The Trump circus rolls into town

ONLY the trapeze artists were missing as Donald Trump's formal nomination as the Republican party's presidential candidate became a full-blown circus on Thursday night.

- Peter Sheridan

Five days after dodging an assassin's bullet, Trump, 78, took to the stage of the Republican National Convention to wild acclaim, chants of "U-S-A! U-S-A!" and accepted the nomination in his bid to win his second term in the White House in the November election.

America watched on in a mix of horror and delight as the event unfolded as pure political theatre.

There were clowns aplenty in Trump's three-ring circus.

Hulk Hogan, 70, a veteran of American wrestling, pumped up the crowd of delegates, his mane of blond hair tucked beneath a red bandana topped with sunglasses.

He ripped off his tank top emblazoned with the Stars and Stripes flag to reveal a Trump shirt beneath.

"I know tough guys, but let me tell you something, brother," he shouted. "Donald Trump is the toughest of them all." Russell Brand, 49, was welcomed into the Trump fold at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

The UK comic and actor, who had urged Britons to vote Labour, seems to have embraced the right-wing politics of Trump.

Kid Rock performed a belligerent rap song that left many of the elderly conservative delegates scratching their heads.

In keeping with Trump's exhortation to "Fight! Fight! Fight!" moments after his shooting on Saturday, fighters dominated the stage. Trump was introduced by Ultimate Fighting Championship CEO Dana White.

Trump provided some comic relief himself when he awkwardly went to kiss his third wife Melania at the conclusion of his speech, only to have her duck her head sideways to speak into his ostentatiously-bandaged right ear.