DNC Day 4: Clinton makes history

Clinton is 1st woman to top major party ticket

PHILADELPHIA – Hillary Clinton accepted the Democratic nomination for president with "humility, determination and boundless confidence in America's promise," taking her place as the first woman to lead a major presidential ticket Thursday night on the last day of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia.

"When there are no ceilings," she declared, "the sky's the limit."

She accepted the nomination with a speech that was in keeping with someone who presents herself as a practical, dogged, policy-oriented striver who gets knocked down and then gets straight back up.

The former first lady, senator and secretary of state blasted Republican nominee Donald Trump, portraying him as a small man who got rich by stifling workers, who peddles fear and who lacks the temperament to be commander-in-chief.

Chelsea Clinton introduces her mother

Chelsea Clinton, the former and potentially future first daughter, introduced her mother with a deeply personal portrait, recalling notes left for her during out-of-town trips and visits to dinosaur museums.

"I never once doubted that my parents cared about my thoughts and my ideas, and I always, always knew how deeply they loved me," she said. "That feeling of being valued and loved -- that's what my mom works for for every child. It is the calling of her life."

First transgender person to address convention

Sarah McBride became the first transgender person to speak at a major party convention. McBride, 25, was the first openly transgender White House staffer when she interned in the Office of Public Engagement and Intergovernmental Affairs.

"I have seen that change is possible. I witnessed history interning in the White House and helping my home state of Delaware pass protections for transgender people," she said. "But despite our progress, so much work remains. Will we be a nation where there's only one way to love, only one way to look, and only one way to live? Or, will we be a nation where everyone has the freedom to live openly and equally; a nation that's stronger together? That is the question in this election.”

N.C. GOP apologizes to Kaine

The Republican Party of North Carolina offered an "unqualified" apology Thursday to Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Kaine over a tweet that questioned his patriotism.

The original tweet, now deleted, said: "@timkaine wears a Honduras flag pin on his jacket but no American flag. Shameful."

Kaine's lapel pin was a Blue Star Service pin in recognition of his son, a Marine on active duty. The official flag of Honduras has two blue bars and five stars on a white field in the center of the flag.

Soldier’s father takes aim at Trump

The father of a Muslim-American soldier who was killed in the Iraq War delivered a passionate appeal for voters to support Clinton, accusing Trump of sacrificing "nothing" and "smearing the character" of religious minorities like his family.

Khizr Khan, whose son, Army Capt. Humayun Khan, died in a suicide bombing in Baghdad 12 years ago, said that if Trump is able to follow through on his proposal to ban Muslims from entering the country, his late son never would have been able to come to serve the country in the military. The Khans, a Muslim family, immigrated to the United States from the United Arab Emirates.

Retired general wholeheartedly backs Clinton

John Allen, the retired four-star Marine general and former commander of American forces in Afghanistan, delivered a rousing endorsement of Clinton.

His speech, stressing U.S. military power and robust armed forces, was interrupted by chants of "No more war!", but Allen's drill sergeant delivery, impassioned defense of the U.S. and the need to defeat ISIS carried the day.

"To our allies and to our friends and partners, listen closely -- we are with you, America will not abandon you," Allen said. "I tell you without hesitation or reservation that Hillary Clinton will be exactly, exactly the kind of commander-in-chief America needs. I know this because I served with her.”

DNC honors fallen police officers

Democrats honored fallen police officers with a moment of silence Thursday night and appearances by family of those killed in the line of duty at their national convention.

"I've been trying to make sense of it, but violence is not the answer," Dallas Sheriff Lupe Valdez said Thursday. "Yelling, screaming and calling each other names is not going to do it. Talking within your own group, in your own language, where only your own group understands leads nowhere. We have to start listening to each other."

Ghostwriter: ‘Trump is a megalomaniac’

The ghostwriter of Trump's 1987 memoir "The Art of the Deal” on Thursday described Trump as a megalomaniac who cares only about himself.

Tony Schwartz laments his part in creating Trump’s legend.

"I put lipstick on a pig," Schwartz said in an interview earlier this month with The New Yorker. The day that interview ran, Schwartz received a cease-and-desist letter from the Trump Organization's general counsel demanding that he return all royalties made off the book.

Trump wants to ‘hit’ his critics

Trump said Thursday he wanted to "hit a number of those speakers so hard, their heads would spin." Trump often uses the term "hit" to mean verbally attack, rather than physical contact.

Trump spoke of one speaker, though he didn't mention his name.

"I was going to hit one guy in particular, a very little guy," Trump said to laughs at a campaign rally in Davenport, Iowa. "I was going to hit this guy so hard his head would spin, he wouldn't know what the hell happened."

Trump said this individual "came out of nowhere" and had done work with Trump in the past. "He made deals with me. 'Will you help me with this? Would you make this deal and solve the problem?' I solved the problem," Trump said.

His campaign did not respond to a request asking to clarify who Trump was talking about.