MILWAUKEE — The second full day of the Republican National Convention featured two of former President Donald Trump‘s fiercest primary rivals praising him onstage.
Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) had complicated relationships with Trump during their unsuccessful primary challenges, but both have thrown their support behind the former president.
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The Trump campaign, buoyed by a triumphant Monday night that featured him appearing onstage, now claims that several states, including Minnesota, Virginia, New Jersey, and New Mexico, are toss-ups while Maine could be in play. The former president appeared at the Fiserv Forum for the second night in a row, receiving a standing ovation without addressing the crowd.
Tuesday night’s theme was “Make America Safe Once Again,” as several speakers slammed President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris over the crisis of unchecked immigration at the southern border. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), for instance, claimed the United States was facing an “invasion” at the border while victims of crime derided the Biden administration.
Nikki Haley is unequivocally backing Trump
After a bitter primary against him, Haley folded back into the Trump-led GOP when she spoke to the convention Tuesday evening.
“I’ll start by making one thing perfectly clear: Donald Trump has my strong endorsement, period,” Haley said unequivocally, throwing her weight behind Trump.
“You don’t have to agree with Trump 100% of the time to vote for him,” Haley added, claiming the two former rivals agreed on the safety of America. Convention attendees appeared to support Haley’s attempts to reunite the GOP, giving her loud applause during her comments supporting Trump.
The former ambassador to the United Nations did not hesitate to attack Biden, 81, over concerns that he is too old to serve.
“For the sake of our nation, we have to go with Donald Trump,” Haley implored, claiming Harris should not become the next president.
Other lawmakers repeatedly stressed that, after the failed assassination plot against Trump, it was imperative for the party to come together.
“After President Trump got shot a couple of days ago, we now realize that this is not a time for Republican infighting,” Rep. Wesley Hunt (R-TX) said. “That’s over. Primaries are like that for a reason. And now it’s time for all of us to come together.”
The Texas GOP delegation was warned not to boo Haley when she spoke. However, Princess Anne Gonzalez, an alternate delegate, was skeptical.
“We might not be booing, but I feel like other people from the other states might,” she said. However, no discernible shouts of displeasure against Haley were heard during her speech.
Ron DeSantis continues the GOP unity tour, slams Biden
DeSantis, another formidable primary rival of Trump’s, addressed the convention immediately after Haley and echoed many of her main points to the crowd.
“My fellow Republicans, let’s send Joe Biden back to his basement, and let’s send Donald Trump back to the White House,” DeSantis said to cheers from the crowd.
Just as Haley did during her speech, DeSantis attacked Biden over his age and concerns that he is not mentally capable of serving another four years.
“We need a commander in chief who can lead 24 hours a day and seven days a week,” DeSantis said before referencing a 1989 movie.
“America cannot afford four more years of a Weekend at Bernie’s presidency.”
DeSantis was once seen as Trump’s most competitive rival during the primary, but after his campaign’s continued stumbles, he dropped out of the race one week after the Iowa caucuses in January. The Florida governor and the former president later ended the tensions between them after the latter became the presumptive GOP nominee earlier this year.
“Let’s make the 45th president of the United States the 47th president of the United States,” DeSantis said, urging the crowd to show up for Trump at the polls.
Lara Trump reflects on assassination attempt
Lara Trump, the Republican National Committee co-chairwoman and the former president’s daughter-in-law, shared somber words after he survived a plot to take his life. The speech she planned to give was scrapped after Donald Trump’s near-death encounter.
“Our family has faced our fair share of deaths, mysterious powders sent to our homes, tasteless and violent comments directed towards us on social media,” the younger Trump said. “But none of them prepares you as a daughter-in-law to watch in real time someone try to kill a person you love.”
But Lara Trump was quick to point to the unity of the GOP, the nation, and supporters’ well wishes.
“Last Saturday was a dark reminder that we as Americans must always remember there is more that unites us than divides us,” she said.
Much of Lara Trump’s speech was dedicated to championing Donald Trump’s record as president, including low gas prices, a more secure border, and low unemployment rates for black and Hispanic people. She also cautioned viewers at home to view the former president not how the media have portrayed him but how his family sees him: as a caring father, father-in-law, and grandfather.
“I have seen this man dragged through hell and back, in and out of courtrooms, indictments, impeachments, mug shots, and even an assassination attempt, and yet, he has never backed down,” she said to the crowd’s approval.
Congressional leaders show a display of force with Trump
House and Senate GOP leaders championed Trump’s agenda in another display of GOP unity as they hope to retake the White House and the Senate from Democrats, creating a GOP trifecta. House Republicans, specifically, painted Biden as a danger to the nation and blamed him for the financial hardships people are facing, as they took the stage Tuesday evening.
“I’ve seen some crazy things in my time, but New Orleans has nothing on Washington, D.C., these past four years,” House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) said. “Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have spent your tax dollars trashing America’s finances in ways no sane or sober-minded person ever would.”
“We fought back against Democrats’ reckless spending that caused record-breaking inflation for hardworking Americans,” House Majority Whip Tom Emmer added (R-MN). “When we grow our majority, when we flip the Senate, and when we send President Donald J. Trump back to the White House, we won’t just be holding the line anymore — we’ll be moving forward.”
Lawmakers in the upper chamber blamed Harris for the growing immigration problem, given her role as the “border czar.” Stopping immigrants from entering the nation illegally has been one of the top three issues for the average voter, giving the GOP another line of attack against Democrats in the battle to retake the Senate.
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“They have encouraged millions of illegal aliens to invade America,” Ohio Republican Senate candidate Bernie Moreno said during his speech. He later claimed that “the Democrat Senate have put the welfare of illegals ahead of our own citizens.”
“Who’s ready to retire Joe Biden and send border czar Kamala Harris back to California?” said Dave McCormick, who is running against Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA) in Pennsylvania.
David Sivak contributed to this report.
