Ex-President Endorsed by Rivals Haley, DeSantis at GOP Event

Nikki Haley Former Governor of South Carolina and Ron DeSantis Governor of Florida
Nikki Haley Former Governor of South Carolina and Ron DeSantis Governor of Florida. Credit | Getty images

United States – During the convention, former U.N. ambassador and South Carolina governor Nikki Haley and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis rallied support for Donald Trump’s presidential bid after surviving an assassination attempt. Haley, who had earlier pulled out her support for Trump and called him a misfit for the presidential office, appealed to her followers to vote for Trump to ensure Biden did not win for the sake of the country. Regardless of the cheers and boos, Haley reiterated, “You don’t have to agree with Trump 100% of the time to vote for him.”

DeSantis, whose candidacy faltered earlier this year, received a warm welcome as he accused Biden of senility, referencing the president’s age of 81. Trump, with his right ear bandaged from the attempted shooting, clapped from his seat alongside his vice-presidential nominee, U.S. Senator J.D. Vance. Vance, a former Trump opponent turned admirer, is scheduled to speak on the third night of the convention, as reported by Reuters.

Trump Shows Unity with VP Nominee

The convention’s display of unity aimed to contrast sharply with the Democrats, who have been dealing with internal disputes over Biden’s cognitive abilities and whether he should remain in the race after his labored debate with Trump on June 27. Many speakers at the Milwaukee event focused on law and order, expressing strong anti-immigration sentiments and criticizing Biden’s border policies.

Speakers Attack Biden’s Policies

Prominent governors and senators, such as Kari Lake in Arizona, Bernie Moreno in Ohio, Ted Cruz in Texas, and Tom Cotton in Arkansas called the flow of migrants as an “invasion”. Despite the record high in immigration during Biden’s term, the number of arrests in June declined due to Biden’s effective ban on asylum seekers.

Emotional Testimonies

Anne Fundner, whose teenage son died from fentanyl poisoning, blamed Democrats for his death. The family of Rachel Morin, a Maryland woman who police say was raped and killed by a Salvadoran immigrant who crossed the U.S.-Mexico border illegally, also criticized Biden’s policies. Trump has used Morin’s case in his campaign speeches, portraying immigrants as criminals despite research indicating immigrants are not more likely to commit crimes than native-born citizens. He has promised the largest deportation drive the U.S. has ever seen.

Calls for Unity Amidst Polarization

Despite the harsh sentiments, Lara Trump, the former president’s daughter-in-law and co-chair of the Republican National Committee, ended the night with a softer tone, urging Americans to remember that “we are one people.” The assassination attempt and the polarized political climate have intensified voter concerns ahead of the November 5 election. A Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted on Monday and Tuesday revealed that 80 percent of voters, regardless of party affiliation, believe the country is getting out of hand.

Upcoming Speech

The police are still trying to determine the reason for the shooting as the alleged gunman aged 20 was fatally shot by the U. S Secret Service. At the same time, Biden, who is a candidate for re-election, stated at a campaign event in Las Vegas, that he fully supports his candidacy, and thereby dismissed the demands of some Democrats to resign. The four-day convention will climax with Trump giving a primetime acceptance speech on Thursday when he will formally take up the mantle to vie for the presidency against Biden, as reported by Reuters.