Declaring that the US is at a "moment of reckoning", Hillary Clinton today attacked her Republican rival Donald Trump for his "bigotry and bombast" while pitching herself to be a steady leader, as she scripted history by becoming the first woman presidential nominee.
Presenting her vision of inclusive growth for America that maintains its global leadership and military power, the Democratic presidential nominee warned voters that a man who could be baited with a tweet cannot be trusted with nuclear weapons.
"He (Trump) loses his cool at the slightest provocation. When he's gotten a tough question from a reporter. When he's challenged in a debate. When he sees a protester at a rally. Imagine him in the Oval Office facing a real crisis. A man you can bait with a tweet is not a man we can trust with nuclear weapons," the 68-year-old former secretary of state told fellow Americans while accepting the Democratic Party's presidential nomination.
"Ask yourself: Does Donald Trump have the temperament to be Commander-in-Chief?" she asked.
Clinton, in her nearly hour-long address, said the nation is facing a serious "moment of reckoning" from economic pain, violence and terror.
"America is once again at a moment of reckoning. Powerful forces are threatening to pull us apart. Bonds of trust and respect are fraying. And just as with our founders there are no guarantees. It's truly is up to us. We have to decide whether we're going to work together so we can all rise together," she said.
Clinton said she would build an economy that gives jobs to everyone and not a few and a country where "love trumps hate".
That is the country, Clinton said, she is fighting for.
"It is with humility, determination and boundless confidence in America's promise that I accept your nomination for president," Clinton said as thousands of party delegates, leaders and supporters at the Wells Fargo Center erupted in cheers and applause.
The former first lady, senator and secretary of state set her sights on the White House and blasted Trump, portraying him as a small man, who got rich by stiffing workers, peddles fear and lacks the temperament to be commander-in-chief.
"Donald Trump says, and this is a quote, 'I know more about ISIS than the generals do. No, Donald, you don't," Clinton said.
She alleged that the 70-year-old business tycoon wants to divide Americans.
"And in the end, it comes down to what Donald Trump doesn't get: that America is great -- because America is good. So enough with the bigotry and bombast. Donald Trump's not offering real change," she said.
"He wants to divide us from the rest of the world and from each other. He's betting that the perils of today's world will blind us to its unlimited promise," Clinton said.
"We heard Donald Trump's answer last week at his convention. He wants to divide us...He wants us to fear the future and fear each other," she said.
"No wonder people are anxious and looking for
reassurance. Looking for steady leadership. You want a leader who understands we are stronger when we work with our allies around the world and care for our veterans here at home.
"I'm proud that we put a lid on Iran's nuclear programme without firing a single shot -- now we have to enforce it, and keep supporting Israel's security," Clinton said.
She promised to be a president for Democrats, Republicans, and Independents.
"For the struggling, the striving and the successful...For all Americans," Clinton said.
Clinton said if Americans are serious about keeping the country safe, they cannot afford to have a president who is in the pocket of the gun lobby.
"I'm not here to take away your guns. I just don't want you to be shot by someone who shouldn't have a gun in the first place," she said.
"For the past year, many people made the mistake of laughing off Donald Trump's comments -- excusing him as an entertainer just putting on a show. They think he couldn't possibly mean all the horrible things he says.
"Or said that an American judge couldn't be fair because of his Mexican heritage. Or when he mocks and mimics a reporter with a disability," she said.
Clinton said Trump has taken the Republican party a long way from morning in America to mid-night in America.
"A president should respect the men and women who risk their lives to serve our country," she said, adding that Trump cannot even handle the rough-and-tumble of a presidential campaign.
The choice is clear, Clinton asserted.
"I want to tell you tonight how we're going to empower all Americans to live better lives. My primary mission as president will be to create more opportunity and more good jobs with rising wages right here in the United States," Clinton said.
"We will not ban a religion. We will work with all Americans and our allies to fight and defeat terrorism," she said.
"We are clear-eyed about what our country is up against. But we are not afraid. We will rise to the challenge, just as we always have," she said in her speech punctuated by applause and watched by a misty-eyed former President Bill Clinton.
Clinton also promised a comprehensive immigration reform arguing that this will grow the economy and keep families together.
Terming her mother as a "doer", Chelsea Clinton said she will vote for Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton who is her "role model" and can protect the planet from climate change.
Hillary Clinton also reached out to disappointed Bernie Sanders supporters during her speech, after her contentious primary race against the Vermont senator.
With Sanders watching from the arena, Clinton told his supporters, "I've heard you. Your cause is our cause."
President Barack Obama quickly congratulated Clinton at the conclusion of her speech.
"Great speech," he tweeted. "She's tested. She's ready. She never quits. That's why Hillary should be our next @POTUS. (She'll get the Twitter handle, too)".
