Donald Trump’s former leading rival for the Republican presidential nomination, Nikki Haley, offered a full-throated endorsement of his candidacy at the party’s convention on Tuesday (July 16), a display of unity three days after Trump survived an assassination attempt.

Haley, who had described Trump as unelectable and unfit for office during her campaign, nevertheless urged her supporters to vote for him over Democratic President Joe Biden “for the sake of our nation.”

“You don’t have to agree with Trump 100% of the time to vote for him,” the former U.N. ambassador and South

Carolina governor said, after taking the stage to a mixture of cheers and boos. “Take it from me.”

Trump smiled and applauded from his box in the arena, where he sat alongside the running mate whose selection he unveiled on Monday (July 15), U.S. Senator J.D. Vance, himself a former fierce Trump critic who has become a staunch supporter.

The show of harmony was intended to contrast with the Democratic Party, which has spent weeks mired in intraparty tensions over whether Biden, 81, should abandon his reelection bid after his halting June 27 debate performance against Trump, 78, raised fresh questions about his age and mental acuity.

(REUTERS)