MILWAUKEE — On the second night of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wis., several Georgia delegates were present to nominate former President Donald Trump as the Republican nominee in the 2024 presidential election.
The second night was focused on immigration, security and safety.
Georgia GOP delegate Katie Frost said the economy was her first concern, but immigration followed closely behind that issue.
"We’re here to help take our country back," Frost said. "I also believe you'll see immigration because it's very closely tied to our national security and its impact on the economy."
On night two of the Republican National Convention, there were repeated calls to build a border wall, which was once promised and partially completed during Trump's first term.
Georgia GOP delegate Trey Kelly said he is confident that Georgia will turn red again after President Biden won the state for the first time in decades in 2020.
“The border’s a real thing," Kelly said. "We’ve seen that in Georgia with Laken Riley in Athens, just the security of our country and what’s going on around the world.”
Kelly referenced Riley, a 22-year-old nursing student killed on the campus of The University of Georgia in February. Jose Ibarra, an immigrant who came to the U.S. illegally, according to federal officials, is accused of murdering Riley. This incident, along with others across the country, has formed a political wall between Republicans and Democrats when it comes to discussing immigration reform in the U.S.
Vivek Ramaswamy, a one-time Republican presidential candidate this cycle, echoed constant calls to secure the country's Southern border. He said a second Trump administration would seal the border on day one in office.
"We will return you to your country of origin, not because you're bad people, but because you broke the law," Ramaswamy said.
Ramaswamy, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis spoke Tuesday night in a show of united support for former President Trump's latest bid for the White House. Trump has earned the GOP nomination for the third consecutive time. He and his recently announced running mate, Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH), have attended both nights of the convention.
Another of Trump's critics, former United Nations Ambassador and South Carolina governor Nikki Haley, also pledged her support to her former boss and competitor. Haley garnered support from a large swathe of GOP voters, but she had called on voters and previously won delegates to back former President Trump in November.
"Donald Trump has my strong endorsement period," Haley said. "We are so much better when we're bigger. We are stronger when we welcome people into our party who have different backgrounds and experiences."
Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA) also spoke Tuesday, promising to back former President Trump regarding border security measures. Like Trump, Scalise also survived an assassination attempt in 2017. Scalise was injured in a politically motivated shooting in 2017, and he said the former president was one of the first to console his family at the hospital.
Meantime, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson said the House of Representatives will launch an investigation into the assassination attempt that happened Saturday at a Trump rally in Pennsylvania.
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp has criticized Trump and did not vote for either former President Trump or President Biden in Georgia's presidential primary in March. Kemp has said he would support Trump in November despite their differences. Georgia's governor said in the wake of Saturday's shooting that appeared to graze Trump's ear, political rhetoric should be toned down.
"Fight hard, campaign hard, go to the ballot box with vigor for your candidate," Kemp said. "But this violence and some of the over-the-top rhetoric, I think it’s time to, as much as we can in a blood sport like politics, tone those things down. Everybody is fighting for their position hard. Let’s just be respectful, and let’s make this election about policy.”
And when asked whether he'd pardon the former president if convicted in the Fulton County election interference case, Kemp evaded the question because he said he was a subpoenaed witness in the case.
Frost said Republicans have a chance this week to show the country how much of a united front they are. She said she was overwhelmed to see former President Trump show up at the convention, and adding Vance to the ticket could energize younger voters to attend the polls.
"In light of recent events, now more than ever, we need to come together as a party and a country," Frost said.