At his Republican National Convention here on Tuesday, outgoing President Donald Trump greeted his defeated opponents while keeping a close eye on them as they meticulously followed a well-scripted narrative of party unity.
There was Nikki Haley, who spoke to “those who have some doubts” about Trump and took over two months to support him after she withdrew her candidacy for president. There was Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a former Trump loyalist who is now running against President Joe Biden.
Furthermore, eight years ago in Cleveland, Texas Senator Ted Cruz urged convention attendees to “vote your conscience” and thanked “God Almighty” for “turning [Trump’s] head on Saturday as the shot was fired” during an attempted assassination at a rally in Pennsylvania.
Cruz was ejected from the stage by a barrage of jeers in 2016, but on Tuesday night, he was met with nothing but applause. There was also a tremendous ovation for DeSantis.
The only delegate who heard any jeers was Haley, whose resistance to Trump was still very much in the delegates’ memories. But she charmed the audience over right away.”Let me start by making one thing very clear,” stated Haley, the former governor of South Carolina and Trump’s ambassador to the UN. “I wholeheartedly support Donald Trump, period.”
From his VIP box, Trump watched the procession of former opponents speak. A source acquainted with his intentions claims that Trump altered his schedule to be in time to witness their speech. Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, his recently appointed running mate, was seated next to him.
The keynote speaker for the evening was Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, who finished second on the ticket this year despite being one of Trump’s most ardent opponents and critics in 2016. His speech was focused on Corey Comperatore, the deceased former fire chief who had been shot and murdered at Trump’s rally on Saturday. He praised Comperatore as a hero for saving his wife and daughter from the gunfire. Although convention organizers haven’t done much else to change the week’s overarching themes in the aftermath, Rubio’s speech was one of several that made reference to the tragedy.
Drawing a parallel between Trump’s horde of MAGA supporters and Comperatore and his family, Rubio remarked, “These are the Americans who line up for hours in the scorching sun with the red hats on to hear Trump speak.” Furthermore, what they are requesting is neither radical nor hateful. People desire better jobs and lower pricing. They desire safe borders… They want our politicians to be more concerned with domestic issues than foreign affairs.
DeSantis and former housing secretary Ben Carson described the attempt on Trump’s life as just the most recent in a growing series of assaults.DeSantis declared, “Donald Trump has been demonized.” “He was on the verge of death, was sued, and was prosecuted.” Both he and America cannot be let down by us.
Representative Dan Meuser (R-Pa.) had anticipated that Haley and DeSantis would be well received.
Meuser stated that although DeSantis “stepped out over his skis” by running for president, “he’s a great governor.” We need Nikki Haley on board because she is a really competent woman. Thus, we should show her respect.
Days after Trump escaped the attack on Saturday, there is still a rush to portray the GOP as harmonious as possible. This is happening even as Biden tries to allay Democratic Party worries over his dismal debate performance from last month. Additionally, there was still an effort to limit the use of heated language.
Nevertheless, on a night when the theme was “Make America Safe Again,” a number of speakers and a video shown to delegates falsely accused Biden of endorsing voting by noncitizens or laid blame for the deaths of Americans who were purportedly killed by undocumented immigrants. In response, several in the crowd chanted, “Build the wall” and “Send them back.”
Cruz stated during his speech that “Democrats made the decision that they valued illegal immigrants’ votes over our children’s protection.”
In a video that was shown to the delegates, Trump issued a warning over the possibility of Democratic “cheating” in the upcoming election.
Meuser, who witnessed Trump’s Saturday rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, said he believes there is a general consensus that convention speakers ought to adopt a more diplomatic approach.
“Trump is the first,” Meuser stated. I’m hoping JD notices that. as well as others. Although Trump stated that he didn’t want individuals to alter their remarks, I believe that they will.
About halfway through the evening’s schedule, Vance entered the convention hall and made his way to his seat as the house band began playing Ohio’s official rock song, “Hang On Sloopy.” Trump arrived at the Village People’s “YMCA,” a mainstay of his campaign rallies, just after 8 p.m. CT. There were loud applause for both men as they arrived. Trump made an appearance once more, his damaged right ear covered in a huge bandage. Attempting to emulate him, at least one man on the conference floor covered his ear with a similar bandage.
Another common subject was expanding the Republican tent. Rep. Jeff Van Drew, R-N.J., and Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson were among the former Democrats who stepped out in favor of Trump in addition to Haley’s outreach to Trump detractors.
A participant in the convention’s “Everyday Americans” series, Madeline Brame criticized Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg for not pursuing murder charges against two of the four individuals responsible for her son’s death. After she urged people of color to leave the Democratic Party, she received one of the most raucous cheers of the evening.
“The Democratic Party, to which I and other impoverished minorities have belonged for decades, has deceived us,” Brame remarked. They gave us back stab wounds. Our representatives, Kamala Harris and Joe Biden have deserted us. My eyes have been enlightened to how neglected the impoverished minority groups were throughout America.
Businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, a former adversary of Trump, catered portions of his speech to younger people.”We want to tell Generation Z that they will be the ones to save this country,” Ramaswamy, 38, stated. You want to stick it to the man, be a hippie, or rebel against society? Go to your college campus and attempt to identify as a conservative. Let’s say you wish to marry and start a family. Instruct them to have faith in God.
Earlier in the evening, a number of GOP contenders for the Senate took the podium, each receiving a brief period of time to briefly identify themselves and criticize their Democratic opponents.
Gov. Jim Justice of West Virginia, who is seeking a seat in his state, thrilled the audience by entering the stage with his English bulldog, Babydog. The party’s Pennsylvania Senate candidate, Dave McCormick, struck a more solemn note by briefly discussing the assassination attempt he witnessed on Saturday from a distance.
“I want to start by acknowledging what happened in my home state a few days ago, where I was able to witness firsthand the extraordinary strength and resolve in Butler from a front-row seat,” McCormick stated. “The president adroitly accepted the task at a terrible and unexpected moment. But what a terrible and depressing day it was for our wonderful nation and the families of those killed or injured. And everyone is grateful that President Trump is doing well.
Others made jabs at the media, Biden, and Harris.
A former congressman running for the Michigan Senate seat said, “Nothing like the Biden-Harris open border policy that I have ever seen.” “They are giving violent gangs, fentanyl, Chinese spies, and people on the terrorist watch list the red carpet treatment.” And remember, the opposition is not foolish. They are aware that all it takes to push the envelope is to wait until the White House is ready for a nap.
In Montana, one of the most important Senate races of the year, Republican Tim Sheehy is challenging Democratic Sen. Jon Tester. Sheehy has dabbled in the culture wars.
“I’m Tim Sheehy,” he introduced himself. “I also use those pronouns.”