Takeaways from Republican National Convention Day 2: Nikki Haley, DeSantis endorse Trump

Here are the key takeaways from the second day of the Republican National Convention

Republican National Convention is in full swing, with critics turning into Trump allies during the second night in Milwaukee. The conservatives rallied around the former president's plans to make America safer. Once-rivals Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis endorsed Trump in the name of unity. Here are the key takeaways from the second night of the RNC:

MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - JULY 16: Republican presidential candidate, former U.S. President Donald Trump departs following the second day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum on July 16, 2024 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Delegates, politicians, and the Republican faithful are in Milwaukee for the annual convention, concluding with former President Donald Trump accepting his party's presidential nomination. The RNC takes place from July 15-18. Andrew Harnik/Getty Images/AFP (Photo by Andrew Harnik / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)(Getty Images via AFP)

Nikki Haley endorses Trump ‘in the name of unity’

The former presidential challenger took the stage on Tuesday, drawing cheers from the crowd as she said, “President Trump asked me to speak to this convention in the name of unity.” “Donald Trump has my strong endorsement, period,” Haley continued before calling out Joe Biden for not doing anything against violence.

“We have a country to save, and a unified Republican Party is essential for saving her,” she said, adding, “When Donald Trump was president, Putin did nothing—no invasions, no wars. That was no accident.” “You don’t have to agree with Trump 100% of the time to vote for him. Take it from me. I haven’t always agreed with President Trump, but we agree more often than we disagree,” Haley added.

Republicans make false claims against Democrats

Throughout the night, the conventional hall echoed with chants of Trump and his upcoming agenda. His supporters made strong calls to “build the wall.” Both Trump and JD Vance previously said they support “mass deportation.” However, multiple RNC speakers falsely claimed that Democrats rely on “votes from illegals.”

“Democrats decided they wanted votes from illegals more than they wanted to protect our children,” Texas Sen. Ted Cruz said, while Florida Sen. Rick Scott claimed that it was “easy for Democrats” to rig the elections by allowing “all the non-citizens to vote.”

Ron DeSantis calls Biden administration ‘Weekend at Bernie's presidency’

DeSantis not only endorsed Trump but took a brutal swipe at Biden, calling his administration a “Weekend at Bernie's presidency.” He made it clear that Florida is a “solid Republican state.” “For decades, my home state saw elections determined by razor-thin margins. Today, due to bold leadership, the Democratic Party lies in ruins. The left is in retreat,” DeSantis said.

The Florida governor went on to praise Trump and his presidency, saying, “Life was more affordable when Donald Trump was president. Our border was safer under the Trump administration, and our country was respected when Donald Trump was our commander-in-chief.”

Ted Cruz says it's time for Bob Menendez to resign

Texas senator Cruz clarified that he believes Sen. Bob Menendez should resign. His statement comes after Menendez was convicted on 16 counts of bribery, extortion, and honest services wire fraud. “I’ve stayed quiet on this case up until this point, but now that the jury has returned a verdict, a jury of his peers have found him guilty of late blatant bribery,” he said.