RNC 2024: Crime and immigration focus on Tuesday
MILWAUKEE - The Republican National Convention entered its second day on Tuesday in Milwaukee with crime and immigration being the topic, a day after former President Donald Trump made his first public appearance since the assassination attempt.
Here's what we know so far (estimated times are in Eastern Standard Time):
10:55 p.m.
Lara Trump, Eric Trump's wife, and co-chair of the Republican National Committee, spoke about the moments after the shooting happened on Saturday and how she had to turn off the TV so that the former president’s grandchildren did not have to watch the scenes playing out on TV.
"Last Saturday reminded us that we Americans must remember that there is more that unites us than divides us," she said, adding that she’s aware that Trump’s rhetoric doesn’t always sit well with all Americans.
"Now you don’t have to admit that you like everything that he tweets, but Americans were better off when he was in office," Lara Trump said.
10:46 p.m.
Speaking on the second night of the RNC, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, who was once Trump's primary rival during the 2016 election and was rumored to be a potential running mate this year, took the stage and argued that Trump has "inspired a movement" since his 2016 campaign.
"A movement of people who grow our food and drive our trucks, the people who make our cars and build our homes, the people whose taxes fund our government, and whose children fight our wars," Rubio said.
10:27 p.m.
Several delegates at the Republican National Convention, including Arizona's Stacey Goodman and Joe Neglia, were spotted donning ear bandages that mirrored the one being worn by former President Trump after he was wounded during an assassination attempt at his Pennsylvania rally on Saturday.
"Yesterday when he came in, and there was that eruption of love in the room, I thought, 'what can I do to honor the truth? What can I possibly do?'" Neglia told Fox News Digital. "And then I saw the bandage and I thought, I can do that. So, I put it on simply to honor Trump and to express sympathy with him and unity with him."
Several delegates at the Republican National Convention were seen wearing ear bandages similar to the one former President Trump wore after being wounded in an assassination attempt at his Pennsylvania rally on Saturday.
10:24 p.m.
Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders took the stage, emphasizing that Trump and the Republicans will do more to empower women. She also mentioned the assassination attempt on Trump at a Pennsylvania rally, asserting that God protected him and isn't done with him yet.
"The left doesn't care about empowering women," Sanders said, referencing her treatment as Trump's press secretary. "Biden and Harris can't even tell you what a woman is; they only care about empowering themselves."
9:39 p.m.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who initially sought the Republican nomination for president before dropping out to support Trump, called on voters to put Trump back in the White House.
"My fellow Republicans, let's send Joe Biden back to his basement and let's send Donald Trump back to the White House."
"Life was more affordable when Donald Trump was president," DeSantis said. "Our border was safer under the Trump administration, and our country was respected when Donald Trump was our commander-in-chief," he continued.
9:27 p.m.
Nikki Haley, former U.N. ambassador under the Trump administration and his final presidential rival during this year's GOP primary, took center stage at the Republican National Convention on Tuesday night, endorsing the former president.
"Donald Trump has my strong endorsement," Haley declared at the beginning of her speech.
9:15 p.m.
The family of a mother of five who was murdered, allegedly by an illegal immigrant, took aim at the Biden administration for having "opened our borders" to the man accused of killing her.
Family members of Rachel Morin, who was murdered in August 2023 while jogging in Maryland, speak during the second day of the 2024 Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, July 16, 2024. (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)
"Rachel, a joyful, accomplished athlete and mother of five was raped and murdered by a suspected illegal immigrant," Michael Morin told the crowd at the Republican National Convention. "This was described as among the most brutal and violent offenses that has ever occurred in Harford County, Maryland history."
Victor Antonio Martinez-Hernandez, 23, faces a half-dozen charges, including first-degree murder, rape, and kidnapping, in connection with Rachel Morin's death.
9:07 p.m.
Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas took the stage to address immigration policies, heavily criticizing Biden's handling of the southern border.
Cruz cited four cases in which three women and a girl were killed in California, Maryland, Texas, and Georgia, where the suspects arrested had been in the country illegally.
After delivering a blistering speech calling for tougher border security and support for the police, he received a standing ovation from former President Trump.
9:02 p.m.
Trump arrives on day 2 of the Republican National Convention (RNC) in the battleground swing state city to cheers and applause as "What I Like About You" plays in the background.
Trump is not expected to speak until Thursday, when he will formally accept the nomination to be the Republican Party's presidential candidate on the 2024 ticket.
8:30 p.m.
Once a primary rival, Vivek Ramaswamy addressed the Republican National Convention, declaring that Trump is the right candidate to unite the country.
"There is one more reason I am going to ask you to vote for Trump, and it's the most important one. It's the one that the media won't talk about, but it's the truth," Ramaswamy said. "Donald Trump is the president who will actually unite this country, not through empty words, but through action. Because you know what? Success is unifying. Excellence is unifying, and that's who we are as Americans."
8:15 p.m.
House Speaker Mike Johnson draws applause when he tells RNC delegates that the House "is conducting an immediate and thorough investigation" of the attempted assassination of Donald Trump.
6:47 p.m.
Kari Lake, who is running for Arizona's senate seat, spoke at the RNC Tuesday evening.
"This is MAGA energy today guys. I love it," Lake said while on stage. Right off the bat, she took a jab at the news organizations who were there covering the event, claiming that "fake news" had lied for the past eight years.
"Frankly, you guys in the fake news have worn out your welcome," Lake said.
Lake went on to push for a wall to be built along the Mexico-U.S. border and even interjected some jabs at her opponent for the same senate seat, Rep. Ruben Gallego.
6:17 p.m.
Following a shooting a little more than a mile from the Republican National Convention security perimeter, FOX6 News learned that the victim involved in the shooting was a homeless man who was known in the neighborhood.
6:04 p.m.
Homeland Security Investigators and Capitol Police were conducting surveillance near the RNC perimeter when they noticed a suspicious man approaching. He was wearing a ski mask and carrying a tactical bag, Fox News’ source confirmed.
Inside the bag, police found the gun and a full magazine. His intentions were unclear.
The man was carrying a weapon and ammunition while donning a "Scream" mask and carrying a large backpack.
Milwaukee Police confirmed the incident to Fox News, saying a 21-year-old man was arrested around 1 p.m. on Monday on the 1200 block of N. 11th Street.
3 p.m.
FOX6 News has learned from two independent sources that a police officer from Columbus, Ohio has shot a person near 17th and Vliet in Milwaukee on Tuesday afternoon, July 16. This location is a little more than a mile from the Republican National Convention security perimeter.
The Milwaukee County Medical Examiner's Office has been dispatched to the scene.
'Make America Safe Once Again'
Tuesday's theme of "Make America Safe Once Again" is focusing on crime rates, which the campaign alleges has caused some cities to become "hollowed out, dystopian nightmares thanks to Joe Biden and Democrats’ woke soft-on-crime and open border policies."
FBI data showed a steep drop in every category of violent crime in every region in the first three months of 2024 compared to a year earlier, continuing a downward trend since a coronavirus pandemic surge.
RNC Day 2: Trump campaign joins LiveNOW
LiveNOW from FOX's Josh Breslow caught up with Trump Deputy Communications Director Caroline Sunshine to talk about the RNC taking place in Milwaukee. This comes after President Trump broke his silence on the assassination attempt against him during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
RELATED: JD Vance will be Donald Trump's running mate in 2024
Murder and rape were both down 26%, robbery was down 18%, and aggravated assault fell by 13% in the first quarter, according to the FBI data released last month.
Overall, violent crime was down 15%, reflecting drops in every region, from 10% in the West to 19% in the Midwest, the data showed.
What has Trump said about crime?
Trump has argued the influx of immigrants is causing a crime surge in the U.S., although, as mentioned, statistics show violent crime is trending down.
RELATED: Video: Trump apparently shot at rally, bloodied leaving stage
There have been recent high-profile and heinous crimes allegedly committed by people in the country illegally.
One example is the death of Rachel Morin, a Maryland woman whom prosecutors say was killed and raped by a fugitive from El Salvador. Her brother was announced as one of the speakers at the convention.
FBI statistics do not separate crimes by the immigration status of the assailant, nor is there any evidence of a spike in crime perpetrated by migrants, either along the U.S.-Mexico border or in cities seeing the greatest influx of migrants, like New York.
Ep. 6: A nation on edge: GOP convenes
Republicans gather in Wisconsin to officially nominate former President Trump on the heels of a shocking assassination attempt here in Pennsylvania. How will Saturday’s event’s shift the focus, and the security at the convention in Milwaukee. And where does the race go from here?
What are Trump’s plans to address crime and law enforcement?
Trump has promised to "restore law and order" and "indemnify" and "protect" law enforcement.
"We will very importantly restore law and order to our country, and I'm going to indemnify all police officers and law enforcement officials throughout the United States to protect them from being destroyed by the radical left for taking strong actions on crime," Trump previously said on a campaign stop in Wisconsin.
Trump and his allies called for more control of the Justice Department.
Trump and other conservatives have argued that such a takeover is overdue, especially because they see the prosecutions against him as political.
RELATED: Biden orders Secret Service protection for RFK Jr. after Trump shooting
In 2023, the former president unveiled his plan to tackle crime, including law enforcement agencies receiving grants from the DOJ.
He also wants to reinstate some policies such as stop-and-frisk, strictly enforcing existing gun laws, cracking down on the open use of illegal drugs, and cooperating with ICE to arrest and deport criminal aliens.
In addition, he wants the DOJ to "dismantle every gang, street crew, and drug network in America," calling for the death penalty for drug dealers and human traffickers.
The National Guard could also be called if Trump feels local law enforcement are refusing to act.
Nikki Haley, Gov. Ron DeSantis speaking Tuesday
Nikki Haley the former United Nations ambassador, South Carolina governor and onetime primary rival of Trump, was a last-minute addition to the schedule.
Haley waited two months after dropping out in March to say she would vote for him. Then last week, she announced she would instruct her convention delegates to vote for Trump but wasn't planning to attend the convention.
It wasn't until Sunday — hours after the assassination attempt on Trump — that her office reversed itself and said she would speak.
It's likely that she will call on her party to show cohesion in the face of this fall’s general election battle against President Joe Biden.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is also scheduled to address the RNC Tuesday night, according to a person familiar with the schedule who was not authorized to speak publicly.
His remarks along with Haley's will put two of Trump’s most visible rivals turned supporters on stage in a show of party unity.
Big names also appearing on the scheduled for Tuesday were fellow former GOP rival Vivek Ramaswamy and TV personality Savannah Chrisley.
Other highlights from the RNC 2024 Convention:
Who is JD Vance? Trump picks OH Senator as running mate
Former President Trump has named 39-year-old Sen. JD Vance of Ohio as his running mate on the GOP'S 2024 national ticket. Trump emphasized that Vance, on the campaign trail "will be strongly focused on the people he fought so brilliantly for, the American Workers and Farmers in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, Minnesota, and far beyond…." LiveNOW's Andrew Craft spoke about Vance with Washington Monthly editor Bill Scher.
Trump on Monday chose U.S. Sen. JD Vance of Ohio to be his running mate as he looks to return to the White House.
Trump also energized the crowd Monday night in his first public appearance since Saturday's assassination attempt.
Also, hundreds of demonstrators converged on Monday on downtown Milwaukee to protest around the Republican National Convention, saying the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump won't affect their long-standing plans to rally outside the site.
A wide range of organizations and activists gathered in a downtown park outside the Fiserv Forum's security perimeter to listen to speakers ahead of a street march coordinated by The Coalition to March on the RNC. The coalition, composed largely of local groups, supports abortion and immigrant rights and is pressing to end the war in Gaza.
This story was reported from Los Angeles. The Associated Press and FOX News contributed.