In a significant display of unity, former rivals within the Republican Party, Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis, endorsed Donald Trump at the party's convention on Tuesday. This comes just three days after Trump survived an assassination attempt.
Nikki Haley, who had previously criticized Trump as unelectable and unfit for office during her campaign, urged her supporters to vote for him over Democratic President Joe Biden "for the sake of our nation." Speaking to a mixed reaction of cheers and boos, the former U.N. ambassador and South Carolina governor stated, "You don't have to agree with Trump 100% of the time to vote for him. Take it from me."
Ron DeSantis, the conservative Florida governor whose campaign faltered early in the year, received a warm welcome as he attacked Biden, calling him too old for the job.
From his box in the arena, Trump smiled and applauded, sitting alongside his newly announced running mate, U.S. Senator J.D. Vance. Vance, a former Trump critic turned staunch supporter, was unveiled as Trump's running mate on Monday.
The convention aimed to contrast with the Democratic Party, which has faced internal tensions over Biden's reelection bid. Biden, 81, faced scrutiny after his June 27 debate performance against Trump, raising questions about his age and mental acuity.
The evening's speeches in Milwaukee, centered on the theme of law and order, featured Trump's anti-immigrant rhetoric. Speakers, including Kari Lake, Bernie Moreno, U.S. senators Ted Cruz of Texas, and Tom Cotton of Arkansas, denounced Biden's southern border policies, calling the flow of migrants an "invasion."
Anne Funder, a mother whose teenage son died from fentanyl poisoning, blamed Biden and the Democrats for his death. The family of Rachel Morin, a Maryland woman allegedly raped and killed by a Salvadoran immigrant, also criticized Democratic policies.
Trump has vowed to crack down on illegal immigration, pledging the largest deportation effort in U.S. history. He entered the arena to a raucous ovation, more ebullient than the previous night, despite a heavily bandaged ear from the assassination attempt.
Lara Trump, the former president's daughter-in-law and co-chair of the Republican National Committee, closed the night with a message of unity, urging Americans to remember "there is more that unites us than divides us."
In the wake of the shooting, voter fears about the polarized state of the nation have deepened. A Reuters/Ipsos poll found 80% of voters, including similar shares of Republicans and Democrats, agreed "the country is spiraling out of control."
Authorities are still identifying a motive for the shooting, with the 20-year-old gunman killed at the scene by the U.S. Secret Service.
Vance, author of the bestselling memoir "Hillbilly Elegy," will deliver the headlining speech on Wednesday. While his presence may energize core Republican voters, it is unclear if he can appeal to more moderate voters, including independents.
A Reuters/Ipsos poll found Trump leading Biden by 43% to 41%, within the margin of error. In his first campaign speech since the assassination attempt, Biden told Black voters in Las Vegas he was "all in" for his reelection campaign and called for less heated rhetoric.
The four-day convention will culminate with Trump's prime-time address on Thursday, when he formally accepts the party's nomination to face Biden in a rematch of their 2020 race.
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