Donald Trump becomes GOP presidential nominee as NY delegates put him over the top

Donald Trump became the Republican Party's nominee for president of the United States on Tuesday night, as delegates from his home state of New York cast the deciding votes needed to exceed the 1,237 to clinch the nomination. 

"Such a great honor to be the Republican Nominee for President of the United States," Trump wrote on Twitter. "I will work hard and never let you down! AMERICA FIRST!"

Several members of Trump's family joined New York Republican Party officials and delegates on the floor of the Republican National Convention in Cleveland to formally submit the state's votes. 

"I have the incredible honor of not only being a part of the ride that's been this election process and to watch as a small fly on the wall what my father has done in creating this movement, because it's not a campaign anymore – it's a movement, speaking to real Americans, giving them a voice again," said Donald Trump Jr., one of Trump's children and an official New York delegate. "It is my honor to be able to throw Donald Trump over the top in the delegate count tonight with 89 delegates – and another six for John Kasich."

Hillary Clinton, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, quickly responded on Twitter with a fundraising appeal and link to a donation page on her campaign web site. 

"Donald Trump just became the Republican nominee," read the tweet posted to her Twitter page. "Chip in now to make sure he never steps foot in the Oval Office."

New York's delegation initially passed when its turn came up to announce its 89 votes for Trump, letting several other states go ahead until the total neared the threshold for a majority. Six votes went to John Kasich, the Ohio governor who has not endorsed his former rival. 

Trump also asserted that his father would even be able to win New York, a reliably Democratic state in presidential elections. "Even in the places that aren't so conservative, we've had such incredible support, you won't believe it," he said. "We're going to put New York into play this time around."

The younger Trump was introduced by Ed Cox, the chairman of the state Republican Party, 

"New York, the Empire State, proud to be the home of Donald J. Trump, and proud that we were the first state to cast a majority of our primary votes for Donald Trump, proud that he won 61 of our 62 counties and more than 60 percent of the vote, and we are proud that we have as one of our delegates Donald J. Trump Jr.!" Cox proclaimed to the crowd assembled in Cleveland's Quicken Loans Arena.

When the businessman and reality TV celebrity officially entered the race a little over a year ago, his candidacy was widely viewed as a sideshow and he was given little chance to succeed by politicians, pundits and the press. But he gained momentum in televised debates and through prolific use of Twitter, and a penchant for provocative and controversial remarks failed to slow him down. 

Trump's family – daughters Ivanka and Tiffany as well as sons Donald Jr. and Eric Trump – was joined by some of New York's most prominent Republican figures to submit the state's votes, including avid Trump supporter and former gubernatorial candidate Carl Paladino, state Senate Majority Leader John Flanagan and Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano. 

Rep. Chris Collins, the first member of Congress to endorse Trump, seconded Trump's nomination earlier during the evening's proceedings.

"We in Western New York know Donald Trump is not merely a candidate," Collins said. "Donald Trump is a movement."