MILWAUKEE — Two of Donald Trump’s 2024 presidential rivals and harshest critics, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley, took the stage Tuesday on the second day of the Republican National Convention to deliver an enthusiastic endorsement of the former president in a remarkable display of party unity.
The back-to-back speeches came towards the end of the night and followed a larger theme of “unity” that Trump announced after his nearly assassination attempt on Saturday night.
His son, Donald Trump Jr., said Trump had prepared a “fiery” speech for the convention but abandoned it after the shooting.
Haley, Trump’s final challenger for the Republican nomination, was invited to speak at the convention a few days ago and was greeted onstage with a mix of cheers and boos, illustrating the deep rifts that remain.
“President Trump asked me to address this convention in the name of unity. It was a generous invitation and I gladly accepted,” Haley, 52, began.
The former South Carolina governor was quick to deny any questions about his loyalties after a fierce primary election.
“Let me start by making one thing clear: I am a strong supporter of Donald Trump,” Haley declared.
The former presidential candidate spoke directly to supporters and voters who may be hesitant to back the 45th president for reelection.
“My message to them is simple: You don’t have to agree with them 100% of the time to vote for Trump,” Haley said to thunderous applause.
The politician and diplomat, who served as ambassador to the United Nations under the Trump administration, highlighted concerns about President Biden’s age and mental state.
“Four more years of Biden, or one more day of Harris, would leave our country in a terrible state of disrepair,” she said.
“For the sake of our country, we must support Donald Trump.”
Haley also praised her former boss’ foreign policy record, noting that Russian President Putin did not invade Ukraine under Trump and that Trump withdrew the US from the “insane” Iran nuclear deal, leaving the US too “weakened” to start a war.
This picture contrasts with today’s Iran under the Biden administration, which is backing the terrorist organization Hamas in its war with Israel.
“Strong presidents don’t start wars. Strong presidents prevent wars,” asserted a former Trump rival.
The South Carolina Republican argued that “Republican unity” is “essential” to save the country because Democrats are “endangering our freedoms.”
“We can’t just be a united party. We have to expand the party. The bigger the party, the better we will be. Having people with different backgrounds and experiences in the party will make us stronger,” she continued.
Both DeSantis and Haley supported Trump after dropping out of the primary. Haley, who dropped out after Super Tuesday, waited months before announcing she would vote for Trump, but ultimately decided to back the former president. She then called on the 97 delegates to vote for Trump at the convention if they wanted to.
DeSantis, 45, took the stage shortly after Haley to rapturous applause and declared that Republicans needed to “send Biden back to the basement.”
The Florida governor launched into a sweeping criticism of the Biden administration, recalling the 13 service members who died during Biden’s disastrous Afghanistan withdrawal.
He accused Biden of being a “figurehead” and a “tool” to impose left-wing policies.
Unlike Haley, DeSantis did not directly call for “unity,” instead focusing on Biden’s weaknesses and Trump’s strengths.
“Donald Trump has been demonized. He has been sued, he has been indicted, he nearly lost his life. We cannot let him down, and we cannot let America down,” he said to thunderous cheers.
He ended his speech by urging Americans to “Fight! Fight! Fight,” repeating President Trump’s call after he was shot.
The Florida governor also spoke at a side event hosted by the Republican National Committee’s Moms for Freedom on Tuesday afternoon, where she spoke out against California becoming the first state to ban gender-disclosure policies and against the anti-Israel protests that have taken over college campuses across the country.
DeSantis suspended his campaign shortly before the New Hampshire primary and quickly endorsed Trump, despite personal attacks from the Trump campaign throughout the election about his height, his mannerisms and allegations that he ate pudding with his fingers.
Trump has reconciled with both candidates in the past and said Haley would be “joining our team in some way” in the future. He reportedly told DeSantis“Ron, I’m glad you’re back.”
Former 2024 presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy also spoke on Tuesday night, reiterating the need for “unity.”
“I’ve done the impossible because most of you know how to pronounce my name,” Trump joked, taking the stage a few months after abandoning his presidential bid.
Ramaswami withdrew soon after the Iowa caucus results started trickling in and it became clear he wasn’t getting the support he hoped for in the first voting state. He quickly endorsed Trump and had some support for him to become vice president, a possibility the former president’s campaign ruled out.
Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) is now Trump’s nominee to be vice president, and Ramaswami has said he would be open to replacing Vance in the Senate or joining Trump’s administration if that’s what he wanted if Republicans retake the White House in November.
The billionaire also touted President Trump’s policies of closing the southern border, restoring law and order, revitalizing the economy and “restoring national pride.”
Ramaswami said Trump “will unite this country — not with empty words, but with actions.”
“You know, success brings unity. Excellence brings unity,” he said. “That’s who we are as Americans.”
