Republicans emphasized their platform calling for crackdowns on undocumented immigrants entering the United States, while former presidential hopefuls Gov. Ron DeSantis and former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley endorsed former President Donald Trump in a display of party unity.
Trump was once again in attendance on Tuesday night at the convention, entering approximately halfway through the program that also saw reality star Savannah Chrisley, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and House Speaker Mike Johnson address the crowd.
Haley, who was critical of Trump throughout her presidential campaign, said she was fully endorsing him for the White House “for the sake of our nation.”
“I’m here tonight because we have a country to save,” she said. “President Trump asked me to speak to this convention in the name of unity. I’ll start by making one thing perfectly clear: President Donald Trump has my strong endorsement. Period.”
Haley made waves during her campaign for her criticisms of Trump, and while she had said prior to the convention she would vote for him, she hadn’t offered a full endorsement of his candidacy.
“Many of the same politicians who publicly embrace Trump privately dread him,” she had said in a February campaign speech. “They know what a disaster he’s been and will continue to be. They are just afraid to say it out loud.”
DeSantis, who also had opposed Trump for the nomination before suspending his campaign and endorsing his former rival, not only embraced Trump with gusto during the event, but also said that Republican electoral successes in Florida were indicative of the party’s positive momentum nationwide.
“We cannot let him down. And we cannot let America down,” he said.
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The evening also featured a large contingent of GOP Senate candidates, who are hoping to flip the chamber into Republican hands during the November election.
Indiana Rep. Jim Banks was one of those Republicans, and had a blunt message for Republicans who haven’t yet decided to back the former president.
“This is no time for wimpy Republicans,” he said. “That’s why I’m running.”
Wisconsin entrepreneur Eric Hovde blasted Sen. Tammy Baldwin, who he’s running against in November, as a “rubber stamp” for the administration of President Joe Biden, and echoed the calls of many others in arguing that Trump’s foreign policy was far superior to that of the current president.
The GOP also brought out many Americans whose lives have been impacted by crime and drugs, including Michael Morin, whose sister Rachel was allegedly killed and raped by a fugitive from El Salvador, according to prosecutors.
“Joe Biden and his designated ‘border czar’ Kamala Harris opened our borders to him and others like him, empowering them to victimize the innocent,” he said.
Reality star Savannah Chrisley also spoke, blasting the Justice Department for their prosecution of her parents Todd and Julie Chrisley, who were convicted of bank fraud and other crimes in 2022.
“We have a two-faced justice system. Just look what they’re doing to President Trump,” she said.
Wednesday’s session is expected to include Trump’s running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, making his first public speech since being offered the slot on the ticket earlier this week. Donald Trump Jr. is also expected to address the crowd during the night’s speeches.
The theme of the night is “Make America Strong Once Again,” focused on foreign policy and relations with Israel and other U.S. allies.
