On the Scene at the RNC - Day Two Recap and Thoughts From a First-Time Alternate Delegate

Tuesday marked Day Two of the Republican National Convention (RNC). So many Americans have experienced an RNC, so you know that I am at that stage where a bit of fatigue is setting in. Early mornings if you want to grab a free hotel breakfast and late nights. If you are among the many young people here, which is a great thing to see, your nights are probably even later. But sadly at some point, we all become that old Chris Rock skit, and we are "too old for the club."

The theme of the convention for Day Two was "Make America Safe Again," but I will get back to that in a minute. There were so many amazing speeches it will be hard to mention them all here. Arizona Senate candidate Kari Lake was one of the first to speak. She said several things that a lot of us are thinking, if only the rest of America could be in the room and feel the electricity. It really is palpable and just plain fun. The other thing she did, was call out the fake news. After welcoming everyone, she stopped herself and said, "Actually wait a minute, I don't mean that, I don't welcome everybody in this meeting, in this room. The guys up in the fake news, frankly, you have worn out your welcome." As the old saying goes, the crowd went wild.

Together, we will Make America Safe Again!https://t.co/sOVXTo2g7v pic.twitter.com/lWO7JdRfHZ
— Kari Lake (@KariLake) July 17, 2024

It was the stories of the not-so-famous and those who have been thrust into pseudo-fame that I thought were the most impactful. Nevada Senate Candidate Sam Brown from Nevada was one of those stories. In September of 2008, Brown, an Afghanistan Army veteran, was riding in a Humvee when it ran over a roadside bomb. Brown was drenched in diesel fuel from the explosion and was on fire. He remembered the words of the soldier who covered him to put the flames out saying, "Sir, I got you." Brown talked about never losing hope through his painful recovery and equated himself with Donald Trump saying, "I have been through the fire. President Trump has been through the fire. But hope has not been extinguished, it is reignited!" He added the words he said gave him hope, "America, I've got you."

Nevada Senate Candidate Sam Brown's RNC Speech Highlights Service,
Sacrifice, and Economic Vision

Virginia Senate candidate Hung Cao fled communist Vietnam in the 1970s with his family as a child. He said very bluntly, "America saved my life." He talked about giving back to his adopted country by serving in the U.S. Navy. He also talked about the millions of illegal immigrants pouring over the southern border. His message to those illegal immigrants was simple, "Don't ask for the American Dream. If you are not willing to obey the American laws and embrace the American culture."

VA Senate Candidate Hung Cao Schools Pro-Hamas Immigrants at RNC:
Embrace Our Culture or Don't Come

As I stated earlier, the theme of Day Two was "Make America Safe Again." It was the stories of the victims of the lawless Biden administration that were the most heart-wrenching. Anne Fundner was living in California with her four children when her 15-year-old son Weston was killed from a fentanyl overdose. As she related the story of losing her son in a way that was so preventable, her voice became shaky. But there could not have been a dry eye in the house, from parents and even non-parents like myself. She received a standing ovation that lasted several minutes. It seemed to lift her up to be able to continue.

Michael Morin, brother of slain Maryland mother Rachel Morin described the unimaginable pain his family has experienced since the mother of five was raped and murdered in August of 2023 at the hands of an illegal immigrant. Morin said of his sister's death, "This was described as among the most brutal and violent offenses that has ever occurred in Harford County, Maryland." He added, “To this day, we have not heard from Joe Biden or Kamala Harris." Who they did hear from was Donald Trump. Morin continued, “He wanted to meet with us. He cared. That is leadership. We need real leadership back in the White House.”

Lara Trump’s speech last night at The Republican National Convention:

“If Donald Trump has shown us anything, it’s that when it feels impossible to keep going, those are the times we must keep going.”#RNC pic.twitter.com/6RE2UXBo7f
— Valuetainment Media (@ValuetainmentTV) July 17, 2024

While not originally scheduled to speak, former presidential candidate Nikki Haley did speak at the invitation of Donald Trump. Haley's appearance drew a fairly loud round of boos from the crowd. I have some mixed views about it. Nikki Haley is one of the most polarizing figures in the Republican Party. Many people, myself included, view her as an establishment neo-con who never met a war she didn't like. I never thought she was presidential material at all and believed she should have left the race long before she did. My guess is that she crawled to Donald Trump to get some sort of forgiveness, perhaps realizing if she didn't her political life was over. I can only speak for myself, but I am willing to give her the benefit of the doubt in light of Trump's calls for unity in the party, but I would also warn that she needs some intense supervision. But quite frankly, I thought it was, well, interesting, that the boos — and I get the boos — were coming from people who are spending the week talking about "unity."

'Unity': Nikki Haley Takes the RNC Stage With That Paramount Message

But one of the most impactful speeches came from Trump's daughter-in-law, Lara Trump. In covering her speech, the media will have to heavily edit what they say, or not cover it all. She humanized a man Democrats and the media have gone to great lengths to dehumanize. She talked of Trump as a husband, father, grandfather, and of course, a father-in-law. She talked about how his grandchildren run to meet him, and his love of country. She talked about the impact Saturday's assassination attempt has had on the family, and how she had to quickly turn off the television so that her children could not see what was happening.

Lara Trump Describes Moment Trump Shot on Live TV
While Her Kids Watched—'Nothing Prepares You for That'

At breakfast this morning, my fellow delegates talked about how inspirational the convention has been so far, and that part of that inspiration comes from seeing so many people involved in the process.

So, what's on tap for tonight? The big speech will be coming from vice presidential candidate JD Vance. Should be a great time!