What to watch for on day two of the Republican National Convention

MILWAUKEE — The second day of the Republican National Convention is set to begin, with more high-profile speakers on the docket as the Republican Party seeks to demonstrate a sense of unity before November.

Here are three things to watch during Tuesday’s proceedings.

What kind of reception does Nikki Haley receive?

One of the most notable speakers on Tuesday’s schedule is former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley.

There has been little love lost between Trump and Haley in recent months.

Haley emerged as Trump’s most formidable rival during the 2024 Republican Party primaries, winning the second-most delegates even as she struggled to win any major contests outside of Vermont and Washington, D.C.

Trump has been extremely bitter toward his former ambassador to the United Nations, especially after she said she would not challenge Trump for the nomination just to launch a campaign against him. He mocked her, calling her “bird brain” and complained that she was overly positive after finishing second in New Hampshire.

Haley, for her part, did not support Trump after suspending her campaign and repeatedly arguing that it was time for a new generation of leadership. She released her delegates days before the convention.

Whether the pro-Trump crowd at the Fiserv Forum will give Haley a warm welcome as a show of unity, or reject her release is one of the most intriguing questions of day two.

Does Melania Trump appear?

Former first lady Melania Trump was absent from the first night of the convention. She did not join her husband even as he made a triumphant entrance on Monday in his first public appearance since surviving an assassination attempt.

A campaign official said Melania Trump is expected to appear sometime this week, but when that will happen remains a mystery. Tuesday is typically the night the nominee’s spouse speaks, as Melania Trump did in 2016 and 2020.

But she is not on the list of speakers released by the campaign before the convention, and her absence from the campaign has been a common feature since Trump launched his third bid for the White House in 2022.

Melania Trump released a statement after her husband was wounded by an assassin over the weekend, calling the alleged shooter a “monster” who didn’t understand the former president’s apolitical side.

Featured immigration

The theme of the second day of the convention is “Making America Safe Once Again,” highlighting border security and working for peace abroad.

Border security has been at the forefront of Trump’s messaging since he first ran for the White House in 2016, and it has once again become a key focus of his 2024 bid. He and his campaign have seized on the record number of border arrests and argued that Biden’s policies are to blame.

His campaign has highlighted the stories of ordinary Americans who have died from drug overdoses or who have had family members killed by migrants who entered the country illegally, and they will likely do the same on Tuesday night.

Trump’s rhetoric surrounding immigration and violent crime is often heated, as he has claimed in the past that immigrants entering the country illegally are “poisoning the blood” of the country. It’s unclear whether that tone will change on Tuesday as the party seeks to recalibrate after Saturday’s shooting.

This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story