RNC day 2 highlights: Nikki Haley, Ron DeSantis speak as Trump attends

After a video that showed Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on the phone with Trump went viral this morning, in which Trump seemed to insinuate Kennedy should join his re-election effort, NBC News asked three convention attendees whether they'd welcome the prospect of Trump-Kennedy teamwork.

"I think that would be absolutely amazing," said Brent Lovett, 61, a construction developer from Silver Spring, Nevada. "I hope that Robert Kennedy Jr. will consider coming in and helping with vaccination research."

Randy Fine, 50, a Florida state lawmaker, said Kennedy's joining Trump's team could help Trump's chances in November. "If Donald Trump can add to the coalition, that’s just going to run up the score and the victory," he said.

Brian Bledsoe, a Texas delegate, said he didn't know much about Kennedy but would welcome him with open arms if it meant he dropped his presidential bid. "I would prefer to be more of a two-person race between Trump and Biden," Bledsoe, 44, a truck driver, said of Kennedy's campaign. Asked whether he'd want him in Trump's Cabinet, he said, "I guess if it takes him out of the race ... politically in a strategic way."

The second day of the convention has concluded. Tomorrow, Vance is expected to speak and formally accept the vice presidential nomination.

Lara Trump, a Republican National Committee co-chair, made her pitch for Trump near the end of the second night of the convention with a focus on the American dream.

"Trump is an American, an American who conquered the business world ... an American whom even Barack Obama admits people consider the American dream," she said.

Lara Trump also spoke about the success and wealth her father-in-law had had in business and television, adding that he could have retired but "decided to give back ... in order to improve the lives of all Americans, Black, white, brown, gay, straight."

Republican National Committee co-chair Lara Trump spoke tonight about the attempted assassination of her father-in-law and the now-iconic photo of him pumping his fist in the air after the shooting and saying "fight."

“It was in the midst of it all,” she said, “that he knew how defining that moment would be for our country, and he hoisted his fist in the air.”

As she spoke, she held her fist in the air, and many attendees did the same, some chanting, “Fight! Fight! Fight!”

Lara Trump said in her convention speech that nothing prepares you for a moment like the assassination attempt on Trump.

"Our family has faced our fair share of death threats, mysterious powder sent to our homes, tasteless and violent comments directed towards us on social media. But none of that prepares you as a daughter-in-law to watch in real time someone tried to kill a person you love," she said.

"None of that prepares you as a mother to quickly reach for the remote and turn your young children away from the screen so that they’re not witness to something that scars the memory of their grandpa for the rest of their lives," she added.

She thanked everyone for the prayers and well-wishes and said her heart goes out to the family of Corey Comperatore, the Trump supporter who was killed in the assassination attempt Saturday. 

Ben Carson touched on the assassination attempt against Trump on Saturday in his convention speech.

"Last weekend, they tried to kill him, and there he is over there — alive and well," Carson said.

Trump stood up from his chair in the VIP box and waved to the delegates. Carson, like Sanders before him, then invoked religious imagery, saying God had shielded Trump.

Carson ran for the GOP nomination in 2016 and was secretary of housing and urban development under Trump.

Trump’s former White House press secretary clearly and explicitly wanted to put a more humanizing face on her former boss in a speech that was very well received in the room. Her name was briefly speculated about in the early days of the veepstakes, but she has political ambitions that could extend well beyond Arkansas and onto the 2028 national stage.

Reflecting on her work with Trump, Sarah Huckabee Sanders reminisced about celebrating "Bring Your Kid to Work Day" in the Trump White House.

And, in a not-so-subtle shot at Biden's age and mental fitness, she said it was "much like Jill now drags Joe to ‘Bring Your Husband to Work Day.’”

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"They want to ban gas automobiles."

Madeline Brame of New York spoke about her son, a military veteran who was killed in New York City.

Brame said those who were responsible for her son's death "initially were facing justice, but that changed when DA Bragg was elected."

The crowd booed at mentions of Bragg, who indicted Trump in a hush money criminal case last year.

While many speakers have emphasized unity after the attempted assassination of Trump, some audience members have taken to wearing bandages similar to the kind he has on his injured right ear.

"We need to honor this man," Joe Neglia told NBC News' Hallie Jackson. "He’s almost given his life for his country and his party. Somehow we need to honor him. What can I do? I can express some sympathy for him, for that great man, by putting on a Band-Aid."

Another supporter, Stacey Goodman, also donned a bandage, telling NBC News it represented "solidarity" with Trump.

Tying two top issues for Republicans — border security and election security — several speakers tonight claimed that Democrats are seeking the votes of undocumented immigrants.

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“How did we get here? It happened because Democrats cynically decided they wanted votes from illegals more than they wanted to protect our children."

Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., was one of three Erics in the 2022 GOP primary when Trump said he was endorsing “Eric.” 

The others were Eric Greitens, former governor of Missouri, and a relatively unknown comedian, Eric McElroy. Both Greitens and Schmitt claimed they were the one who earned Trump’s endorsement.

In response to requests for clarification, Trump's team merely said that the "endorsement speaks for itself."

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“I worked hand in hand with President Trump to secure our border, and we achieved the lowest rate of illegal immigration in 45 years. It's real simple. He's done it before, and he'll do it again,”

If Haley was trying to persuade her partisans to back Trump, DeSantis is trying to scare them into doing so.

His remarks are much more about how bad things are under Biden than about anything Trump would specifically do about it.

Haley, who ran against Trump for the GOP nomination, preached a message of unity, telling attendees: "We are so much better when we are bigger. We are stronger when we welcome people into our party who have different backgrounds and experiences, and right now, we need to be strong to save America."

She also spoke about her experience in Trump's Cabinet, in which she was ambassador to the United Nations, telling attendees that Trump "appreciated advice and input."

"Americans were well-served by his presidency, even if they didn't agree with him on all things," she added.

Ron DeSantis is reading his speech like he’s late for a dinner reservation. High energy, but he’s blowing through his applause lines.

Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird began her remarks with a story of how she defeated the incumbent Democrat who was elected when Bird was only 2 years old.

"We won because Iowans were ready for an attorney general who would protect them, not the criminals," she said.

Branding herself as someone who has "backed the blue" and stood up to Biden's policies on crime, Bird said Democrats believe in "handouts, not handcuffs."

"The Democrats are the party of 'defund the police.' They said it, they mean it, and they can't wiggle out of it," Bird said.

Bird also parroted a running joke about Biden, saying that protecting American's "isn't a 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. job," most likely referring to Biden’s remarks that he might limit evening events.

Nearly three weeks since his rocky debate performance shook his party, Biden is intent on shutting down dissent among Democrats to move forward and focus on defeating Trump. And after having heard out his critics, he’s tightening his circle to those he has relied on the longest — and who support his path ahead.

Read the full story here.

Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who ran against Trump for the nomination this cycle, took the stage to audible boos.

In her opening, Haley told the crowd that she was called to speak at the convention by Trump, "in the name of unity."

As soon as Haley offered her "strong endorsement" of Trump, all three decks of audience members gave her a standing ovation.

Hayey had stopped short of endorsing him since she dropped out of the race. In May, she said she would vote for Trump.

MILWAUKEE — A man was fatally shot today by Columbus, Ohio, police assigned to help with security at the Republican National Convention, officials said.

The afternoon shooting happened near King Park, according to information provided by the Milwaukee County medical examiner. Police said it was unrelated to any activity at the convention.

The county agency responded to a death report at an intersection on the edge of the park, it said in a statement. Officials did not provide the identity of the man who was killed. An autopsy was expected tomorrow, the medical examiner’s office said.

The incident took place about 1 mile from the convention in a residential neighborhood that includes a large homeless encampment.

Read the full story here.

Rep. Wesley Hunt, R-Texas, blamed the Trump assassination attempt on the left in a brief interview this afternoon.

“When you’re calling President Trump Hitler, and this has been going on for eight years, when you keep talking like that, you keep perpetuating that kind of rhetoric, of course, of course, this is going to happen here at some point,” said Hunt.

“They’re the ones that demonized him to this point, and this is kind of what happens. And so stop calling people Hitler. It’s ridiculous,” he added.

The last time I was watching Ted Cruz deliver a GOP convention address, things went quite differently. Cruz, Trump's top opponent in his 2016 GOP presidential nominating bid, was ultimately invited to speak at the convention that summer in Cleveland.

But he notably didn't endorse Trump, instead telling folks to "vote your conscience."

"Vote for candidates up and down the ticket who you trust to defend our freedom and to be faithful to the Constitution," he added, to a rain of boos.

The comments dominated the talk of the convention and prompted a massive argument among the Texas convention delegation the next morning. Cruz ultimately returned to the fold, endorsing Trump and becoming a big supporter of his in the Senate.

Savannah Chrisley, one of the prime-time speakers tonight, is the daughter of Todd Chrisley, a real estate tycoon whose family was the focus of the reality TV show "Chrisley Knows Best." A spinoff called "Growing up Chrisley" focused on Savannah Chrisley and her brother Chase Chrisley.

In June 2022, her parents were found guilty of fraud, tax evasion and conspiracy to defraud the U.S. by a federal jury in Atlanta. Her father was sentenced to 12 years in federal prison, while her mother was sentenced to seven years.

In her speech, Chrisley decried the prosecution of her parents, framing them as the victims of political persecution by Democrats in Georgia (not unlike Trump's attacks on his own Georgia prosecution).

Trump walked into the convention wearing a bandage on his right ear. He is waving to the crowd and shaking hands.

Several House members who are allies are seated in the same box as him, including Marjorie Taylor Greene and Anna Paulina Luna.

One day after Vance became Trump's running mate, he just entered the arena for Night 2 of the convention. But today, delegates are waving newly minted Trump-Vance signs.

Vance is not set to speak tonight. He and Trump are scheduled to hold an indoor rally Saturday in Grand Rapids, Michigan. It will be their first rally since Trump named Vance as his running mate.

You might be thinking that the song was tailor-made for the Trump campaign with lines like "There’s things to be done all over the world, but let’s rebuild America first."

It's a good point; the song is quite literally called "America First."

But the song is from 2005, and it includes a line that probably wouldn't have been welcome at the Republican National Convention around the time it came out: "Let’s get out of Iraq and get back on the track, and let’s rebuild America first."

Ramaswamy, a tech entrepreneur who ran for the Republican nomination, pledged a message of unity in his convention speech.

"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. That’s who we are as Americans," Ramaswamy said.

He also addressed those who "are at home and ... disagree with everything I just said," telling them, "We will still defend to the death your right to say it, because that is who we are as Americans."

"We are the country where we can disagree like hell and still get together at the dinner table at the end of it," Ramaswamy added.

Businessman and former GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy made what appeared to be the first reference of the night on the stage to the so-called deep state.

"The people who will elect the federal government ought to be the ones who actually run the government, not unelected bureaucrats in the deep state," he said.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said in his convention speech that the nation is no longer in a "battle between two opposing political parties."

"It's not just R's versus D's anymore. We're now in the midst of a struggle between two completely different visions of who we are as Americans and what our country will be," Johnson said. "The Republican Party stands for the foundational truths that made America the greatest nation in the history of the world. We are the most free, the most powerful and the most benevolent nation that has ever been. It's not even close. It's not even close."

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., spoke tonight about the recent assassination attempt against Trump and recounted a politically motivated shooting in 2017 in which Scalise was a victim.

"Not many of you know that while I was fighting for my life, Donald Trump was one of the first to come console my family at the hospital," Scalise told the crowd. "That is the type of leader he is — courageous under fire, compassionate towards others.”

Charles Moran, president of Log Cabin Republicans, said in an interview tonight that the softening of the Republican platform’s language about same-sex marriage is “one of the most important things that’s happened in the Republican Party history.”

“It shows that this new Republican Party led by Donald Trump has put his DNA into the party. This platform is welcoming. It’s inclusive. This is the most radical and revolutionary way to make the Republican Party competitive,” Moran told NBC News' Tom Llamas.

Moran, whose organization is one of the largest GOP groups dedicated to representing LGBTQ conservatives, noted that the platform shift does not extend to transgender rights.

"Don’t confuse the commitment to parental rights and traditional biological gender issues as being something as homophobic,” he said. “We will keep men out of women’s sports, ban taxpayer funding for sex-change surgeries and stop taxpayer-funded schools from promoting gender transition, reverse Biden’s radical rewrite of Title IX Education Regulations and restore protections for women and girls.”

Rep. Jeff Van Drew, R-N.J., said in his convention speech that Americans need to come together after the attempted assassination of Trump over the weekend.

"After the tragic shooting last Saturday, we need to come together — all of us," said Van Drew, a former Democrat who switched parties while he was in Congress.

"Republicans, Democrats and independents," he said. "We need to be the shining city on the hill, a nation that empowers us to do extraordinary things."

The drop in energy in the room between Virginia Senate candidate Hung Cao and Sen. Rick Scott of Florida was really striking. It's like sitting on the remote and turning to PBS in the middle of a WWE match.

In his speech, Cao grew animated, banging the podium at one point.

Shortly afterward, Scott told a story about a dream, which he dubbed “the ghost of Biden future,” except “it wasn’t a dream, it was a nightmare.”

Scott described what he expected from a second Biden term, throwing out ideas about $10-per-gallon gas, groceries so expensive only “rich people” could buy them and Democrats' doing “nothing to protect Israel from terrorists or to stop China from invading Taiwan.”

Hung Cao, who's aiming to unseat Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine in Virginia, attacked undocumented immigrants in his remarks tonight.

"Under Joe Biden, millions of illegal aliens flood our borders. They fly Hamas flags ... on our campuses and they shout 'Death to America,'" he said. "Let me be very clear to everyone who comes here: Don't ask for the American dream if you're not willing to obey the American laws and embrace the American culture."

The remark drew loud applause from the convention floor and spurred chants of "USA! USA! USA!"

Montana Republican Senate nominee Tim Sheehy made fun of people introducing themselves with their preferred pronouns as he took to the stage tonight.

"Hey, everybody, my name is Tim Sheehy. Those are also my pronouns," he said to cheers from the crowd (his name is pronounced "Shee-hee").

"I can promise you, going to elementary school with that name in the ’80s was not fun. That was a joke, but it also shows the lunacy we are living with in Joe Biden and Jon Tester's America," he added, referring to the Democratic senator he's running against in the fall.

Sheehy, a military veteran, went on to criticize Biden's withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan and criticized Tester for driving a Prius ("Priuses don't work in Montana"). Tester's Prius has been a target for Republicans in the past, and Tester called Republicans "a bunch of jack-----" for the attack this year, noting he has other cars, including trucks, per HuffPost.

Sheehy closed his speech as he started, with red meat: "What Montanans think is common sense is pretty simple. It's not complicated. They want a secure border, safe streets, cheap gas, cops are good, criminals are bad, boys are boys, girls are girls."

Sam Brown, the Republican Senate nominee from Nevada, railed against, "Jacky and Joe" in his speech, referencing Biden and Nevada Democratic Sen. Jacky Rosen.

Brown also echoed Trump's proposal to eliminate taxes on tips, a proposal particularly salient in Nevada, home to the Las Vegas hospitality industry.

He promised to, "work with President Trump to cut taxes for working families and end taxes on tips for struggling Nevada service workers."

As Nevada GOP Senate hopeful Sam Brown shouted out his wife in his convention speech, TV cameras picked out a boldface name on one of the seats next to her: Walt Nauta.

That's Trump's valet and co-defendant in the Florida classified documents case, which a federal judge dismissed yesterday. The office of the special counsel who brought the case said it has been authorized to appeal the decision.

As delegates and GOP faithful lined up at the main entrance into the convention's hard security perimeter tonight, they were greeted by a melee of Code Pink protesters, performing a gag.

About a half-dozen members of the anti-war group — one of whose organizers was arrested earlier in the day during another protest — chanted slogans and performed a skit about getting money out of politics to the growing line of convention attendees seeking to enter Fiserv Forum. 

Protesters were dressed in their trademark pink clothing, though one man in the group was adorned with a money suit. Medea Benjamin, a Code Pink organizer who traveled in from Washington, D.C., wore a sign around her neck saying, “I’m the billionaire class, looking for politicians to buy!!”

“We’re drawing attention to the issue that there is so much money washing into our electoral system, so much that it’s hard to call it a democratic system,” Benjamin said. “It just takes away the whole concept of one person, one vote when there are organizations that throw so many millions of dollars in.”

“We’re here to say if we really want a democratic system, we have to figure out how to get money out of politics,” she said.

RNC attendees mostly ignored the hourlong protest. However, at one point, a small contingent of self-described “American nationalists” from a group called New Frontier USA stalked two Code Pink supporters with handheld cameras. The incident was brief.

As the second night of the Republican convention focuses on law and order, new data highlights how Trump's online fundraising exploded after he was convicted in his New York hush money case two months ago.

A campaign finance filing from WinRed, the online donation processor preferred by Trump and many other Republicans, shows that more than 850,000 donors gave over $63 milllion to Trump political committees on May 30 (the day he was convicted) and May 31.

Trump has long been an exceptional online fundraiser. But the money he pulled in after the New York conviction, which helped him mitigate an early campaign advantage for Biden, towered over the rest of his 2024 daily fundraising totals.

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie wrote in a New York Times op-ed that Trump has the "opportunity to rein in some of the worst rhetorical impulses of the Republican Party" at the convention this week.

"He can point the party and its leadership in a new direction in the wake of the assassination attempt against him," Christie said.

Chirstie said picking Vance as a running mate "doubles down on the portion of the party already completely devoted to him rather than reaches out to the broader party and beyond."

"Mr. Vance’s first reaction to the assassination attempt against Mr. Trump was to turn directly to the current, flawed playbook: demonize the other side and lay the blame at the feet of the Democrats, as if they had pulled the trigger themselves," Christie said.

He added, "Mr. Trump has become a victim of a culture that he manifestly contributed to making worse with his inflammatory and irresponsible language and actions."

West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice may be the one behind the podium, but attendees made it clear whom they really wanted to see as he stepped up to the microphone: his dog, Babydog.

After delegates chanted "Babydog" repeatedly, Justice's English bulldog walked out onstage and joined him in a seat. "She makes us smile, and she loves everybody. And how could the message possibly be any more simpler than just that?" Justice said.

Babydog has been a regular presence in Justice's political career. She was the face of his push to get West Virginians vaccinated against Covid (the slogan for the push was "Do it for Babydog"). And he memorably picked up his dog and showed his hindquarters to lawmakers during his 2022 State of the State address, telling his critics to kiss Babydog's "heinie."

Rep. Jim Banks, R-Ind., who's running for the Senate, attacked Biden for the 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan.

"As an Afghanistan war veteran, I've never been more ashamed than when Joe Biden's disastrous withdrawal left 13 American heroes dead," Banks said.

"Joe Biden is an embarrassment," he continued. "We went from the strongest president of my lifetime in President Trump to the weakest president in history in Joe Biden."

Moments ago, the convention ran a video that was a stark split screen. Video of throngs of screaming crowds at Trump rallies was briefly juxtaposed with a scene of a shirtless Biden at the beach straining to pull a beach chair toward him.

The moment was punctuated by a record scratch. Then, it was back to Trump followers' chanting "We love Trump." The ad cut back to video of Biden simply walking and then of seated audience members at a Biden event, with the sound of crickets added for effect.

The message was spelled out at the end: "These campaigns are not the same."

Michigan GOP Senate candidate Mike Rogers, previously a Trump critic, spoke at the convention with resounding support for him.

Rogers, who is running to fill the seat of retiring Sen. Debbie Stabenow, previously served in Congress, including as chairman of the House Intelligence Committee.

After he left Congress, Rogers repeatedly derided Trump, particularly over election-related issues. When Trump said after a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2018 that he believed Russia's denials of U.S. election interference, Rogers told NPR that the comments were "very, very concerning," "completely outrageous" and "offensive."

Pennsylvania's Republican Senate nominee, David McCormick, blasted Biden and Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., in his speech, saying Casey "has been warming a chair and drawing a paycheck."

He also called Casey "a do-nothing, out-of-touch liberal career politician" and added, "Casey’s been around so long, so long, that the No. 1 song when he was first elected was the Macarena."

Outside the hard security perimeter in downtown Milwaukee, Mike McFadden, a member of a group called New Frontier USA, stood on a shaded street corner, outside the glare of the hot afternoon sun. 

Fellow members of his group — which he described as “American nationalist” and “socially conservative” — took videos with handheld cameras of small groups of protesters. But McFadden — who carried a holstered handgun on his right side — remained largely quiet. 

McFadden said he traveled to Milwaukee from North Dakota, where he lives, to do street interviews of supporters and opponents of Trump. He said that his group supports Trump but that it was also “a little complicated” on issues like his support for Israel. 

Kari Lake, a Senate candidate in Arizona, made an eye-popping claim about her Democratic opponent today.

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“Just last week, Ruben Gallego voted to let the millions of people who poured into our country illegally cast a ballot in this upcoming election."

In his convention speech, Wisconsin GOP Senate candidate Eric Hovde blasted Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., and Biden, claiming they have "eroded us financially" and "made us less safe at home."

He attacked Baldwin further, calling her "detached from everyday Wisconsinites."

Hovde also called for unity, adding that before the election, "instead of putting on just the blue jersey or the red jersey, we need to put on the red, white and blue jersey and come together as Americans."

Arizona GOP Senate candidate Kari Lake, a former journalist, attacked the media in her speech tonight.

"The fake news have worn out your welcome," she said, adding that she didn't welcome everyone in the convention hall.

"The guys up in the fake news, frankly," she said, pointing at members of the media, "frankly, you guys up there in the fake news have worn out your welcome."

"You’ve worn it out, guys," she said. "You have spent the last eight years lying about President Donald Trump and his amazing patriotic supporters. Actually, guys, they lie about everything. They’ve lied about Joe Biden’s health, the economy, the laptop, the border. I could go on and on and on."

Greta Van Susteren and Rob Schmitt of Newsmax will interview Vance tonight as part of their convention coverage.

Vance’s first two interviews as the vice presidential nominee, with Fox News and Newsmax, say a good deal about how the Trump campaign will use him as a megaphone to the base, more than in outreach to the undecided.

Three days since a Pennsylvania shooter opened fire at a campaign rally and wounded his ear, Trump and his campaign have revealed next to nothing about his condition.

Trump appeared in public for the first time last night at the Republican convention and wore an opaque bandage that covered most of his right ear.

A Trump adviser declined to answer specific questions today about his injury, telling NBC News that any statements about Trump’s health, his condition and medical care related to his ear would come directly from him.

In his convention speech, former Republican National Committee Chair Reince Priebus urged voters to support Trump, saying he saw Trump "right the ship after eight years of Democrat failed policies, and I'm confident he'll do it again."

He reminded Republicans that as president, Trump "decided to drill, baby, drill. He shut down the border. He confronted China head-on, made Europe pitch in on NATO lower taxes, put conservatives on the Supreme Court and he defeated ISIS."

Priebus, who is from Wisconsin, also welcomed the crowd to his home state and urged it to “make sure you experience the beautiful beaches of Lake Michigan. Order a basket of cheese curds, please."

He added, "And I know you’re all going to have a few beers while you’re here.” 

Matthew Brooks, the CEO of the Republican Jewish Coalition, touted Trump's presidential record, declaring him the "most pro-Israel president in history."

He mentioned that Trump moved the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in Israel and said he weakened the Iranian regime, most likely an indirect reference to Trump's ordering the killing of Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani in 2020.

Addressing the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, Brooks called out Biden for "still withholding critical arms" from Israel and rising antisemitism in the U.S.

James Crawford, the chairman of the Forest County Potawatomi Community, said in brief remarks that the theme of the night, "Make America Safe Once Again," is especially important to his tribe.

"Native people are facing real threats to ensure our safety," Crawford said. "The growing use and abuse of illegal drugs are claiming countless lives on reservations across this country, and Native American women and girls continue to be exploited, trafficked and subjected to violence at reprehensible levels."

Crawford said, "So tonight’s theme, Make America Safe Again, is especially important for us."

In a post on X, Rep. Derrick Van Orden, R-Wis., said he was assaulted by a member of the group Code Pink today as he was waiting in line for a convention event.

Van Orden added, "A nearby police officer witnessed this assault, and I understand they have been arrested."

He condemned political violence, including Saturday's attempted assassination of Trump, in his post, adding that Republicans "will no longer stand by and allow lawlessness." 

Van Orden was rebuked last year by congressional leadership for shouting curse words at pages in the Capitol.

Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy told NBC’s News’ Tom Llamas that Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., “shouldn’t be on the streets.”

Gaetz led the effort to oust McCarthy, R-Calif., as speaker last year, causing three weeks of chaos for House Republicans. Gaetz was the subject of several sexual misconduct allegations and was referred to the House Ethics Committee. McCarthy accused Gaetz of going after him to stop the investigation.

A video earlier showed Gaetz taunting McCarthy, who he said would be “booed off the stage” if he spoke. 

Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., will deliver a foreign policy-focused address at the convention tomorrow, a person familiar with her speech told NBC News, adding there would be a sharp focus on China and Trump’s overseas achievements.

This person said Trump called Mace directly on Thursday to ask her to speak at the convention. The person also said Mace would not be mentioning Biden in her address.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee took the convention stage and praised GOP governors, saying they have "stood as anchors of courage, their states as harbors of hope and their people as models of freedom."

Lee, who's in his second term, added that "governors can only do so much" and called for "strong leadership in the White House."

"We know what that looks like. We had it before. We need it again, and that’s why we as Republican governors are joining together, unifying in support for Donald Trump for president," Lee added as the audience cheered.

An estimated 18.13 million viewers watched the first night of the convention, according to Nielsen.

On Sunday, when Biden delivered an Oval Office address encouraging the nation to lower the heat in politics, across seven networks averaged 19.4 million viewers

By comparison, 15.8 million viewers watched the first night of the Republican National Convention in 2020. The Covid pandemic meant that convention was not held in person; instead, speakers gave remarks in an empty room before a camera.

Biden criticized Trump this afternoon at the NAACP National Convention in Las Vegas, saying life was "hell" for Black Americans during the previous administration.

"He tried to repeal Obamacare to kick millions —I mean millions — of Black Americans off their health insurance and a $2 trillion tax cut that overwhelmingly benefited the super wealthy and biggest corporations and exploded the federal debt," Biden said in remarks that lasted about 30 minutes and often drew rousing applause.

"He left no room for us to do what we should be doing: invest in things that affect people's lives, like child care, elder care and so much more that grow the economy," Biden said. "His mismanagement of the pandemic was especially devastating to Black communities."

In a speech to the NAACP convention this afternoon in Las Vegas, Biden admitted that he's old but highlighted that his lifetime of experience can bring wisdom.

“I’ve been young and now am old. Yet I’ve not seen the righteous forsaken. I’ve not seen the righteous forsaken. And I will not see the righteous forsaken," he said.

"Hopefully, with age, I’ve demonstrated a little bit of wisdom," he continued. "Here’s what I do know: I know how to tell the truth. I know right from wrong. I know how to do this job. And I know the good Lord hasn’t brought us this far to leave us now. We have more work to do. This is the moment to be engaged.”

Three sources say Vice President Harris and Sen. Vance have spoken on the phone. One of the sources said Vance initiated the call. 

Fox News first reported the call. NBC earlier reported that Harris called Vance and left a voicemail.

Republican National Committee co-chair Lara Trump said she thinks the former president will return to the western Pennsylvania town where he was shot Saturday.

"I can tell you there's no one who wants to get back out to a rally more than Donald Trump himself," Lara Trump, the former president's daughter-in-law, said today at a Bloomberg roundtable. "And I can almost guess that you would probably choose to go back to Butler, Pennsylvania, because that's how he operates."

Donald Trump and Vance are scheduled to hold an indoor rally Saturday in Grand Rapids, Michigan. It will be their first rally since Trump named Vance as his running mate.

Ben Carson, who was secretary of housing and urban development during the Trump administration, said today he wasn't certain about what he'll say in his convention speech tonight.

"I'm not sure what I'm going to say, but I will be inspired when I get there," Carson told NBC News’ Kristen Welker on “Meet the Press NOW.”

Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., told NBC News today that he will cheer on former GOP presidential candidates Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis during their convention speeches tonight.

Gaetz, a staunch Trump ally on Capitol Hill, said he thinks the convention crowds “ought to cheer them on” and predicted that their speeches will be well-received.

In a voicemail yesterday, Vice President Kamala Harris encouraged Vance to accept the Aug. 13 date for a vice presidential debate proposed by CBS News.

As of 4:30 p.m. ET, Harris and Vance have not yet connected.

Harris had called Vance to congratulate him on his selection as Trump's VP pick, according to a Biden-Harris campaign official.

A Georgia appeals court scheduled oral arguments on Trump’s bid to disqualify Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis from her election interference prosecution of the former president for Dec. 5 — a month after the presidential election.

The Georgia Court of Appeals had previously indicated it would hear the appeal of Judge Scott McAfee’s decision to allow Willis and her office to remain on the case in October. It had sent a tentative Oct. 4 date for oral arguments.

The prosecution of Trump and his co-defendants on charges they illegally conspired to overturn the election results in the state will remain frozen until then — the appeals court said in a June order that all lower court proceedings “are hereby stayed pending the outcome of these appeals.”  Trump and his co-defendants have pleaded not guilty.

The delay is the latest in a string of recent court victories for the former president.

While Republicans from across the country gather in Milwaukee, Biden is with his team in Las Vegas.

This afternoon, he'll tape an interview with BET News’ Ed Gordon and give remarks at the 115th NAACP National Convention. The interview and the speech are part of a larger effort by Biden to get out of Washington and speak directly to voters after a poor debate performance in Atlanta last month.

It also comes as Trump seeks to gain ground among Black voters, particularly men.

Before heading to the NAACP convention, Biden and his advisers also received an updated homeland security briefing, one of many Biden has received since Trump was shot over the weekend.

Trump appeared to meet today with former U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson, whose Conservative Party recently suffered major losses in its recent elections.

"Nice meeting with Former Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, a very fine guy!" Trump posted on Truth Social.

Johnson shared a photo of the two of them on X, saying that it was great to meet with Trump after the assassination attempt. He said they discussed Ukraine and defending the close ally against Russia.

The discussion about Ukraine is notable, as Trump has repeatedly indicated that he's not supportive of continuing to provide U.S. aid to the country. Sen. JD Vance, Trump's vice presidential pick, has also been a vocal opponent of giving assistance to Ukraine.

Johnson served as U.K. prime minister from July 2019 to September 2022, some of which overlapped with Trump's presidency.

Rep. Ronny Jackson, a medical doctor, told NBC News in Milwaukee that the former president is "doing great."

Jackson, R-Texas, who served as the White House physician during the Trump administration, said in an interview today with a podcast that he's been examining Trump's ear. He added that a little bit of the top of Trump’s ear is missing and he's been dressing the wound with bandages.

Jackson also said that he doesn't anticipate Trump will need surgery or any other procedure to deal with the wound.

The Senate Committee on Ethics will complete its investigation into Sen. Menendez "promptly" now that his trial is over, the panel's leaders said in a statement.

Chair Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., and Vice Chair Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., said that, immediately following the indictment charging Menendez in 2023, the committee initiated a probe into the allegations of misconduct.

"In September 2023, the Committee issued a statement regarding the Committee’s policies in matters where there is an active and ongoing criminal investigation. Now that Senator Menendez’s trial has concluded, the Committee will complete its investigation promptly," they said.

The two senators said that the committee will "consider the full range of disciplinary actions available under the Rules of Procedure.”

Trump has reached out to and spoken with a member of Corey Comperatore’s family, the man who was killed during the attempted assassination of the former president, a source familiar said. 

Three U.S. officials briefed on the matter confirm that the U.S. obtained intelligence in recent weeks about an Iranian plot to assassinate Donald Trump, and that the information led the Secret Service to increase security around the former president.

This account raised more questions about the Secret Service's posture at the rally where Trump was injured in an assassination attempt.

This was first reported by CNN.

“Upon learning of the increased threat, NSC directly contacted USSS at a senior level to be absolutely sure they continued to track the latest reporting,” a national security official told NBC News. “USSS shared this information with the detail lead, and the Trump campaign was made aware of an evolving threat. In response, Secret Service surged resources and assets for the protection of former President Trump. All of this was in advance of Saturday.”

When asked about the future of GOP leadership after Trump, Donald Trump Jr. told Axios that he thinks there is a "very high chance" Vance could be president in the future.

Along with brother Eric, Trump Jr. was a big proponent of Vance being their father's running mate.

"He's the one guy in that room and that's a current politician that's out there that actually really speaks to sort of the America First people," Trump Jr. told Axios.

Rapper 50 Cent is expected to appear at the convention in Milwaukee this week, according to two sources familiar with the planning. Organizers were in the final stages of discussions yesterday for him to perform.

Reached for comment, 50 Cent’s brand manager, Barry Williams, denied NBC’s reporting.

“That is not true he is not attending,” Williams said in a message.

Yet hours later, RNC chair Michael Whatley told conservative activist Charlie Kirk that an appearance was still in the works.

Sen. Cory Booker reiterated calls for his fellow New Jersey senator, Bob Menendez, to resign.

“Representing people in Congress demands the public’s trust,” Booker, a Democrat, wrote in a statement. “When any elected official violates that trust, it is a betrayal of the oath we take to serve the people who’ve elected us. Without that trust, our ability to do our work and perform our duties for our constituents is compromised.”

Booker called on Menendez to step down last year after he was indicted in the bribery case. He wrote today there is more “urgency” for Menendez to step down because of his conviction.

Bob Menendez's conviction does not preclude him from being a senator, there's no mechanism forcing him to resign.

But if Menendez does not step down on his own, it could spark a process that would start with an Ethics Committee investigation, which could make a recommendation as to whether the entire Senate should vote on whether to expel him. It takes a two-thirds vote of the Senate (67 votes) to expel a member. 

Now that he has been convicted, there are already renewed (and new) calls for him to resign. At least 34 Democratic senators have said he should step down.

Nikki Haley’s speech tonight will “address voters who are uncertain about voting for President Trump and make the case for why she is voting for him," a source with knowledge of her remarks tells NBC News.

When she dropped out of the presidential race in March, she called on Trump to bring her supporters into the fold.

"It is now up to Donald Trump to earn the votes of those in our party and beyond it who did not support him, and I hope he does that," she said at the time. “At its best, politics is about bringing people into your cause, not turning them away. And our conservative cause badly needs more people. This is now his time for choosing."

In a post on X, Sen. Laphonza Butler, D-Calif., joined the calls for Menendez to resign from the Senate, saying, "The American people, and the people of New Jersey, deserve a representative with high ethical standards that can be focused on their representation. For the integrity of the Senate, he should step aside."

Butler, who was appointed by Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom last year to fill the seat of the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein, is not seeking election to a full term in November.

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat, called for Menendez to resign immediately after he was found guilty on all counts in his corruption trial.

“Today’s verdict finding Senator Bob Menendez guilty on 16 counts demonstrates that the Senator broke the law, violated the trust of his constituents, and betrayed his oath of office," Murphy said in a statement, adding the Senate should vote to expel him if he refuses to step down.

Murphy previously demanded Menendez resign in September, when he was indicted.

Tom Homan, the former acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement under both Trump and former President Barack Obama, told NBC News he will speak at the convention tomorrow night.

Homan told Semafor last week that he would run "the biggest deportation force this country has ever seen" if Trump is elected in November.

While border security is a focus of tonight’s speeches, Homan's remarks are slated for tomorrow at 7:40 p.m. ET.

Per a source familiar, Trump will not be meeting with Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis even though they are both speaking at the RNC today.

Per a source familiar, Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner will attend the RNC on Thursday but won't speak on the stage.

Some congressional Democrats are circulating a new letter, obtained by NBC News today, that asks the DNC to delay the “virtual roll call” to select the nominee. They note in the letter that the virtual process could start as early as July 21, decided in part because of rules to get on the Ohio ballot that state lawmakers have since dealt with. 

“Some of us have called on President Biden to step aside, others have urged him to stay in the race, and still other have deep concerns about the status of the President’s campaign but have yet to take a position on what should happen,” the lawmakers write. “All of us, however, agree that stifling debate and prematurely shutting down any possible change in the Democratic ticket through an unnecessary and unprecedented ‘virtual roll call’ in the days ahead is a terrible idea.”

They add: “Regardless of whether President Biden remains our nominee. Democratic unity and enthusiasm will be critical between now and November 5th. We respectfully but emphatically request that you cancel any plans for an accelerated “virtual roll call” and further refrain from any extraordinary procedures that could be perceived as curtailing legitimate debate or attempting to force an early resolution of the party nomination.”

Two sources tell NBC News there are more than 20 signatures on this effort thus far and that they are representative of members who have taken a range of stances so far on Biden’s future in the party. 

Among them, according to sources familiar with the effort, are Reps. Jared Huffman (who’s been critical of Biden) Mike Levin (who has called for Biden to step down) and Susan Wild, a frontline Democrat who has not spoken publicly as of yet. Huffman is also one of the key pushers behind this letter, two sources confirmed.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., is calling on Menendez to resign after he was found guilty on all counts in his corruption trial.

“In light of this guilty verdict, Senator Menendez must now do what is right for his constituents, the Senate, and our country, and resign,” Schumer said in a statement. Schumer had previously stopped short of calling for Menendez to step down, saying instead that he was "deeply disappointed" and "disturbed" by the indictment.

Rep. Andy Kim, the Democratic nominee for Menendez's Senate seat in New Jersey, told NBC News that Menendez should immediately resign following his guilty verdict.

Kim, who also called on Menendez to step down when the charges were first made public, said, "Our public servants should work for the people, and today we saw the people judge Senator Menendez as guilty and unfit to serve."

He added, "The people of New Jersey deserve better."

Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., was found guilty on all counts in his trial on charges of accepting bribes, including cash and gold bars, to benefit the governments of Egypt and Qatar.

Menendez was charged with 16 counts, including bribery, extortion, acting as a foreign agent, obstruction of justice and several counts of conspiracy. He had pleaded not guilty in the case, as did his wife, Nadine Menendez, whose trial was delayed following her surgery for a breast cancer diagnosis.

Former first lady Melania Trump is expected to attend the Republican National Convention on Thursday, when Trump will formally accept the GOP presidential nomination, a senior Trump campaign official told NBC News. That plan, however, does not preclude her appearing earlier in the day.

RNC Texas Committeeman Dr. Robin Armstrong urged his state’s delegation not to boo Nikki Haley tonight during her remarks in Milwaukee. 

“Nikki Haley is going to speak tonight, say nothing,” Armstrong said to the Texas delegation over breakfast. Groans came out from certain members of the crowd upon hearing Haley’s name. “We don’t want to have any boos tonight, guys. No boos at all. It’s really important,” Armstrong added. 

“I know that nobody from the Texas delegation is to boo tonight night, OK?” Armstrong said again for a third time. Haley, who criticized Trump sharply during the 2024 primary, is slated to speak at the convention this evening. 

The following speakers are scheduled to deliver remarks at the Republican National Convention tonight:

RNC officials

• Lara Trump, co-chair of the Republican National Committee and the former president’s daughter-in-law

Senators

• Marco Rubio of Florida
• Rick Scott of Florida
• Ted Cruz of Texas
• Eric Schmitt of Missouri
• Tom Cotton of Arkansas

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. apologized this morning after his son posted a video on X showing a call between Kennedy and Trump.

Bobby Kennedy III wrote in his post that the call took place Sunday, the day after the assassination attempt on Trump. In the video, Trump can be heard talking about children’s vaccines and the gunshot he experienced at the Pennsylvania rally Saturday. “It sounded like a giant — like the world’s largest mosquito. And it was, it was a bullet going round,” Trump said in the video.

The video also shows Kennedy, a longtime anti-vaccine activist, talking with the former president about vaccines, with Trump saying: “I agree with you man, something's wrong with that whole system.”

After his son deleted the post, Kennedy Jr. made his own post on X, writing: “When President Trump called me I was taping with an in-house videographer. I should have ordered the videographer to stop recording immediately. I am mortified that this was posted. I apologize to the president.”

With the clock ticking to the Republican National Convention last week, Trump met privately to discuss his running mate search with two of his closest advisers: his sons. 

The conversation quickly turned tense when the former president indicated that he was leaning toward Doug Burgum, until recently the largely unknown governor of North Dakota — but someone whose low-maintenance, no-drama personality would never threaten to outshine Trump.

That’s when Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump chimed in.

Read the full story here.

Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley is expected to address the RNC tonight, Trump's son Eric Trump has told NBC News.

Haley, the ex-president's former rival for the GOP nomination and his administration's ambassador to the United Nations, accepted the invitation to speak at the convention on Sunday.

Earlier this month, Haley released her 97 convention delegates to allow them to support Trump.

Former Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wy., an outspoken Trump critic who served as vice chair of the House Jan. 6 committee, criticized Vance a day after Trump announced the Ohio Republican senator as his running mate.

“JD Vance has pledged he would do what Mike Pence wouldn’t — overturn an election and illegally seize power. He says the president can ignore the rulings of our courts,” Cheney wrote in a post on X, reposting a February message criticizing Vance’s remarks during a heated interview on ABC’s “This Week.”

In the interview, Vance was asked whether he would have certified the election results if he were Trump's vice president in 2020. Vance said he would have told battleground states such as Pennsylvania and Georgia "and so many others that we needed to have multiple slates of electors, and I think the U.S. Congress should have fought over it from there."

The Biden campaign will announce today that former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Marcia Fudge will be a co-chair of his re-election campaign, according to a campaign official who first shared the details with NBC News.

Campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez said in a statement that Fudge "is a fighter" and pointed to her political experience.

"She knows first-hand the historic work President Biden and Vice President Harris have done for the American people, especially to build more affordable housing and lower the cost of rent, whether it was her work as HUD Secretary or her time serving as a member of Congress," Chavez Rodriguez said. "And she’ll bring her deep knowledge and political prowess to our campaign as a co-chair. We couldn’t be more thrilled.”

Some high-profile speakers on the first night of the Republican National Convention leaned into anti-LGBTQ rhetoric, doubling down on the party’s platform, which calls for keeping “men out of women’s sports” and ending “left-wing gender insanity.”

Their speeches yesterday especially targeted transgender and non-gender-conforming people.

“Let me state this clearly: There are only two genders,” said Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga.

Read the full story here.

MILWAUKEE — The economy was the focus of the first night of the Republican National Convention, but it was Trump’s first public appearance since the attempted assassination at his rally Saturday that stole the show. 

Most speakers stuck to the night’s theme, “Make America Wealthy Again,” but interspersed through the night were mentions of the shooting and rhetoric that, at times, contradicted Trump’s own calls for unity. 

Read the full story here.