MILWAUKEE (AP) — Donald Trump received accolades at the Republican National Convention from former rivals who had previously criticized him, showcasing a unity that contrasts with the growing divisions in the Democratic Party.
Nikki Haley, the former U.N. ambassador who was Trump’s final challenger in the GOP primary, directly addressed her supporters after taking the stage to a mixed reception.
“My message to them is simple: You don’t have to agree with Trump 100% of the time to vote for him,” Haley said.
She was followed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a former Trump ally turned primary rival who has worked to mend his relationship with the former president after exiting the primary race.
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“Donald Trump has been demonized. He’s been sued. He’s been prosecuted. And he nearly lost his life,” DeSantis told the crowd. “We cannot let him down. And we cannot let America down.”
Such overtures are typical in political conventions, where the purpose is often to bring a party together after bitter primaries. But the Haley and DeSantis appearances were particularly notable given the personal animosity that defined this year’s GOP contest — much of that being directed by Trump at Haley and DeSantis.
The displays of unity stood in stark contrast to the dynamic facing Democrats, many of whom are increasingly uncertain that President Joe Biden is the right choice to take on Trump in the November election.
DeSantis was once seen as best positioned to challenge Trump’s position at the top of the party. As a presidential candidate, he was slow to criticize Trump directly before eventually accusing him of repeatedly failing to follow through on his promises.
Haley, meanwhile, painted Trump as chaotic and suggested the 78-year-old was too old to serve another term. Unlike DeSantis, she did not immediately endorse Trump after she dropped out, instead waiting a few months to announce he had her vote.
Biden’s campaign resurrected Haley’s criticisms Tuesday. Austin Weatherford, a spokesperson for the campaign, said in a statement, “Ambassador Haley said it best herself: someone who doesn’t respect our military, doesn’t know right from wrong, and ‘surrounds himself in chaos’ can’t be president.”
Immigration was a key theme on Tuesday
Several speakers highlighted a key element of former Trump‘s political brand that helped endear him to the GOP base when he began his first campaign in 2015.
Immigration has long been one of Trump’s primary issues, as he has criticized the surge in migrants entering the country illegally through the U.S.-Mexico border. The number of unauthorized crossings has significantly decreased after President Joe Biden implemented a rule suspending many asylum claims at the border.
During rallies and campaign events, Trump has cited cases of migrants who have committed serious crimes and has blamed immigration for the trafficking of drugs like fentanyl, despite federal data suggesting that many individuals smuggling fentanyl are U.S. citizens. He has pledged to carry out the largest deportation operation in U.S. history.
Trump’s anti-immigrant rhetoric has also included talking points not supported by evidence, including unsubstantiated claims that migrants are entering the country to vote in the 2024 election.
Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana, the House majority leader, mentioned this in his remarks, stating, “Biden and Harris want illegals to vote now that they’ve opened up the border.”
The convention has showcased “everyday Americans” as part of its programming. On Tuesday, they included individuals who had lost family members to fentanyl overdoses or to violent crimes involving immigrants in the U.S. illegally.
One of the speakers was Michael Morin, whose sister, Rachel Morin, a Maryland woman, was reportedly killed and raped by a fugitive from El Salvador.
“Joe Biden and his designated ‘border czar’ Kamala Harris opened our borders to him and others like him, empowering them to victimize the innocent,” Morin told the audience.
Academic studies have generally found no correlation between immigration and violent crime, although conclusions vary depending on the data analyzed.
The recent attempt on Trump’s life lingers over the convention
The recent attempted assassination of Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania was on the minds of many attendees at the convention. A delegate in the crowd was seen with a folded white piece of paper over his ear as a tribute to the bandage Trump wore when he entered the hall Monday to an enthusiastic reception.
Trump wore the bandage again when he arrived on Tuesday night, entering earlier than the previous night. He appeared after his newly chosen running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance.
Scalise, who was injured in a politically motivated shooting in 2017, spoke about his own experience when addressing the attack on Trump.
“While I was fighting for my life, Donald Trump was one of the first to come to console my family at the hospital. That’s the kind of leader he is. Courageous under fire, compassionate towards others,” Scalise said.
In light of the attempt on Trump’s life, there was increased security at the convention, which drew numerous people to downtown Milwaukee, including prominent elected officials.
A man armed with an AK-47 pistol and wearing a ski mask was apprehended on Monday, the first day of the convention, near the Fiserv Forum where the convention is taking place, according to a federal law enforcement official. The official, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity, was not authorized to publicly discuss details of the ongoing investigation.
On Tuesday, five Ohio police officers who were in Wisconsin for the convention were involved in an incident where they shot a man engaged in a knife fight near the convention, resulting in his death, Milwaukee’s police chief stated.
There’s growing anticipation for Trump’s speech
Trump and Vance were expected to make appearances at the convention each night. Vance is scheduled to speak on Wednesday, followed by Trump on Thursday.
Trump, known for using harsh language against rivals and discussing prosecuting opponents if he secures a second term, appeared poised to deliver a more tempered speech. His eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., mentioned in an Axios interview outside the RNC that he had spent several hours with his father reviewing the speech, “trying to tone down some of that rhetoric.”
“I think it’s lasting,” the younger Trump commented on the change in his father’s rhetoric. “Some events change you temporarily, while others change you permanently.”
However, there were references in Tuesday’s programming to some of Trump’s previous grievances, including several allusions to his debunked claims of election fraud. One of the primetime speakers, Madeline Brame, criticized Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg for prosecuting Trump for an illegal hush money scheme in the 2016 election. This made Trump the first former president convicted of a felony.
Brame accused Bragg of mishandling cases against individuals accused of killing her son. She stated, “He’s been a victim of the same corrupt system that I have been and my family has been.”
She then echoed a line Trump has used at his rallies for years.
“They’re after us,” she asserted. “He’s just standing in the way.”
Swenson reported from Minneapolis. Fernando reported from Chicago. Associated Press writers Steve Peoples, Jill Colvin, Meg Kinnard, and Thomas Beaumont in Milwaukee, along with Michael Balsamo in Chicago, contributed to this report.
Follow the AP’s coverage of the 2024 election at https://apnews.com/hub/election-2024.
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