CLEVELAND — Donald Trump cast himself Thursday night as the protector of ordinary Americans, and promised to shield them from terrorism and self-serving elites who run the government corruptly in defiance of the public good.

Accepting the Republican presidential nomination, Trump vowed: “To every parent who dreams for their child, and every child who dreams for their future, I say these words to you tonight: I’m with you, and I will fight for you, and I will win for you.”