RNC Day 2: GOP Unity And The Dangers Of Democrat Governance

The second day of the Republican National Convention (RNC) kicked off under the theme “Make America Safe Once Again,” but the more poignant message appeared to be Republican unity amid Democratic disarray.

Tuesday featured speeches from a number of former President Donald Trump’s vanquished GOP competitors, such as Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy. Sens. Marco Rubio of Florida and Ted Cruz of Texas – both of whom Trump beat for the nomination in 2016 – also addressed the convention.

Haley, who was Trump’s last biggest competitor in the 2024 primary, delivered her “strong endorsement” of Trump during her RNC address. Her message was directed toward voters who don’t “agree with Trump 100% of the time,” encouraging them to unify around the GOP candidate to remove President Joe Biden from office.

“We agree on keeping America strong. We agree on keeping America safe. And we agree that Democrats have moved so far to the Left that they’re putting our freedoms in danger,” Haley said. “We have a country to save, and a unified Republican Party is essential for saving her.”

.@NikkiHaley endorses Donald Trump for President of the United States. pic.twitter.com/20gxiTfnBM

— Daily Wire (@realDailyWire) July 17, 2024

DeSantis delivered one of the more memorable lines of the night when he compared Biden’s presidency to “Weekend At Bernie’s,” a 1989 comedy in which two insurance employees prop up their dead boss. The reference earned a wide smile from Trump.

“Let’s send Joe Biden back to his basement and let’s send Donald Trump back to the White House,” DeSantis said. “America cannot afford four more years of a ‘Weekend At Bernie’s’ presidency.”

Ron DeSantis with the line of the night:

“America cannot afford for more years of a Weekend at Bernie's presidency."

Trump’s reaction was priceless. pic.twitter.com/Os9HTEl9Ae

— Dustin Grage (@GrageDustin) July 17, 2024

From roughly 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. during the evening, the RNC featured GOP Senate candidates attempting to wrestle seats away from the Democratic Party in competitive states. The convention featured speeches from GOP Senate hopefuls Sam Brown of Nevada, Hung Cao of Virginia, Eric Hovde of Wisconsin, Governor Jim Justice of West Virginia, Kari Lake of Arizona, Dave McCormick of Pennsylvania, Bernie Moreno of Ohio, Mike Rogers of Michigan, and Tim Sheehy of Montana.

Attendees at day two of the convention were treated to a minute-long mashup of Trump dancing on the campaign trail right before the former president walked onto the convention floor.

They played over a minute of Donald Trump dancing at the RNC convention tonight before they introduced him and I can’t stop laughing ????

It’s so cute ???? pic.twitter.com/HR9QoeY0YL

— Sara Gonzales (@SaraGonzalesTX) July 17, 2024

Under the theme of making America safe again, the lineup included personal stories from Americans impacted directly by violent crime and drug addiction. Madeline Brame, a New York resident, lost her son when he was fatally stabbed in Harlem in 2018. Brame blasted soft-on-crime policies by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who opted to use resources to prosecute Trump.

“My son – Sgt. Hason Correa, an Afghanistan War retired veteran – he received enemy fire from the Taliban only to be murdered with a knife on the streets of New York City,” Brame said. “The four assailants responsible for his death initially were facing justice, but that changed when District Attorney Alvin Bragg was elected.”

"My son… a retired veteran, received enemy fire from the Taliban only to be murdered with a knife on the streets of New York City."

Madeline Brame shares her story at the RNC on how violent crime and lack of support for law enforcement have affected her and many everyday… pic.twitter.com/iofpUwVMpg

— Daily Wire (@realDailyWire) July 17, 2024

Anne Fundner took the stage and spoke of her first-born son who died from fentanyl-laced pills. Fundner placed the blame for her son’s death on Biden’s border policies and the drug trade that has crossed over the United States’ southern border. Her son, Weston, died in a moment of “peer pressure,” Fundner said.

“On February 27, 2022, our lives were shattered and our baby was gone. This was not an overdose, it was a poisoning. His whole future, everything we ever wanted for him was ripped away in an instant. And Joe Biden does nothing. I hold Joe Biden, Kamala Harris – the ‘border czar,’ what a joke – and Gavin Newsom, and every Democrat who supports open borders for the death of my son,” Fundner said.

MUST WATCH: Anne Fundner shares the heartbreaking story of the unexpected and devastating loss of her 15-year-old son, who was poisoned by fentanyl-laced pills.

???? pic.twitter.com/2ki9KKOtkE

— Team Trump (Text TRUMP to 88022) (@TeamTrump) July 17, 2024