MILWAUKEE — The second day of the Republican National Convention (RNC) kicked off Tuesday with a focus on crime and security for its “Make America Safe Again” theme – hours after a knife-wielding homeless man was shot dead by cops just blocks from the conservative conference.
The poignant theme, which was chosen ahead of time, hit especially close to home after former President Donald Trump – now the GOP presidential nominee – miraculously survived an assassination attempt at a rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday.
Republicans have accused President Biden and the Democratic Party of turning “once iconic American cities” into “hollowed out, dystopian nightmares” rife with crime and decay.
The packed Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee heard from GOP leaders – including House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.), Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) and one-time presidential hopeful Nikki Haley – but the most moving speeches came from everyday Americans affected by the scourge of violent crime.
The family of Rachel Morin, the 37-year-old mother of five who was ruthlessly raped and murdered by an illegal Salvadoran migrant, bravely addressed the crowd.
“This was described as one of the most brutal and violent offenses that has ever occurred in Harford County, Maryland,” said Michael Morin, Rachel’s brother. “There is nothing compassionate about allowing violent criminals into our country and robbing children of their mother.”
“To this day, we have not heard from Joe Biden or Kamala Harris,” he added, drawing boos. “They never apologized. But when Rachel was killed, President Trump called my family to offer his condolences.”
“As brutal as the murder of my sister was, I pray that her killer will find Jesus Christ,” he added.
Morin’s mom, Patty Morin, previously revealed that former President Trump called her following the arrest of the 23-year-old suspect, Victor Antonio Martinez-Hernandez, last month. Martinez-Hernandez is also believed to be a gang member.
The grieving mom said she was “deeply touched” by the ex-commander-on-chief’s “kindness and concern.”
Martinez-Hernandez illegally crossed into the US in February 2023.
Another speaker included Madeline Brame, a New York mom who lost her then-35-year-old son Hason Correa to a beating and stabbing attack outside a Harlem apartment building in 2018. Correa was a father of three who served in Afghanistan.
“He received enemy fire from the Taliban only to be murdered with a knife on the streets of New York City,” she said, explaining that the four suspects were initially facing justice.
“But that changed when District Attorney Alvin Bragg was elected,” she continued angrily to thunderous boos. “The injustice was devastating for me and my family. I don’t want anyone else to experience [this].”
Brame contended that “soft-on-crime” prosecutors like Bragg have “turned our great country and cities into war zones.”
“The Democratic Party that poor minorities have been loyal to for decades, including myself — they’ve betrayed us, stabbed us in the back,” she said.
Brame has long accused Manhattan’s Democrat District Attorney Alvin Bragg of going easy on the four suspects in the killing of her son.
The courageous mom even vied for the GOP bid for the Westchester and Bronx congressional seat held by Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY), who lost his primary last month. She was ultimately unable to get her name on the ballot.
Trump and his recently announced vice presidential pick Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) were seen clapping throughout both of those emotional speeches.
Republicans organizing the event also prepped several videos, including one that powerfully detailed the toll that crime has taken on rural America as of late.
Both Trump and his newly minted running mate also watched the key speeches of the night from Haley, DeSantis, Brame and Morin.
Despite a bitter slugfest on the campaign trail between DeSantis, Trump, and Haley, the duo put on a united front for the GOP presidential nominee.
“Donald Trump has my strong endorsement, period,” Haley proclaimed. “You don’t have to agree with Trump 100% of the time to vote for him.”
She hailed him for being “tough” on foreign policy and assured his critics that he is quite open-minded.
Throughout her speech, Trump stared largely stoically. Her invite to the convention was just before the four-day spectacle commenced and came after the former president called for unity following his near assassination on Saturday.
Trump had previously fumed at her for staying in the race long after he felt it was clear she lacked a path to victory.
When it was DeSantis’ turn to speak, Trump smiled faintly and even clapped at times as the Florida governor dusted off a greatest hits of his go-to culture war issues.
“Our nation cannot endure four more years of a Weekend at Bernie’s presidency,” DeSantis quipped, calling Biden a “figurehead” being used to impose a “leftist agenda.”
“Let’s send Donald Trump back to the White House. Life was more affordable,” he continued. “Our border was safer. Our country was respected.”
The 45th president – who narrowly survived a sniper’s bullet over the weekend – made his first public appearance at the RNC on Monday with a white bandage wrapped tightly around his right ear. He was formally designated the GOP standard bearer earlier in the day.
On Tuesday, Helen Comperatore, whose husband Corey was killed during the rally shooting over the weekend, revealed Trump called her to convey his condolences.
“He was very kind and said he would continue to call me in the days and weeks ahead,” she posted on Facebook.
Trump, 78, has since revealed plans to rewrite his planned convention speech for later in the week to soften its edges and pitch a more unifying message to the party following the frightening near-death experience.
Vance’s presence was also felt heavily on the RNC’s second day, despite the newly-picked VP nominee not yet uttering a word on the convention floor.
In the morning, Vance, 39, was photographed taking a walk with his family on the streets of Milwaukee where he popped into a Walgreens.
Reporters and photographers scrambled to get a peak at the Ohio senator while he did a walk-through of the empty stage in the afternoon, checking out the teleprompter and microphone for his expected Wednesday remarks – but not yet speaking to the crowd.
The potential veep was joined on the walk-through by his close ally Donald Trump Jr. The younger Trump delivered remarks at an Axios event in the morning about Vance, answering questions about his likely role in a future Trump administration while reporters and convention attendees packed into Central Waters Brewery Co.
Trump Jr., 46, predicted Vance has a “very high” chance of being president in 2028, indicating that his father’s VP choice was forward-thinking and part of a larger MAGA movement.
The Trump son said he could “never” see himself running for elected office himself but that he would like to have “veto power” in his father’s administration to vet possible admin additions.
Trump Jr. also spoke about his father toning down his “hot” convention speech after being shot on Saturday and his hope for bringing outsiders into the party, including possibly bringing independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. into the fold.
Vance’s pick as VP also sparked questions about who would fill his Ohio senate seat if he were in the Oval Office. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine would pick the person to fill the seat until 2026, when voters would choose another senator in a special election.
Biotech mogul Vivek Ramaswamy, who is from Ohio, already pounced on the potential opening, saying he could be open to the possibility — or a place in the Trump admin.
