trump has to turn some of Obama’s blue states red to win the big prize. That means places like Ohio, Iowa, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, where the margins of Democrat victories at the last election were all relatively small. Trump’s great advantage in these areas of America is that he is very similar to the very blue collar workers he needs to deliver for him: brash, non-nonsense, plain-speaking. They lap up his jobs’ talk and patriotic, chest-thumping style. The working class white vote played a big role in Trump’s advance through the Republican primaries and if he can simply drive down the Democrat vote in that demographic in the Rust Belt states, it’s game on for the presidency.

5) His VP pick. Trump was much smarter here than people seem to realise. By going for an unknown like Mike Pence, he defied all expectations that he’d choose an equally charismatic running mate like Chris Christie or Newt Gingrich, who would both have over-egged the testosterone soufflé. Instead, he played safe with a middle-aged, conventional, grey-haired white guy with Midwestern values who’s worked in Congress, been a Governor, is popular with evangelicals and has views that tie him to the very bowels of American Conservatism. He’s the complete opposite in other words to John McCain’s 2008 VP pick Sarah Palin. Pence won’t thrill the crowds, but he won’t scare the horses either and he will appeal in his own quiet, calm way to many Americans sitting on the fence about whether they can vote for a flamboyant maverick candidate like Trump. If I were Trump, I’d have Pence out everywhere.

Vice Presidential nominee Gov. Mike Pence of Indiana was a great pick. He defied expectations with the choice, who is not thrilling maybe, but won't scare anyone. Here stands on stage rehearsing Wednedsay

6) His gut. Trump’s almost miraculous success in this race so far has been down to a number of things but predominantly his instinct for what will ‘play’ with the media and the voters. Trump’s a businessman at his core and has run a spectacularly effective marketing campaign based on his gut feel for what will grab headlines and what real people actually care about. Hence the Muslim ban, the Mexican wall, and the constant attacks on China stealing American jobs. When I spent some time down in Texas and Florida recently, immigration, Islamic terrorism and jobs were far and way the biggest concerns of most people I spoke to. Trump must continue to trust that gut of his because as far as winning votes goes, it works.

7) Social media. Trump’s got nearly 10 million followers on Twitter now and millions more on sites like Facebook. His posts are staggeringly bold, confrontational, dynamic, positive and abusive – sometimes all at the same time. They’re also authentic, in the sense that it’s obviously Trump speaking and he seems to believe everything he’s saying at the time he says it. People like that. He doesn’t hide behind politically correct statements, and isn’t afraid to attack those who attack him. This is resonating strongly in a country full of very angry people. They really are starting to believe his constant hype that he can ‘Make America Great Again.’

8) Get organised. Trump has started to surround himself with political bruisers used to fighting national elections and he needs more of them. You can’t win the presidency on a whim, prayer and dollops of bombast alone. He has to get his backroom team in serious order fast and there are signs he is doing just that. If he cracks the ground game, and avoids too many amateurish missteps, he can definitely land the presidency.

9) Charm. We’ve seen plenty of the aggressive, pugilist and sometimes downright nasty Trump in the past year and some of it has been pretty unedifying. Now it’s time to show a softer side too. The kind, caring, loving man that his family keep telling us exists. I’ve seen plenty of that side myself during my 10-year friendship with Donald and he can turn it on like a matinee movie idol when he wants to. America needs to see that beneath the King Kong image lies a beating heart, a man who truly cares about his fellow Americans, and at least the semblance of humility.

Worth mentioning twice - Crooked Hillary. When in doubt Trump can just keep whacking her