Live blogging night 2 of the 2024 Republican National Convention

Coming soon. In the meantime, check out our coverage of night 1.

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Is the GOP unified? Maybe. But old GOP rivalries die hard. Remember when Matt Gaetz managed to get Kevin McCarthy removed as Speaker of the House? Remember when the House Ethics Committee investigated Gaetz for sex trafficking? Well today McCarthy and Gaetz met on the floor of the convention. Watch:

Shortly after this moment, we interviewed former Speaker McCarthy who repeated what we’ve heard from him before- Gaetz is upset with him because he wouldn’t end the ethics investigation into allegations Gaetz paid for sex with a minor. https://t.co/C4I9CgXrqP

— Joe Khalil (@JoeKhalilTV) July 16, 2024

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GOP candidates are starting off night 2.

Kari Lake, GOP candidate for Senate in Arizona, is calling for the building of a wall to stop the fentanyl crisis. The crowd is chanting “build the wall, build the wall.” Keeps calling herself a “mama bear” who cares about the children. Like many of the speakers last night, she is very subdued.

Next is Eric Hovde. He is running for a U.S. Senate seat in Wisconsin against Democrat Tammy Baldwin. Hovde is CEO of Hovde Properties, a real estate development company. This guy has a kind of “Marlboro Man” look about him. After bashing Biden for about five minutes, he goes on a “national unity” rant. Says the media and “the Left” are dividing the country.

Next is Bernie Moreno from Ohio. He is trying unseat Sherrod Brown in the U.S. Senate. Moreno ran against J.D. Vance in the 2020 GOP primary in Ohio. Talks about how his parents came to America from Columbia “legally.” Moreno says that Vance represents “the best of America” and will “always put America first.” Both Hovde (see above) and Moreno are linking their opponents to Joe Biden. Nothing particularly interesting here–just a reiteration of Trump policies. Crowd chanting “Bernie, Bernie, Bernie.”

Up now is Mike Rogers from Michigan. Some of you may know this guy from his years as a commentator on CNN. I always saw Rogers as a reasonable anti-Trumper. Apparently he changed his mind. Politics does weird things to people’s minds. Rogers was a member of the House from 2001 to 2015 and served as chairman of the House Intelligence Committee. Just made a reference to “nap time” in the White House.

Dave McCormick takes the stage from. He is running against Bob Casey for a U.S. Senate seat from Pennsylvania. You may recall that McCormick lost to Dr. Mehmet Oz in the GOP primary in 2022. (Oz lost to John Fetterman). McCormick talks about being present in Butler when the assassination attempt occurred. (In fact, Trump referenced him several seconds before he was shot). McCormick says Casey has been around too long. Says that “The Macarena” was the #1 song when Casey was elected. He connects Casey to Biden. Says that this is “the most important election of our lifetime.” (As we haven’t heard that before–isn’t every election “the most important”). Casey is not a very charismatic figure, but neither is McCormick.

Now a video of Katie Britt saying that “America is not safe under Joe Biden.” Says Trump will restore “law and order.”

West Virginia governor Jim Justice comes out. Justice is a very large man. He is seated behind the lectern. Now his bulldog, “Babydoll, ” comes out on stage. Justice is running for Senate in West Virginia. Says “we will become totally unhinged if Donald Trump is not elected in November.” CNN is running a split screen with Justice and Baby Doll. Justice says that he has fished and hunted with Eric Trump and Eric once changed his tire in the woods. This apparently makes Donald Trump a good father. (One wonders if Donald Trump can change a tire.). Justice says that Babydoll told him that Republicans would gain control of all three branches of government in November. CNN commentator Scott Jennings joked that Babydoll must have felt safe learning that South Dakota governor Kristi Noem did not speak tonight.

Jim Banks is now up. He is running for a U.S. Senate seat from Indiana. Says he is ashamed of Biden’s handling of Afhganistan withdrawal: “Joe Biden is an embarrassment.” Calls Biden “the weakest president in history” and Trump “the greatest president of my lifetime.” Says “this is no time for wimpy Republicans,” adding that all undocumented immigrants will be sent home under Trump.

Captain Sam Brown up next. Running for U.S. Senate seat in Nevada. Brown was badly burned in 2008 by an explosive device while serving in the U.S. Army in Afghanistan. It is an inspiring story. References Trump’s plan to cut taxes on tips for Nevada service workers. Brown says: “Look at my face. This is the high price of war.” Says Biden will bring us through more war. Brown is an evangelical. He attends Calvary Chapel Reno-Sparks. This is the same denomination that has brought us Jack Hibbs and Greg Laurie.

Tim Sheehy is now up. He struts out like a cowboy. No tie and open shirt showing a hairy chest. The former Navy SEAL says “I fight fires for a living” and “the world is on fire under Joe Biden. Sheehy is running against Jon Tester. Again, connects Tester’s record to Biden. Rips Tester for driving a Prius.

Hung Cao is running for a Senate seat from Virginia. He talks about his family’s escape from Vietnam before it fell to the communists. “My name is Hung Cao and America saved my life.” A graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and 25 years of service in Navy’s special operations. This guy is very intense. He is running against former Hillary Clinton running mate Tim Kaine. Calls Kaine “a weak man in a dangerous world.” He says people shouldn’t come to America if they are not willing to embrace American culture. Not sure what he means by “American culture,” but he seems to really mean it. Says that in November the Left will vote for “hatred of one man,” but Republicans will “vote for love.”

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Florida Senator Rick Scott is up. Start with this: “Can anything stop Donald Trump from becoming the next president and making America great again?” Scott is asking the audience to imagine a world in which Joe Biden is president. Says Biden is trying to tear down this country and rebuild it in his own “woke image.” Says the Democrats are “evil.” Says Biden is a socialist. Actually he is not a socialist, but I don’t think Scott cares. In an age of politics as spiritual warfare, the use of words like “evil” just might trigger someone. So much for “national unity.”

Congressman Jeff Van Drew of New Jersey is up. Van Drew was a former Democrat from South Jersey who became a Republican so he could support Trump. Speaks to people who feel the Democratic Party has “left them behind.” Both tonight and last night Trump is highlighting from Democrats and anti-Trumpers who changed their mind and joined the MAGA faithful. Drew references the “shining city on a hill.”

Elise Stefanik, congresswoman from New York, is next. Stefanik goes right after Biden’s border policy, “Bidenflation,” his foreign policy, his immigration policy, and college campus protests.. Stefanik is an attack dog. She is patting herself on the back for taking down Ivy League college presidents. Says Trump will bring back “moral leadership” to the White House. Oh boy. Quotes Galatians 6:9: “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”

Tom Emmer, majority whip of the House, is next. He is rattling-off everything the House did to oppose Biden and pass Trump-friendly legislation. Says he passed the “strongest border security bill in decades,” but he doesn’t mention that it failed in the Senate because Trump didn’t like it. He adds, “We will turn America First principles into law.” Emmer is yelling into the microphone. He is fired-up when he says that Biden and Harris has “ruined the lives” of people in Minnesota. Says Biden and Harris are “America last.”

Steve Scalise of Louisiana comes out. He still walks with a visible limp. Clearly the MAGA members of the House are the pitbulls tonight. Van Drew, Stefanik, Emmer, and Scalise are going hard against Biden tonight. They are loud, they are obnoxious, and all sound pissed-off. Scalise says that Trump will “finish building the wall” on the border. This triggers a chant in the room of “Built That Wall, Build That Wall, Built That Wall.” Scalise says that he was the victim of a “politically-motivated shooting.” Says that Trump was one of the first people to visit him. The reference to “politically-motivated is an interesting choice of words. We do not know anything about the shooter’s motive, as John Haas wrote about today.

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson is up. Says the House is conducting an “immediate and thorough investigation” of assassination attempt on Trump. Says that the “rule of law” is in “seriously jeopardy today.” Johnson says we are in the “midst of a struggle” between two different visions of America. (I thought he was going to make a reference to spiritual warfare). Johnson talks about Jefferson’s view in the Declaration that “rights come from God” as if Jefferson’s words are theologically correct. Now he is talking about imago Dei, the idea that all human beings are dignified. Says that the “radical, woke, progressive left” want to “tear down” our principles and create a Marxist, socialist, “utopia.” (Who are these utopians?). He concludes, “now is out time to fight and we will.” Calls the GOP the party of “peace, prosperity, and opportunity.” Invites Americans to join the GOP in the “battle.” A lot of martial language here. How does that equate to Trump’s call for “national unity.”

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Vivek Ramaswamy gets his turn. He is making an appeal to Gen Z, African Americans, and “legal” immigrants. Says we are in the middle of a national “identity crisis.” Faith and patriotism, he says, has been replaced by race, gender, and identity politics. Says we must return to the values of 1776. This means we “must seal the southern border on day one!” Rattling off a bunch of Trump’s policies followed by the words “vote Trump.” Vivek believes that Trump will unite the country because “success if unifying.” He tries to convince Black Americans that Trump cares about them. Focuses on safe neighborhoods and a fair criminal justice system. Tells “illegal immigrants” that they will be returned to their “country of origin” because the broke the law. Says America deserves a president who tells the truth. Says that GOP will defend the rights of people who disagrees with what he is saying right now. Another reference to the “shining” city on a hill. He mentions that American ideals “restored unity” in America after the Civil War. He apparently has not studied Reconstruction and how “unity” was actually restored.

Ramaswamy appears to be trying to deliver an Obama-like speech from the 2004 Democratic Convention. He is no Obama.

Lee Greenwood is now singing. It’s time for me to take a break! 🙂

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Savannah Chrisley is now up. Says her family was “prosecuted” for fraud in Fulton County, Georgia. Learn the real story here.

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Eric Johnson, the mayor of Dallas, is up. Talks about progressive activists who wanted him to “defund the police.” He refused to do it. Says Dallas needs “more and better police, not less.” As Johnson speaks, the CNN cameras move to the bowels of the arena where Trump is getting ready to come out.

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J.D. Vance comes out as Merle Haggard’s “America First” plays in the background. He goes to the Trump box. Hugs Marjorie Taylor Greene. Shakes hands with Tiffany Trump and Matt Gaetz. Marshall Blackburn, Elise Stefanik, and Sarah Huckabee Sanders are also in the box tonight. The band is playing “Hang on Sloopy” by the McCoys.

CNN is reporting that Vance spoke today with Kamala Harris this afternoon. Yesterday they were reporting that Harris tried to call Vance to congratulate him and Vance let the call go to voicemail.

Rick Scott comes to the box to talk with Vance. Band still playing “Hang on Sloopy.” Not sure of the significance.

Now the video screen is showing images of Trump dancing at his rallies as “YMCA” by the Village People plays in the background. On CNN, Jake Tapper is telling us the meaning of YMCA and why it is probably inappropriate for a GOP convention.

Trump comes out. Band is playing “What I Like About You” by The Romantics. He climbs the stairs to the box and greets everyone. The bandage is still on his ear. The screen is now showing a video montage of Biden falling down and stumbling. The video then moves into a critique of Biden’s immigration policy. This is the fear part of the evening. The immigrants are coming to kill us with fentanyl and crime. So much for national unity. Biden is portrayed as someone who is trying to get Americans killed.

A fitting introduction for Ted Cruz:

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First thing Cruz says is “God bless Donald J. Trump.” Gives thanks to God for saving Donald Trump. Cruz says we are facing a “literal invasion” at the border. He talks about people murdered by “illegal immigrants” and follows the stories with the chant, “Every damn day.” He now has the entire hall chanting “every damn day.” No mention of the bipartisan immigration bill that Trump did not want so he could run for president on the border. Trump did not want that bill so he could send Ted Cruz up to the stage for moments like this.

Taking a short break. Getting ready for DeSantis and Haley.

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Nikki Haley comes out. Some are cheering her. Some do not seem happy she is there. Hard to tell. Says Haley asked her to speak to the convention “in the name of union.” She says “it was a gracious invitation and I was happy to accept.” Says “Donald Trump has my strong endorsement, period.” Trump stands up and claps. Marjorie Taylor Green over his shoulder clapping, but not smiling. Takes a shot at Biden’s debate performance. Says “a vote for Joe Biden is a vote for Kamala Harris.” Mentions that there are many Americans “who don’t agree with Donald Trump 100% of the time.” She adds, “you don’t have to agree with Donald Trump !00% of the time to vote for him.” Says she agrees with Trump more than she disagrees with Trump. Hard to explain Trump’s face as Haley speaks. He is not very enthusiastic about Haley speaking. Clapping half-heartedly.

Haley says that Putin would not have attacked Ukraine if Trump were president. Trump leans over to J.D. Vance and says “that’s true.” Haley then goes after Biden’s “weak” foreign policy and Biden’s border policy. She says “Kamala had one job and that was to fix the border. Now imagine her in charge of the entire country.” As I listen to Haley, I am reminded just how much politics is a dark space. I know some of my fellow Christians say that politics is a space that must be redeemed (“every square inch”) but I am not convinced. Politics does strange things to people.

Over on CNN, Van Jones says that Nikki Haley sounded like she had to give a toast at her ex-husband’s wedding.

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And now it’s Ron DeSantis’s turn. Says to “send Joe Biden back to his basement and Donald Trump back to the White House.” Like Haley, DeSantis gets in line. Says “America cannot allow “four more years of a Weekend at Bernie’s Presidency. DeSantis is rehashing his old campaign message about wokeness in schools. His speech sounds like something he would say at a campaign stop absent the criticism of Trump. Trump just sits there and smiles.

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U.S. Senator Eric Schmitt of Missouri is up. Schmitt says nothing that someone hasn’t already said tonight or last night. Not sure what he is adding. The crowd seems tired. They may be taking a break before Marco Rubio and Lara Trump come out.

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I guess this is the sitting U.S. senator portion of the evening. Tom Cotton of Arkansas is up. He is criticizing Biden and “Border Czar” Kamala Harris. Cotton is complaining that he had to fly home from the border with migrants who were traveling on taxpayer’s money. “Everything has gone to hell under Joe Biden.” The rest of the speech is stuff about the border we have been hearing for four years.

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Time for a break

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Anne Fundner is now speaking. Her son, Weston, died from fentanyl-laced pills. She blames the death of her son on Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. This is part of a series of speakers who have had family members killed by undocumented immigrants.

Michael Morin is now talking about the murder of her sister, Rachel. Morin says that “open borders are often portrayed as compassionate and virtuous,” but Morin does not see it that way. Says that Biden or Harris never called the Morin family, but Trump did. Morin adds that the family’s “faith in Jesus Christ” has helped them through this difficult time. He says that he prays that his sister’s killer “will find Jesus Christ.” He quotes Romans 8:28.

These are horrible stories. But we were left tonight with a view that all immigrants and refugees and asylum-seekers are murders and killers. The GOP dehumanized these men and women.

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Now comes Madeline Brame to trash New York federal prosecutor Alvin Bragg. Of course Bragg is the prosecutor who got a guilty verdict against Trump in the Stormy Daniels hush money case. More on Brame here and here. She says Trump is a “victim of the same system” under which her and her family has suffered. She is screaming “Back the Blue, Back the Blue.”

“Back the blue” was a significant theme tonight. One wonders what the U.S. Capitol police present on January 6, 2021 are thinking tonight.

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The barrage of speakers continues with Sarah Huckabee Sanders, governor of Arkansas. On the assassination attempt: “God Almighty intervened because America is one nation under God and he is certainly not finished with president Trump.” Says that she once brought her son Huck to “bring your son to work day.” She compares this to Jill dragging Joe to ‘bring your husband to work day.'” Huckabee says that “President Trump did the job that Joe Biden won’t and Kamala Harris can’t.”

She moves to a section of the speech in which she talked about all that she suffered as Trump’s press secretary. Takes some shots at MSNBC. Said that Trump always defended her against the critics. Says the “Left doesn’t care about empowering women,” adding that they don’t even know what a woman is. Biden and Harris “only care about themselves.” Such Trump is “courageous” and “daring” and ‘we can’t get him back in the White House faced enough.” The crowds start chanting “Trump, Trump, Trump.”

Finishes with “we cannot know what the future holds, but we can know damn sure who holds the future.” Is this a reference to God or Trump? I don’t think I have ever heard this line with the word “damn” inserted.

Huckabee-Sanders’s job was to make Trump look human.

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Ben Carson is up. Starts with the book of Isaiah. He references Isaiah 54:17: “No weapon formed against you shall prosper.” He lists the many “weapons” thrown at Trump. “They tried to kill him, and there he is over there (points toward Trump’s box) alive and well.” Says that God put a “shield of protection” around Trump. (Is this the POTUS Shield?).

Carson on Biden: “If you can’t say anything good about someone, don’t say anything at all.

Carson references the biblical exhortation to “fear not.” We should live as “joyful warriors for Christ.” He adds, “when God is with us, no one can stand against us.” What does this mean in a political context. Are the Democrats the one Carson and his “joyful warriors” must fight? Is Joe Biden and Kamala Harris the ones “standing against us?” Now he is suggesting that the Bible led people to rebel against England in the Revolution. He ends with the false Tocqueville claim, “America is great because America is good.” Where is Wheaton College historian Tracy McKenzie when you need him!

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I cannot remember a political convention in which the presidential candidate sat through the speeches in the way Trump is doing. The narcissism in him clearly loves this. He is basking in the praise. Over on CNN, a former Trump staffer says that this was how every cabinet meeting began when Trump was president.

Here’s a question: It is healthy for the American political system that such praise and adulation is directed toward one man?

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Marco Rubio is up. He says Americans were “brought to the precipice of the abyss” and God brought us back. What does he mean here? Is this a reference to Trump surviving his assassination attempt? Says Trump is leading a “movement” or working people.

Rubio starts by recognizing Corey Comperatore, the firefighter killed at the Trump rally last weekend.

Rubio says that there is “nothing dangerous or divisive about putting American’s first.” Anyone who is offended about putting “America first” has forgotten what America is and what America means.”

Says America is about immigrants who came to America because they could not achieve “God’s purpose for their life” in their home countries.

Rubio does not need the Poland Springs bottle tonight.

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And finally, Lara Trump. She is the wife of Trump’s son, Eric. She is the co-chairman of the Republican National Committee. She says she changed her speech after Saturday night’s assassination attempt. Describes Trump rallies as patriotic love fests where people make friends.

Quotes Proverbs 28:1: “The wicked flee when no one pursues, But the righteous are bold as a lion.” Trump is the lion. He is righteous. Apparently Biden is “wicked.”

Says that Trump has been through hell and back and never backed down. Crowd chants, “We love Trump.”

Lara Trump is not going negative here. Just praises her father-in-law. She is doing her job. This “Trump as a virtuous man” bit will go over big with the MAGA crowd. “Not even a bullet” can “break our American grit and American soul.” Of course just about everything Lara says is the exact opposite of Trump’s political life and his political life is what will lead the country if he gets elected in November.

What would “Harriett Tubman” (referenced by Lara) would think of Trump?

Lara says that Trump had a great television and real estate career, but he decided to “give back” by running for president. She is weaving a narrative of Trump as a suffering and unselfish hero, not a narcissist drunk with power.

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Corey Brooks delivers the benediction. He is the pastor of New Beginnings Church on the South Side of Chicago. Learn more about him here. Says God intervened and let Trump live so that “democracy and liberty” could go forward this week.

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I don’t think I heard anything tonight about policy. I guess that Trump and the GOP is farming things out to The Heritage Foundation.