(The Center Square) – Former President Donald Trump's top two challengers in the GOP presidential primary earlier this year criticized President Joe Biden's policies in back-to-back appearances Tuesday night at the Republican National Convention.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former UN Ambassador and South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley mostly stuck to the thee of the night, "Make America Safe Again," touching on issues ranging from the deadly withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan, to the wars in Ukraine and Gaza that started under Biden's watch, to the illegal immigration crisis at U.S. borders.
Both Haley and DeSantis challenged Trump in the GOP presidential primary earlier this year, often sharing a war of words with the former president. DeSantis dropped out of the race in January. Of all of Trump's Republican challengers, Haley stayed in the race the longest, exiting in March.
By Tuesday, any lingering animosity was long gone.
Haley focused on U.S. national security, arguing that "Democrats have moved so far to the left they are putting our country in danger. ...As ambassador to the United Nations, I had a front row seat to [Trump's] national security policies. We sure could use those again."
Noting that when Barrack Obama was president, Russian President Vladimir Putin invaded Crimea, and under Biden, "Putin invaded all of Ukraine. But when Donald Trump was president, Putin did nothing, no invasions, no wars. That was no accident. Putin didn't invade Ukraine because he knew Donald Trump was tough. A strong president doesn't start wars, a strong president prevents wars."
Trump imposed the toughest sanctions on Iran, Haley said, he tore up an "insane" nuclear pact with the terrorist-sponsoring nation. Haley also noted that Iran funds Hamas, which invaded Israel last year, killing more than 1,000 people, and leading to the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. She criticized Biden's handling of the war: "Biden is pressuring Israel instead of the terrorists."
Haley also touched on the border crisis. Noting the thousands of foreign nationals who illegally cross the border every day, Haley said heightened illegal immigration "is biggest threat Americans face."
"Under Donald Trump, we didn't have the border disaster we have today, and we won't when he is president again," she said.
DeSantis touched on national security issues as well, starting with the deadly withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan in 2021.
"As a veteran, I was appalled when 13 of our service members were killed in Afghanistan," he said.
A vocal critic of what he calls Biden's open border policies, DeSantis hit the former president hard on the issue,
"They support open borders, allowing millions and millions of illegal aliens to pour into our country, and burden our communities. But just don't send any to Martha's Vineyard, then they get really upset," he said, noting his transportation of dozens of illegal migrants to the wealthy Massachusetts island.
Under Biden, more than 12 million people have entered the U.S. illegally, The Center Square previously reported . And Republicans have sounded the alarm about known or suspected terrorists who have illegally entered since 2021.
DeSantis also criticized Biden's DEI initiatives in schools, government agencies and the military; his woke policies that he argued indoctrinate children; his COVID-19 mandates and more.
"They mandated that you show proof of a COVID vaccine to go to a restaurant, but they oppose that you show proof of citizenship to cast a vote," he said.
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