Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump is seen during the Republican National Convention on July 16, 2024, in Milwaukee.
| Photo Credit: AP

Analysis

Leaders, including many former critics and challengers, rallied behind Donald Trump on the second day of the Republican National Convention, several of them attributing to god his escape from an assassination attempt on July 13. Several of them cited the Bible, and suggested a divine plan in Mr. Trump’s leadership of the party. “I saw President Trump, a dear friend escape death by mere inches, and my thoughts immediately turned to the book of Isaiah..That says no weapon formed against you shall prosper,” Ben Carson, an African American leader who was an opponent of Mr. Trump in the 2016 primary and later a member of his Cabinet, said.

Two other primary opponents of Mr. Trump in 2016, Senators Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz, and Arkansas Governor Sarah Sanders were also among those cited godly plans in Mr. Trump’s escape from death, which has become a key talking point among a section of his supporters, as is his show of courage in the aftermath. “The most repeated phrase in the Bible is, ‘do not be afraid ‘or ‘fear not.’ It appears 365 times in scripture,” said Mr. Carson.

Mr. Trump’s daughter-in-law and co-chair of the RNC, Lara Trump cited Proverbs to draw a stark contrast between the nominee and his opponents: “The wicked flee when no man pursues; But the righteous are bold as a lion.”

“It (Mr. Trump’s escape) reminds us that the life of every living thing and the breath of all mankind is in the hands of god..” said Mr. Rubio, thanking Mr. Trump for “transforming our party”. Mr. Rubio has travelled a long way from his stiff challenge to Mr. Trump in 2016.

Far from resisting the transformation of the party under Mr. Trump, both Senators are now among the loudest cheerleaders of it. Mr. Cruz, who was the last standing primary challenger to Mr. Trump in 2016, all the way until the Convention, was effusive in his praise for him this time. “I worked hand-in-hand with President Trump to reduce illegal immigration to this country to a 45-year low. We will do it again,” he said, blaming illegal immigrants for crimes in the U.S.

Indian origin leaders

Two people of Indian origin — former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley and Ohio businessman Vivek Ramaswamy — featured among the evening speakers, at the Convention of a party that is accused by its critics of fanning nativism among the country’s white population. Mr. Ramaswamy spoke on American identity, counting legal immigration as integral to it while arguing illegal immigration is in conflict with it. “America is built on the rule of law. You cannot enter this country by breaking the law.”

Ms. Haley, whose primary challenge to Mr. Trump collapsed early on, made a turnaround by pledging her absolute endorsement of his candidacy. She said she was not in agreement with Mr. Trump on all issues but curiously bracketed her militarist, interventionist foreign policy doctrine with his largely non-interventionist one.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis who also made a short-lived attempt for nomination this time, fell behind Mr. Trump. Both Ms. Haley and Mr. DeSantis sought to keep their endorsement of Mr. Trump more as an opposition to the Democrats and the combination of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris on their ticket. In fact, Ms. Haley spent a considerable portion of her speech to portray the danger of Ms. Harris — whose mother was an Indian immigrant — ending up as President if Mr. Biden were to be elected again.