MILWAUKEE — The Republican National Convention’s second day will focus on security and crime for its “Make America Safe Again” theme, featuring speeches from family members of victims of viciously violent crimes – as well as former President Donald Trump’s primary challengers.
The family of Rachel Morin, a 37-year-old mom who was strangled and savagely beaten to death in Maryland by an illegal migrant and suspected gang member last August, will take the stage at the Fiserv Forum around 9 pm.
The Morin family will be followed by Madeline Brame, whose son US Army veteran Hason Correa – a 35-year-old married father of three who served in Afghanistan — was fatally beaten and stabbed during a scuffle outside a Harlem apartment building in 2018.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley and bio tech mogul Vivek Ramaswamy are all set to speak at the convention this evening as well, according to a source familiar.
Ramaswamy is expected to take the stage after 7:30 pm, and Cruz, Haley and DeSantis are all to speak after 8 pm.
The inclusion of former President Donald Trump’s main primary rivals could be a component of the GOP nominee’s recent “unity” message that he’s been pushing since he was nearly assassinated on Saturday., Trump was shot in the ear by a gunman aiming for his head during a campaign event in Butler, Pa.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), also slated to speak, said Monday that his remarks will focus on speaking up for other victims of migrant crime, such as Jocelyn Nungaray and Laken Riley.
“Tomorrow I will be speaking for Jocelyn. And I will be speaking for Laken Riley. And I will be speaking for Rachel Morin and all the others whose lives had been needlessly stolen by illegal immigrants released by Joe Biden and the Democrats,” the Texas Republican told Fox News.
Tuesday’s convention-floor speeches in Milwaukee are set to kick off at 5:00 CT and will run through 10 pm. Trump was nominated as the official GOP presidential nominee on Monday, and his VP pick Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) was unanimously nominated just after.
Other featured speakers include: Committee on Arrangements chair Anne Hathaway and Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee at 5:00 pm CT, as well as CEO of Republican Jewish Coalition at roughly 5:30 pm CT.
Former 2024 GOP candidate Perry Johnson will come on at 6 pm CT, followed by Kari Lake, Wisconsin Senate candidate Eric Hovde, Ohio Senate candidate Bernie Moreno, former Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.) and Pennsylvania Senate candidate Dave McCormick.
At 6:30 pm CT, Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.), West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice, Nevada Senate candidate Sam Brown, Montana Senate candidate Tim Sheehy, Virginia Senate candidate Hung Cao and Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.)
Several other members of Congress will come on at 7 p.m., including Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-NJ), Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) and Rep. Tom Emmer (R-Minn.), as well as Louisiana Republicans Rep. Steve Scalise and House Speaker Mike Johnson.
Afterwards, Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-MO), Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR), Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, former Housing & Urban Development Secretary Dr. Ben Carson and Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) are all set to make speeches, ending with a speech from RNC co-chair Lara Trump.