Jul 17, 2024 - Politics & Policy
Trump rivals' night: 4 takeaways from Tuesday at the RNC
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NIkki Haley speak at the Republican National Convention Tuesday. Photo: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images
The theme of the night was "Make America Safe Again," a focus on crime and border security. But Tuesday's session at the Republican National Convention might as well have been called "Trump Rivals' Night."
The big picture: The list of headline speakers — led by Nikki Haley, a last-minute addition — was loaded with Republicans whose presidential ambitions were stifled by Donald Trump during his march to the top of the GOP.
- Here are some key takeaways from Night 2 of the RNC:
- Haley's cautious return
- Trump's former U.N. ambassador annoyed him during this year's GOP primaries by consistently drawing double-digit results that put a spotlight on the party's anti-Trump bloc.
- Haley — who for months held off endorsing Trump — returned to the RNC on Tuesday to cheers, and some boos, in the most-anticipated speech of the night.
- Trump "asked me to speak to this convention in the name of unity," Haley said in a measured, almost cautious tone. "I'll start by making one thing perfectly clear. Donald Trump has my strong endorsement. Period."
- Unlike speakers before and after her, Haley wasn't all fawning: "We should acknowledge that there are some Americans who don't agree with Donald Trump 100% of the time," she said.
2. Ramaswamy and DeSantis were crowd pleasers
- Two more former Trump rivals, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, delivered passionate tributes to Trump wrapped in their own 2024 campaign messages.
- Ramaswamy energetically referenced his family's history of immigrating legally while he went after illegal immigration.
- DeSantis, meanwhile, delivered a salad of far-right talking points that included questioning President Biden's mental acuity and calling his administration a " 'Weekend at Bernie's' presidency."
- Other ex-Trump rivals speaking Tuesday were Sens. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Ted Cruz (R-Texas).
3. The GOP's Harris hedge
- Republicans frequently mentioned Vice President Kamala Harris in their attacks on the Biden administration's border policies — a sign the GOP is game-planning for the possibility that Biden could be replaced on the Democratic ticket.
4. Trump's softer side
- No, seriously.
- A few speakers — notably Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, a former Trump's White House press secretary — told personal stories about how Trump had shown care or empathy for them in moments when they needed it.
- Lara Trump — the former president's daughter-in-law and an RNC co-chair — also told a deeply personal story about rushing to turn off the TV after watching Saturday's assassination attempt live with her children.
- It was all part of an effort to show a more human side to the GOP nominee than Americans typically see.
