Nikki Haley, a United Nations ambassador under Donald Trump and his last standing primary rival, gave her endorsement to the former president “for the sake of our nation” on the second night of the Republican National Convention — a show of party unity three days after the attempt on Trump’s life.

Haley was just one of a long list of Trump’s vanquished foes to rally around him, joined by Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida, who attacked President Joe Biden over his age. And on a night dedicated to party messaging on crime and immigration, Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas decried a “literal invasion” of the United States and Vivek Ramaswamy whipped up the crowd with a promise that the former president would “seal the border.”

Here’s what else to know:

A focus on crime and immigration: With the night’s theme “Make America Safe Once Again,” speakers including Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana, the No. 2 House Republican, put a spotlight on border security and Trump’s hard-line agenda of raids, detention camps and mass deportations. Family members of crime victims are also slated to speak, including the family of Rachel Morin, a 37-year-old mother of five who was killed while jogging in 2023 on a trail near her home in Bel Air, Maryland. An immigrant in the country illegally who is also suspected of other assaults was charged in her death.

Senate hopefuls: A string of Republicans hoping to swing control of the Senate in November were among the evening’s early speakers. Kari Lake of Arizona railed against President Joe Biden’s border polices, Mike Rogers of Michigan complained about Biden’s support for electric vehicles and David McCormick of Pennsylvania — who attended the rally where an attempt was made on Trump’s life — praised the former president’s “remarkable strength and resolve.”

Dog on the stage: Perhaps the most popular presence on the stage was Babydog, the portly bulldog that Gov. Jim Justice of West Virginia planted in an armchair during his remarks. Justice warned the country would become “totally unhinged if Donald Trump is not elected in November.”

A Trump speaks: The first member of the Trump family to speak at the convention will be Lara Trump, who is set to deliver the closing remarks Tuesday. Trump, the former president’s daughter-in-law, was made co-chair of the Republican National Committee earlier this year — a sign of Donald Trump’s grip on the party.

Notable absences: The party’s transformation under Trump will be on display partly because of who isn’t showing up. Among those not expected to attend are former President George W. Bush and his vice president, Dick Cheney, and Trump’s last running mate, former Vice President Mike Pence. Mitt Romney, the party’s nominee for president in 2012, isn’t expected to attend, either.

Recruiting Kennedy: A video leaked Tuesday morning showed independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. talking to Trump on speakerphone. Trump expressed agreement with Kennedy’s anti-vaccine rhetoric and suggested that if Kennedy endorsed him, it would be “so good for you and so big for you.”

The New York Times News Service