Trump reaches out to unify the party by inviting Nikki Haley to the Republican National Convention after surviving an assassination attempt.
Former President Donald Trump extended an invitation to former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, his one-time rival in the 2024 Republican presidential race, asking her to attend the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The call, made on July 13, came just hours after Trump survived an assassination attempt during a campaign rally, and is seen as an attempt to unify the Republican Party amidst the ongoing division.
Haley, the former governor of South Carolina, was Trump’s second-place contender in the Republican primaries but dropped out in March after a poor performance in Super Tuesday contests. She has since supported Trump’s bid for the presidency, releasing her delegates to back him. Haley is scheduled to speak at the convention on July 16.
Trump’s outreach to Haley was seen as a strategic move to capitalize on the goodwill following the assassination attempt, urging former rivals to join in efforts to deny President Joe Biden another term. Despite their bitter rivalry during the primaries, where Haley criticized both Trump and Biden’s mental fitness and Trump ridiculed her with a derisive nickname, the former ambassador has now pledged to contribute to Republican unity.