RNC 2024 Day 2 updates: Trump rivals take center stage along with divine intervention
The theme of Tuesday's session is "Make America Safe Again."
The second day of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee ended Tuesday with appearances from some of former President Donald Trump's former rivals: former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy -- all calling for Republican Party unity.
They were joined by some of Trump's longest allies including Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders and Ben Carson in bashing the Democrats over what they claimed were harmful and failed policies.
The program focused on law and order with a theme of making the country "safe again."
Trump, with a bandage on his ear, made an appearance again Tuesday evening -- just days after he was wounded in an assassination attempt at one of his rallies in Pennsylvania over the weekend. Several speakers touched on that God spared Trump in the shooting, saving him for a divine plan for the presidency.
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Trump senior adviser doubles down on Trump's support for Second Amendment
Former President Donald Trump campaign's senior adviser Chris LaCivita spoke at a panel hosted by pro-Second Amendment group USCCA on Tuesday morning updating the crowd about Trump's recovery and message of unity.
LaCivita said both Trump and himself are supporters of the Second Amendment and reiterated the former president's messaging has always been to allow law-abiding citizens the ability to carry firearms to protect themselves and their families.
"It's also really important in this election, because Biden has made it clear he wants to ban them," LaCivita said. "There are so many things that you can do to curb the problem of individuals as opposed to trying to ban what is clearly… a right."
-ABC News' Kelsey Walsh, Lalee Ibssa and Soorin Kim
Trump, Vance to hold campaign rally in Michigan
Trump's campaign announced that he and JD Vance will be holding a rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on Saturday.
This will mark their first rally together and the first one after Trump's assassination attempt. The rally will take place in an indoor venue.
-ABC News' Lalee Ibssa and Soorin Kim
There's Trump merchandise galore at RNC
Merchandise abounds outside of the convention center, with official RNC-branded souvenirs sold inside the Fiserv Forum. The signature red "MAGA" hat is sold at all of them, but all of the vendors have slightly different stock.
A vendor outside of the main security line was selling shirts with the now-iconic photo after the assassination attempt of former President Donald Trump, while another inside of the security perimeter sold T-shirts that declared "I'm voting for the felon."
The official RNC store features T-shirts with Trump's mugshot along with more niche merchandise such as Christmas ornaments.
-ABC News' Diana Paulsen
Ramaswamy says 'national unity is important,' will be focus of his speech tonight
Vivek Ramaswamy, a high-profile businessman and former 2024 Republican presidential primary candidate, told reporters in a brief gaggle on Tuesday morning that he plans on striking themes of unity during his remarks he's set to give on Tuesday night at the convention's main session.
Ramaswamy said his focus on national unity might come as a surprise to some viewers and listeners.
“It may not be the message that everyone expects to hear from me, but I do think that this message of national unity is important,” he said.
He added that he strives for an "authentic" version of unity.
“I don't want to fake national unity -- not some astroturf, artificial kind -- but the real thing. Authentic national unity, not one that pretends that we agree on everything, because we don't. But that we are the country where we can still disagree like hell and still have dinner at the end of it.”
-ABC News' Steven Portnoy