Republican rivals gloss over differences, urge vote for Trump ‘for America’

“I want to make one thing crystal clear: Donald Trump has my full support, period,” Haley said, as she was greeted with boos and catcalls at the convention. The former U.N. ambassador, who was the last candidate to drop out of the primary and was a vocal critic of Trump during the campaign, even going so far as to say he “didn’t have what it takes to be president,” acknowledged that she doesn’t always agree with the former president, but that his victory is necessary “for the good of America.” “We don’t have to agree with Trump 100 percent to vote for him, look at me,” he said.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who finished third in the primary, got a much warmer reception, calling on the party to unite behind the Republican candidate for the White House. “We can’t let him look bad, and we can’t let America look bad,” he said, before citing President Joe Biden’s advanced age. “We need a commander in chief who can lead 24/7,” he said.

The second day of the convention also featured other former Trump opponents, including Senators Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio, who were defeated in the 2016 primaries, demonstrating the former president’s complete dominance over the party.

The convention ends tonight with a much-anticipated speech from Trump, who promised to “unite America and the world” after the attack he suffered last Saturday.

Vance’s appointment worries EU and Kyiv
The choice of J.D. Vance as Trump’s “vice-candidate” has heightened concerns in Europe about continued U.S. support for Ukraine if the former president wins the election.

The Ohio senator has been a leading opponent of U.S. military aid to Kyiv and has made it clear on several occasions that the war in Ukraine should not be a U.S. priority. “I don’t care what happens to Ukraine,” he said on the eve of the Russian invasion. Vance has also argued that Ukraine should be forced to negotiate peace with Russia and that Europe should be responsible for its own defense, rather than depending on the U.S. “Vance’s appointment is bad for Europe, but it’s terrible for Ukraine. Vance is not our ally,” a European diplomat said this week.

Taiwan must pay

Donald Trump said in an interview that Taiwan “should pay for its own defense.” “They’re not giving us anything,” he said.

Russia and the Lesser Evil

A Kremlin spokesman said Wednesday that Trump’s presidency had brought “nothing good for Russia,” “but at least there was dialogue.”

Schiff vs. Biden

Democrat Adam Schiff called on Biden to step down, warning that a Trump victory would “destroy the foundations of democracy.”