RNC 2024 live updates: Trump VP pick JD Vance to take stage as Haley and DeSantis ‘kiss the ring’ after all

Donald Trump’s new running mate, Ohio Senator JD Vance, will address the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on Wednesday, his first major speech since his selection was announced earlier this week.

The Senator, a military veteran, former venture capitalist and author, beat Florida Senator Marco Rubio and North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum to the honor and can expect a rapturous reception at the Fiserv Forum, with the nominee’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr, also set to address the crowd.

Trump was back at the arena on Tuesday to watch speeches by two of his old primary foes, Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis, both of whom found themselves endorsing him and “kissing the ring” after all, having bitterly denounced the former president and the craven conservatives who bow to him this spring.

Vivek Ramaswamy, Ted Cruz, Mike Johnson and Kari Lake were also among yesterday’s speakers, many of whom strugged to stick to the party’s new “unity” message in the wake of the assassination attempt on Trump over the weekend, quickly reverting to divisive rhetoric and familiar attacks on the media.

Key Points

• JD Vance to address convention on Wednesday

• Haley and DeSantis endorse Trump in show of Republican unity after bitter primary rivalry

• Watch: Highlights from Day Two of the Republican convention

• Biden hits back at Amber Rose: ‘Trump doesn’t care about Black people'

• Out-of-town cop shoots dead man ‘with a knife’ one mile from convention arena

• Reality star Savannah Chrisley discusses parents’ criminal convictions at RNC

Cruz delivers rabidly anti-immigrant speech at RNC

11:30 , Joe Sommerlad

Senator Ted Cruz of Texas delivered a rabidly anti-immigrant speech on the second night of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, scaremongering shamelessly over “migrant crime”.

Cruz, who is up for re-election in his home state, started his speech praising Trump, a man who has insulted his wife and implied that his father helped assassinate President John F Kennedy in Dallas in November 1963.

He then pivoted to talking about immigration to touch on the GOP theme of “Make America Safe Again”, overlooking the fact that the FBI has said that crime is actually on the decline, specifically dwelling on migrant crime, meaning incidents perpetrated by people who arrived in the United States illegally.

“Every day, Americans are dying, murdered, assault, raped by illegal immigrants the Democrats have released,” Cruz claimed. “And it is happening every damn day.”

Pivoting to the US-Mexico border, he claimed, hysterically: “We are facing an invasion on our southern border. Not figuratively, a literal invasion.”

Who’s to blame? Why, Democrats of course.

“It happened because Democrats cynically decided they wanted votes from illegals than they wanted to protect our children,” Cruz blustered.

Watch: Highlights from Day Two of the Republican National Convention

11:00 , Joe Sommerlad

Here’s a look at some of the loopiest lines from the Fiserv Forum yesterday, featuring such GOP favourites as Kari Lake, Vivek Ramaswamy, Lara Trump, Mike Johnson and Elise Stefanik, all of whom struggled to keep to the post-assassination attempt “unity” message by calling out the media, laughably claiming to be “the party of law and order” with a convicted felon as their candidate and by insisting that the US justice system is still “rigged”.

Shoutout to this guy, who once more serves to remind us that MAGA is definitely, defintely not a disturbing personality cult.

Here’s Rachel Sharp on that last point.

RNC attendees sport ear bandages in support of Trump after assassination attempt

JD Vance to address convention on Wednesday

10:30 , Joe Sommerlad

Trump’s new running mate will give his first major address to the convention in that role on Wednesday, as will the nominee’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr.

The Ohio Senator can expect a rapturous reception at the Fiserv Forum.

Here’s Amelia Neath on the first polling reaction to his selection.

Less than a third of Republicans think Vance is best possible VP pick, poll suggests

Haley talks unity as she ‘strongly’ backs Trump during RNC

10:00 , Joe Sommerlad

Nikki Haley, the Republican nominee’s hated rival during the primaries, completed her descent into outright absurdity yesterday by taking to the stage to “strongly” endorse his presidential run.

Never exactly convincing as the face of The Resistance, having served in Trump’s administration, it’s hard to forget that she said this as recently as late February.

Here’s John Bowden on a truly preposterous moment from the ex-South Carolina governor.

Nikki Haley talks ‘unity’ as she strongly backs Trump during RNC

Trump back at the RNC for the second night with ear still bandaged

09:30 , Joe Sommerlad

Good morning!

Donald Trump made his second appearance in two days at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee on Tuesday, just days after he survived an attempted assassination during a campaign rally.

The former president walked into the Fiserv Forum with a white bandage still covering his right ear, after he was clipped by a bullet fired by a gunman armed with an AR-15-style rifle on Saturday.

He was once again greated with cacophonous applause as he entered the convention hall just after 9pm local time, with supporters in the crowd at the convention hall mimicking the dance moves he has been known to bust out at his rallies.

He applauded and pumped his fist while mouthing “thank you” to the crowd, before being joined by his newly-selected running mate JD Vance.

Both men are due to make speeches at the convention this week – on Wednesday and Thursday, respectively.

Mike Bedigan reports.

Trump back at the RNC for the second night with ear still bandaged

Boris Johnson, Donald Trump pictured at RNC

09:00 , Katie Hawkinson

Donald Trump and former UK prime minister Boris Johnson were pictured together at the Republican National Convention on Tuesday.

“Great to meet President Trump who is on top form after the shameful attempt on his life,” Johnson posted on X. “We discussed Ukraine and I have no doubt that he will be strong and decisive in supporting that country and defending democracy.”

Former prime minister Liz Truss is also attending the convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

JD Vance, from ‘hillbilly’ to VP candidate: How an Ohio kid from a broken home rose to be a Republican star

08:00 , Io Dodds

JD Vance, the famed Appalachian memoirist turned pugnacious Republican senator, has been named Donald Trump’s vice presidential nominee as the former president looks to take back the White House.

It is an extraordinary ascent for a 39-year-old former US Marine and child of a violent, broken home, best known for his searing 2016 book about the poverty and despair of America’s Rust Belt.

Hillbilly Elegy – which sought to explain Trump’s rise by dissecting and sharply criticizing the culture that he’d grow up in – made Vance an instant media darling, hailed by many shell-shocked left-wingers as a “Trump whisperer.”

Read on:

How JD Vance rose from a broken home in ‘hillbilly’ country to be a Republican leader

Video: JD Vance arrives for day two of Republican National Convention

07:00 , Katie Hawkinson

What to watch as the Republican National Convention enters its third day in Milwaukee

06:56 , Namita Singh

The third day of the Republican National Convention kicks off on Wednesday with Republicans — led by the newly nominated Donald Trump and JD Vance — shifting to issues of national security and foreign policy.

Republicans are expected to focus on Democratic president Joe Biden’s handling of the ongoing crises in Europe and the Middle East. Former Trump administration officials are expected to take the stage to outline what foreign policy would look like in a second Trump term.

That will likely include speeches from Richard Grenell, Trump’s former acting director of national intelligence, and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

And Mr Vance is expected to accept his party’s nomination for vice president.

Despite his celebrity after publishing the memoir “Hillbilly Elegy,” the 39-year-old Ohio senator is unknown to many Americans — and even to many top Republicans in Milwaukee. He’ll get the chance to address a national audience on Wednesday.

Expect a speech that introduces his family — his wife, Usha, and their three children — and his endorsement of Trump’s policies.

Stepped-up security around Trump is apparent, with agents walling him off from RNC crowds

06:38 , Namita Singh

On the floor of the Republican National Convention Tuesday evening, vice presidential candidate JD Vance greeted and shook hands with excited delegates as he walked toward his seat.

It was a marked contrast from former president Donald Trump, who entered the hall a few minutes later and was separated from supporters by a column of Secret Service agents. His ear still bandaged after an attempted assassination, Trump closely hugged the wall. Instead of handshakes or hellos for those gathered, he offered fist pumps to the cameras.

The contrast underscores the new reality facing Trump after a gunman opened fire at his rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday, raising serious questions about the agency that is tasked with protecting the president, former presidents and major-party candidates. Trump’s campaign must also adjust to a new reality after he came millimeters from death or serious injury — and as law enforcement warns of the potential for more political violence.

Trump campaign officials declined to comment on the stepped-up security and how it might impact his interactions going forward.

“We do not comment on President Trump’s security detail. All questions should be directed to the United States Secret Service,” said Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, whose agency oversees the Secret Service, said Monday that he could not discuss “specifics of the protection or the enhancements made, as they involve sensitive tactics and procedures. I can say, however, that personnel and other protective resources, technology, and capabilities have been added.”

Rudy Giuliani takes a fall and tumbles into chairs while walking RNC floor

06:00 , Katie Hawkinson

Rudy Giuliani took a tumble while walking through the Fiserv Forum, where the Republican National Convention is taking place.

Giuliani was walking up an aisle in the main convention hall when he suddenly fell sideways into a row of chairs before falling onto the floor, video on social media showed. Passersby stopped to help the 80-year-old stand up and continue down the aisle.

He was helped back up and seemed no worse for wear - except maybe for some slight embarrassment.

Read on:

Rudy Giuliani takes a fall and tumbles into chairs while walking RNC floor

Speakers attack Biden over border policies

05:30 , Namita Singh

Republicans used the second day of the RNC to paint the flow of migrants into the US as an “invasion”, while demonising those entering the country as violent criminals.

While border crossings have reached record highs during Joe Biden’s tenure, arrests dropped sharply in June after the president implemented a broad asylum ban.

Anne Fundner, a mother whose teenage son died from fentanyl poisoning, said she held Mr Biden and other Democrats responsible for his death. The family of Rachel Morin, a Maryland woman who authorities say was raped and killed by a Salvadoran immigrant who had crossed the US-Mexico border illegally several times, blamed Democratic policies as well.

Trump has highlighted Morin’s death on the campaign trail, where he frequently demonises migrants as violent criminals. Studies show immigrants do not commit crime at a higher rate than native-born Americans.

Trump has vowed to crack down on illegal immigration and pledged to launch the largest deportation effort in US history, including the use of federal troops if necessary.

Trump entered the arena around 8pm local time to a raucous ovation, just as he did on Monday in his first public appearance since a gunman tried to assassinate him on Saturday at a Pennsylvania campaign rally.

He was more ebullient than the night before, when he seemed emotional and more subdued than usual. A heavily bandaged ear served as a reminder of how narrowly he survived the attempt.

Who is JD Vance’s wife Usha Chilukuri Vance?

05:16 , Namita Singh

On day one of the Republican National Convention, Donald Trump finally put months of speculation to rest when he unveiled his pick for his running mate.

Ohio Senator JD Vance will join him on the ticket in November’s election, and his new role as the Republican Party’s nominee for the vice presidency has inspired fresh interest in the younger man’s back story.

Vance, 39, was already well known for his best-selling memoir Hillbilly Elegy (2016) before he entered politics, as well as for having been a scathing critic of Trump before running for office at which point he underwent a Damascene conversion and hailed him as a great president.

Many will now be acquainted with his journey, perhaps less well-known is the story of Vance’s wife Usha Chilukuri Vance.

Who is she? Find out more about her in this report from Joe Sommerlad:

Who is JD Vance’s wife Usha Chilukuri Vance?

Out-of-town cop working RNC fatally shoots Black man ‘with a knife’ one mile from convention arena

05:01 , Mike Bedigan

A man has been shot and killed near the Republican National Convention by an officer pulled in from out of state to work security for the event.

According to local media, the individual had reportedly brandished a knife near police before being shot and killed in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on Tuesday.

Milwaukee law enforcement later confirmed that the incident had involved members of police from Columbus, Ohio. No officers had been injured, a statement from FOP Lodge 9 said. Columbus police confirmed the incident and said it did not appear to be connected to the convention. Columbus police referred questions to Milwaukee officials.

Read on:

Out-of-town cop working RNC fatally shoots man ‘with a knife’ a mile from convention

Donald Trump is feted by his formal rivals in a show of Republican unity after rally shooting

04:33 , Namita Singh

Donald Trump was celebrated on Tuesday at the Republican National Convention by former rivals who just months ago leveled harsh critiques about him, a show of unity that contrasts with the divisions increasingly ripping through the Democratic Party.

Nikki Haley, the former UN ambassador who was Trump’s final challenger in the GOP primary, directly addressed her supporters after taking the stage to a mix of cheers and boos.

“My message to them is simple: You don’t have to agree with Trump 100 per cent of the time to vote for him,” Ms Haley said.

She was followed by Florida governor Ron DeSantis, a one time Trump ally turned primary rival who has worked to rebuild his relationship with the former president since dropping out of the primary.

“Donald Trump has been demonised. He’s been sued. He’s been prosecuted. And he nearly lost his life,” Mr DeSantis told the crowd. “We cannot let him down. And we cannot let America down.”

Such overtures are typical in political conventions, where the purpose is often to bring a party together after bitter primaries. But the appearances of Ms Haley and Mr DeSantis were particularly notable given the personal animosity that defined this year’s GOP contest — much of that being directed by Trump at Ms Haley and Mr DeSantis.

The displays of unity stood in stark contrast to the dynamic facing Democrats, many of whom are increasingly uncertain that president Joe Biden is the right choice to take on Trump in the November election.

Capitol Police stop armed 21-year-old suspect wearing ski mask outside of RNC security perimeter: report

04:09 , John Bowden

Three days after Donald Trump came within inches of being gravely wounded or killed in what authorities called an assassination attempt, another scary scene was abruptly averted by members of US Capitol Police at the Republican National Convention.

On Tuesday evening, thousands of RNC delegates, staff, and other Republicans poured into the Fiserv Center in Milwaukee for day two of the the GOP nominating contest. While Trump himself as well as his newly-named running mate JD Vance were inside, police officers encountered a man with a ski mask and a gun outside, according to reports.

A 21-year-old man is in custody and awaiting charges Tuesday evening after Milwaukee police said he was stopped by Capitol police officers on a street outside of the RNC security perimeter, which extends for several blocks around the convention center.

Read more:

Capitol Police stop armed 21-year-old wearing ski mask outside of RNC: report

Lara Trump closes out second night of RNC by reflecting on assassination attempt

04:01 , Katie Hawkinson

Lara Trump closed out the second day of the RNC by speaking about the assassination attempt against her father-in-law.

“Nothing prepares you for a moment like that,” Lara Trump said. “Our family had faced our fair share of death threats, mysterious powders sent to our homes, tasteless and violent comments directed towards us on social media.”

“But none of that prepares you as a daughter-in-law to watch in real time someone try to kill a person you love,” she continued.

“None of that prepares you as a mother to quickly reach for the remote and turn your young children away from the screen so that they’re not witness to something that scars the memory of their grandpa for the rest of their lives.”

Donald Trump made another appearance at the RNC this evening, still wearing a bandage on his ear after Thomas Matthew Crooks shot him on Saturday in Butler, Pennsylvania.

Ex GOP leader says US hasn’t seen an assassination attempt since the 60s (apparently forgetting the 1981 try on Reagan)

04:00 , Katie Hawkinson

Former GOP leader Kevin McCarthy incorrectly claimed there had not been an assassination attempt on a president since the 1960s as he spoke at the Republican National Convention.

The former Speaker of the House was discussing the attempted assassination against Donald Trump when as he spoke to reporters at the RNC when he made the blunder.

“We just had an assassination attempt, we haven’t seen something like this on a president since the ‘60s,” McCarthy told reporters at the RNC on Tuesday.

Read more:

McCarthy forgets Reagan assassination attempt saying the US hasn’t had one since 60s

Nikki Haley talks ‘unity’ as she strongly backs Trump during RNC despite primary barbs

03:46 , John Bowden

As her onetime opponent looked on, Nikki Haley took to the stage on Tuesday and declared that a man she said was mentally diminished and unqualified for elected office should be her party’s nominee for president.

It was a moment that would have been galling anywhere but the modern Republican Party, and that’s exactly who Haley addressed onstage in Milwaukee as she made clear that she sees a political future in a MAGA-fied GOP.

Read on:

Nikki Haley talks ‘unity’ as she strongly backs Trump during RNC

Trump back at the RNC for the second night with ear still bandaged from assassination attempt

03:45 , Mike Bedigan

Donald Trump made his second appearance in two days at the Republican National Convention Tuesday, just days after he survived an attempted assassination during a campaign rally.

The former president walked into the Fiserv Forum with a white bandage still covering his right ear, after he was clipped by a bullet fired by a gunman armed with an AR-15-style rifle on Saturday.

He was once again greated with cacophonous applause as he entered the convention hall just after 9pm local time, with supporters in the crowd at the convention hall mimicking the dance moves he has been known to bust out at campaign rallies.

Read on:

Trump back at the RNC for the second night with ear still bandaged

Watch: Nikki Haley says Trump asked her to speak on 'unity' at RNC

03:30 , Katie Hawkinson

Brother of woman murdered in Maryland speaks at RNC

03:23 , Katie Hawkinson

Rachel Morin, a 37-year-old mother of five who was killed on a Maryland hiking trail, was honored by her brother at the RNC on Tuesday.

“Last year, we lost my beloved sister, Rachel,” Michael Morin told RNC attendees. “She went for a walk in one of our family’s favorite places. This beautiful trail was to us, a safe place where we pushed our babies in strollers, where we walked together as a family, where my wife and I got married, near what would later become the spot where my sister’s body was found.”

Police arrested Victor Martinez Hernandez as a suspect nearly a year after Rachel Morin’s murder. Police said Hernandez, who is from El Salvador, had been living in the US illegally since February 2023.

“My sister’s death was preventable,” Michael Morin said.

Michael Morin said he did not hear from Joe Biden or Kamala Harris after his sister’s death, but he did receive a phone call from Donald Trump.

“I pray that we hold worldly leaders accountable for safety and justice for innocent people,” Michael Morin said. “I pray that we make our country safe and secure in the memory of my sister, Rachel, who loved life.”

Jim Justice’s Babydog steals show on second night of Republican convention

03:15 , Andrew Feinberg

West Virginia Governor Jim Justice hadn’t finished the first sentence of his remarks at the Republican National Convention on Tuesday when the crowd at the FiServ forum drowned him out by chanting a single word, over and over again.

“Babydog, Babydog, Babydog.”

The attendees at the GOP’s confab was demanding the presence of an unlikely political icon, Justice’s ubiquitous English bulldog.

Read more:

Jim Justice’s Babydog steals show on second night of Republican convention

Ted Cruz gives rampantly anti-immigrant speech

03:00 , Eric Garcia

Senator Ted Cruz of Texas delivered a rampantly anti-immigrant speech on the second night of the Republican National Convention.

Cruz, who is up for re-election in his home state. But he started his speech praising the person who insulted his wife and implied that his father helped kill John F. Kennedy. He then pivoted to talking about immigration to touch on the GOP theme of “Make America Safe Again” despite the fact that the FBI has said that crime is on the decline.

Specifically, he spoke about immigrants who migrated to the United States illegally commiting crimes against Americans, specifically women.

“Every day, Americans are dying, murdered, assault, raped by illegal immigrants the Democrats have released,” he said. “And it is happening every d*** day.”

Cruz then proceeded to speak about women who have been killed by undocumented immigrants and repeated the line “every d*** day.”

Cruz talked about the the fact that the US-Mexico border is being invaded.

“We are facing an invasion on our southern border,” he said. “Not figuratively, a literal invasion.”

Cruz also said Democrats did so for political reasons.

“It happened because Democrats cynically decided they wanted votes from illegals than they wanted to protect our children,” he said.

Cruz, like many Texas Republicans, has sought to make his re-election about immigration despite his hardline views on everything from taxes to immigration. Texas’s Governor Greg Abbott overwhelmingly won re-election in 2022 against Cruz’s 2018 Senate opponent Beto O’Rourke by focusing heavily on immigration.

Abbott has sent scores of undocumented immigrants to cities like New York City.

Ron DeSantis, former foe of Donald Trump, takes the stage

02:44 , Katie Hawkinson

Ron DeSantis — the Florida governor whom Donald Trump’s campaign once mocked for reportedly eating pudding with his fingers — spoke in support of the Trump-Vance ticket on Tuesday night.

The campaign ad aired during DeSantis’ bid for president. The Florida governor dropped out of the race in January.

“Donald Trump has been demonized, he’s been sued, he’s been prosecuted and he nearly lost his life,” DeSantis told RNC attendees on Tuesday. “We cannot let America down.”

Nikki Haley says she and Trump ‘agree more than we disagree'

02:35 , Katie Hawkinson

Nikki Haley, the former presidential candidate who dropped out of the race in March, took the stage to support Donald Trump.

“You don’t have to agree with Trump 100% of the time to vote for him,” the former ambassador said. “Take it from me, I haven’t always agreed with President Trump, but we agree more often than we disagree.”

Haley formerly ran on an anti-Trump platform but had vowed to support the ultimate GOP nominee.

Rudy Giuliani takes a fall and tumbles into chairs while walking RNC floor

02:30 , Katie Hawkinson

Rudy Giuliani took a tumble while walking through the Fiserv Forum, where the Republican National Convention is taking place.

Giuliani was walking up an aisle in the main convention hall when he suddenly fell sideways into a row of chairs before falling onto the floor, video on social media showed. Passersby stopped to help the 80-year-old stand up and continue down the aisle.

He was helped back up and seemed no worse for wear - except maybe for some slight embarrassment.

Read on:

Rudy Giuliani takes a fall and tumbles into chairs while walking RNC floor

Trump makes second appearance at RNC

02:05 , Katie Hawkinson

Donald Trump has made his second appearance at the Republican National Convention on Tuesday evening.

The former president was met with a standing ovation as he walked to stand next to his running mate, JD Vance, in the venue’s family box.

Last night, when he appeared following the assassination attempt against him on Saturday, he was met with roaring cheers and chants of “USA.”

Reality star discusses parents’ convictions at RNC

01:59 , Katie Hawkinson

Reality TV star Savannah Chrisley appeared at the RNC this evening to discuss her parents’ convictions.

Chrisley is known for the show “Chirlsey Knows Best,” which ran from 2014 to 2023. Her parents, Todd Chrisley and Julie Chrisley, are being held in prison on fraud charges.

The media personality claimed the prosecutor in their case discriminated against them because of their “public profile.”

“I’ll never forget what the prosecutor said in the most heavily Democrat county in the state before an Obama-appointed judge: He called us the Trumps of the South,” Chrisley said.

“I wear it as a badge of honor,” she continued.

Ramaswamy makes an appeal to Black voters

01:41 , Eric Garcia

Vivek Ramaswamy, former presidential candidate, appealed to Black voters in his RNC speech.

“Our message to black Americans is this: The media has tried to convince you for decades that Republicans don’t care about their communities, but we do,” he said. “We want for you what we wanted for every American, safe neighborhoods. clean neighborhoods, clean streets.”

He also sought to create a parallel between Trump’s convictions and the two-tiered justice system that Black Americans face, saying they deserve, “a justice system that treats everyone equally, regardless of your skin color and regardless of your political beliefs.”

GOP leader falsely claims Biden wants people who are not citizens to vote

01:35 , Katie Hawkinson

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise claimed President Joe Biden and his administration want to allow people who are not US citizens to vote in American elections.

“Biden and Harris want illegals to vote now that they’ve opened up the border,” Scalise said on the RNC stage.

The Biden administration has not advocated for people who are not citizens to vote in US elections.

Reuters recently reported that Biden’s new immigration policy, released on June 18, has been mischaracterized online as allowing undocumented immigrants to vote.

The policy, instead, helps ease the process for some people who are married to US citizens to obtain “lawful permanent residence.” This status does not allow someone to vote in elections, Reuters reports.

Democrat-turned-Republican representative calls for unity at RNC

01:13 , Katie Hawkinson

Representative Jefferson Van Drew of New Jersey, a former Democrat who switched parties in 2020, called for unity across parties at the RNC.

“After the tragic shooting last Saturday, we need to come together, all of us, Republicans, Democrats and Independents,” Van Drew said. “We need to be the shining city on the hill, a nation that empowers us to do extraordinary things. We will conquer new challenges. We will reach new heights, and we will blaze new trails of greatness. We will make America great again.”

Arizona Senate candidate speaks on immigration at RNC

Wednesday 17 July 2024 00:54 , Katie Hawkinson

Kari Lake, a Senate candidate from Arizona, claimed that Democratic lawmakers have “handed over control” of Arizona to “drug cartels” at the Republican National Convention.

“[Ruben] Gallego and the Democrats have handed over control of my state, Arizona’s border, to the drug cartels, and because of them, criminals and deadly drugs are pouring in and our children are dying,” Lake said on Tuesday night.

“Our children are getting their hands on these drugs and dying...we are losing a generation of young people to this fentanyl crisis, and it’s got to stop,” she continued.

Lake’s claims echo much of the rhetoric used to describe immigration at the RNC this week.

Last night, Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene claimed the Democrats “ripped open our borders and allowed millions of illegal aliens to pour in, driving up the cost of housing and health care while slashing American wages and eliminating jobs.”

Greene also repeated a baseless claim that only “illegal aliens” have found success in the US under Joe Biden’s administration.

In-memoriam section of RNC featured long-time Democrat

Wednesday 17 July 2024 00:45 , Andrew Feinberg

West Virginia’s Babydog Justice takes the stage

Wednesday 17 July 2024 00:37 , Katie Hawkinson

West Virginia governor Jim Justice brought his pet dog, Babydog Justice, to the RNC stage this evening.

“Now, as the world watches, you didn’t really expect that, did you? With that being said, let me say just this: She makes us smile, and she loves everybody,” Justice said of his dog. “And how could a message be any more simpler than just that?”

Babydog is a local celebrity in the Mountain State. The pooch has appeared in government campaigns and was featured in an official mural about the state’s history.

Learn more about the dog-turned-political-icon from Holly Baxter:

Babydog Justice appears on RNC speaker schedule, in surprise twist

RNC speaker appears to call the vice president ‘Carmella’

Wednesday 17 July 2024 00:15 , Katie Hawkinson

Perry Johnson, a businessman and speaker at the Republican National Convention, appeared to call Vice President Kamala Harris by a name that sounds like “Carmella.”

“Joe, Carmella and Gretchen [Whitmer], I have a message for you: Michigan is the state that gave Donald Trump the win in 2016, and Michigan will be the state that sends President Trump back to the White House in ’24,” Johnson said on stage at the RNC.

Tonight’s speakers will also include a line-up of GOP candidates for Senate, Florida governor Ron DeSantis and former presidential candidate Nikki Haley.

Lara Trump says her father-in-law will likely return to Butler, Pennsylvania

Wednesday 17 July 2024 00:00 , Katie Hawkinson

Donald Trump will likely return to Butler, Pennsylvania following the assassination attempt against him at a rally in the town on Saturday, his daughter-in-law Lara Trump said.

“I can tell you there’s no one who wants to get back out to a rally more than Donald Trump himself,” Lara Trump said at a Bloomberg roundtable on Tuesday. “And I can almost guess that you would probably choose to go back to Butler, Pennsylvania, because that’s how he operates.”

Lara Trump is expected to speak this evening alongside several other GOP figureheads, including Florida governor Ron DeSantis and former presidential candidate Nikki Haley.

Trump may arrive at RNC for second night: report

Tuesday 16 July 2024 23:45 , Katie Hawkinson

Donald Trump is expected to make a second appearance at the Republican National Convention later this evening, CNN reports.

This comes after he made a surprise appearance on Monday night, entering the venue with a bandaged ear. He was met with roaring cheers and chants of “USA” from the audience as he paraded through the crowd.

What to expect tonight at the RNC

Tuesday 16 July 2024 23:30 , Katie Hawkinson

The convention’s Tuesday evening programming is set to begin at 6 pm CT / 7 pm ET.

The programming will kick off with a Senate candidate hour, before a half-hour program from House leadership.

Afterward, several major names are set to take the stage, including former ambassador Nikki Haley and Florida governor Ron DeSantis.

Lara Trump, daughter-in-law to the former president and co-chair of the RNC, is scheduled to end the night.

JD Vance’s campaign website redirects to Trump’s

Tuesday 16 July 2024 23:15 , Katie Hawkinson

JD Vance’s campaign website now redirects to Donald Trump’s own campaign homepage.

This change comes after Trump announced the Ohio senator as his running mate on Monday afternoon.

As of last night, users could still access his site, according to web archive records.

Watch live: Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis speak at Republican National Convention

Tuesday 16 July 2024 23:06 , Katie Hawkinson

Watch live: Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis speak at Republican National Convention

Katie Britt mercilessly mocked for RNC speech after viral SOTU rebuttal: ‘Serial killer vibes’

Tuesday 16 July 2024 23:00 , Rachel Sharp

Republican Senator Katie Britt has been mercilessly mocked online for her speech at the Republican National Convention, which brought back memories of her viral State of the Union rebuttal.

The GOP senator took to the stage at the RNC on Monday, where Donald Trump’s vice presidential pick was unveiled as JD Vance and the former president made his first public appearance since surviving an assassination attempt over the weekend.

In the speech, Britt hit out at President Joe Biden saying that both he and the nation are “in decline” while Trump is the “change we need” this election.

Read more:

Katie Britt mocked for RNC speech after viral SOTU rebuttal: ‘Serial killer vibes’

Boris Johnson, Donald Trump pictured at RNC

Tuesday 16 July 2024 22:45 , Katie Hawkinson

Donald Trump and former UK prime minister Boris Johnson were pictured together at the Republican National Convention on Tuesday.

“Great to meet President Trump who is on top form after the shameful attempt on his life,” Johnson posted on X. “We discussed Ukraine and I have no doubt that he will be strong and decisive in supporting that country and defending democracy.”

Former prime minister Liz Truss is also attending the convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Out-of-town cop working RNC fatally shoots Black man ‘with a knife’ one mile from convention arena

Tuesday 16 July 2024 22:30 , Mike Bedigan

A man has been shot and killed near the Republican National Convention by an officer pulled in from out of state to work security for the event.

According to local media, the individual had reportedly brandished a knife near police before being shot and killed in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on Tuesday.

Milwaukee law enforcement later confirmed that the incident had involved members of police from Columbus, Ohio. No officers had been injured, a statement from FOP Lodge 9 said. Columbus police confirmed the incident and said it did not appear to be connected to the convention. Columbus police referred questions to Milwaukee officials.

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Out-of-town cop working RNC fatally shoots man ‘with a knife’ a mile from convention

Officers fatally shoot person near RNC

Tuesday 16 July 2024 22:00 , Katie Hawkinson

Police officers from Columbus, Ohio shot and killed a person a mile outside the RNC venue in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on Tuesday afternoon, local outlet WISN reports.

Local law enforcement and Secret Service agents are on the scene, according to WISN. While police have not confirmed the details, witnesses told the outlet two men were fighting in a park when one pulled out a knife. The witnesses said officers then shot multiple times at the man, WISN reports.

Meanwhile, at least five people have been arrested at or near the convention since Sunday. Security measures have been heightened in light of the assassination attempt against Donald Trump at his Butler, Pennsylvania rally on Saturday.

JD Vance: Climate activists alarmed by Trump’s ‘dangerous’ pick for vice president

Tuesday 16 July 2024 21:49 , Stuti Mishra

Campaigners are responding with alarm to the selection of climate denier and Ohio senator JD Vance as Donald Trump’s vice presidential nominee, with activists warning he represents a “dangerous” voice for the US.

Mr Vance, a staunch supporter of the oil and gas industry and an opponent of renewable energy, was announced as Mr Trump’s vice-presidential candidate on Monday.

Despite previously acknowledging the climate crisis, Mr Vance now strongly supports the fossil fuel industry, a major financial contributor to his campaign.

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JD Vance: Climate activists alarmed by Trump’s ‘dangerous’ pick for vice president

‘It’s over!’ Progressives fear Trump’s assassination attempt will win him the presidency

Tuesday 16 July 2024 21:15 , Richard Hall

Hasan Piker, a popular progressive streamer with millions of followers, was broadcasting live on Twitch on Saturday when his viewers alerted him to the attempted assassination of Donald Trump.

As he repeatedly watched clips of the former president being led away by Secret Service agents, he declared the election was as good as done.

“He’s still throwing up fists as they’re putting him in the f****ing car bro,” he said through a grimace. “Stop! Every fist is another 10,000 in a f***ing red state.”

“It’s over!” he said of the upcoming election.

In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, many progressives experienced the same feeling.

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Progressives fear Trump’s assassination attempt will win him the presidency

Watch live: Biden returns to campaign trail with speech to NAACP in Nevada

Tuesday 16 July 2024 21:00 , Katie Hawkinson

Watch live: Biden returns to campaign trail with speech to NAACP in Nevada

Former sniper Rep. Cory Mills raises questions about Trump assassination attempt

Tuesday 16 July 2024 20:45 , Lucy Leeson

Former sniper Rep. Cory Mills raises questions about Trump assassination attempt