Donald Trump accepted his party’s presidential nomination Thursday night. In and around the convention hall, delegates and others reflected on the nominee. the campaign ahead and what it will take to unite a divided America:

Emily Redditt, 66, retired Harris County voter registration worker from Houston:

Emily Redditt (Michael Finnegan / Los Angeles Times )

“He’s rather crass and he seems unprincipled, but he’s the best hope we’ve got in America. If he’s the best hope we’ve got, we’re in trouble. That’s just the way it is. We don’t always get what we want in life.”


Bonnie Wharton, 69, longtime GOP activist from Hawaii:

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Bonnie Wharton (Lisa Mascaro / Los Angeles Times )


“I told my granddaughter, she’s 12, I said, ‘Honey, I want you to watch this convention. Someday you’re going to read about this in the history books.’ … [This] was the convention where the world changed.”

Belinda Lindros, 57, a clerk at the Brooklyn, N.Y., Board of Elections:

Belinda Lindros


“We turned our backs on [U.S. Sen. Ted] Cruz because he defied the party, and that’s not right. Is he a sore loser?”

Jeff Ferraro, 46, asset manager from Stamford, Conn.:

Jeff Ferraro (Michael Finnegan / Los Angeles Times )


“Why did it take a maverick like Mr. Trump to call everybody out on the carpet? We all knew what the issues were.”

Vermin Supreme, performance artist, activist and perennial political candidate:

Vermin Supreme (Jim Lo Scalzo / European Pressphoto Agency )


“Love is on our side…. Love will see us through.”

Joel Pritchett, retired accountant from Searcy, Ark.:

Joel Pritchett (Michael Finnegan / Los Angeles Times )


“He brought it home. He closed it out on a bang.… He laid it out on the line — all the big differences…. He will make a decision. He will negotiate. He will close the deal.”

Mark Sipos, 56, Cleveland construction worker:

Mark Sipos (Matt Pearce / Los Angeles Times )

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“I truly believe when he says he’s going to make America great, that that’s what’s in his heart and that’s what he wants to do.… I’m amazed at how bombastic he is. I wonder if he’s overselling it. Not being a politician, maybe Trump doesn’t know what he’s going to deal with when he becomes a politician.”

James Dombroski, 31, Ohio family physician:

James Dombroski (Lisa Mascaro / Los Angeles Times )


“It’s been an ugly campaign on all sides. It’s an ugly campaign because of the ugly situation our politicians have put us in.… I’m excited to see what an amateur can do after all the professionals.”