WASHINGTON, Aug. 27 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump accepted the Republican Party's nomination for reelection in a speech from the White House South Lawn on Thursday night.

"My fellow Americans, tonight, with a heart full of gratitude and boundless optimism, I proudly accept this nomination for President of the United States," Trump said in remarks closing the 2020 Republican National Convention.

Protesters gathered outside the White House with the intention to disrupt his outdoor speech delivered before a crowd of more than 1,000 people, most of whom were not wearing masks or maintaining social distance. The Secret Service has beefed up security around the presidential residence.

Trump, 74, was a businessman and television celebrity before entering politics. He won the 2016 U.S. presidential election as a Republican by defeating then Democratic presidential nominee and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

This year, he will face off with former U.S. Vice President and 2020 Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden. According to the RealClearPolitics polling average, Biden leads Trump by 7.1 percentage points. However, Trump has repeatedly dismissed polls showing him falling behind as "fake."