OhIn a folding chair in a remote corner of the stadium, among the cheering partygoers and a cloud of waving banners, sits a serious-faced man. The Republican Convention around him is out of it. Donald Trump has just returned to the stands. But the man sighs.
“This is a difficult time for me,” says Paul Dame (42). He is here as a delegate on behalf of Vermont. The only American state that did not elect Donald Trump during this spring’s primaries was Nikki Haley.
About the Author
Thomas Rueb is a correspondent in the United States of of Volkskrant. He lives in New York.
You can read all about the American elections in this file.
Haley could appear on the stage in Milwaukee at any moment. The tension in the room is palpable. At first, Trump’s most persistent opponent — Haley received nearly a fifth of the vote — was not welcome here.
Everything changed on Saturday. After the attempt on his life, the former president decided that his party must radiate unity. That’s why he invited his great rival (‘Bird Brain’, as Haley likes to call her) to come and speak at the last minute. In Milwaukee, Haley must convince her supporters that voting for Trump is, at the very least, better than staying home.
“Bittersweet,” says Paul Dame. “But I’m curious to see what he’ll say.”
Battle Axe
There she is. Haley walks onto the stage with a beaming smile. Across from her, arms crossed in the stands, sits the former president. For the first time in a long time, they are in the same room. “Let me make one thing clear,” Haley begins. “Donald Trump has my unconditional support.”
The audience applauds. Lady smiles slightly.
Haley says she is here “in the name of unity.” She addresses her delegates in the room directly and, through the television cameras, voters across the country. “We need to recognize that not all Americans always agree with Trump,” she says. She laughs theatrically. “I know some.”
Then comes her main point. “My message is simple,” Haley says. “You don’t have to agree with him 100 percent to vote for him.”
Last chance
Haley’s appearance is a significant moment for Trump and his campaign. The battle between the rivals became quite heated this spring. Their differences exposed a seemingly unbridgeable schism within the party. She: a relatively classical conservative with an open worldview. He: a radical right-wing isolationist who disdains international relations.
Haley accused Trump of sowing chaos and, in a rare Republican move, openly denounced his lies about election fraud.
But here in Milwaukee, they are burying their hatchet in the face of the party. Differences remain, he says, but “unity is more important.”
‘She is right’
The first guidance came from Haley. Even though she is entitled to her share of the votes at this convention (not enough to win), Haley asked her delegates to vote for Trump anyway. The Vermont delegation was more than willing to do so — except for one person.
“I was still planning to vote for Haley,” says Paul Dame. He gestures around the room. “It was my last chance to show some resistance here. So be the only one.
But when Trump suddenly decided to embrace his rival and invited Haley to give a speech, Dame began to have second thoughts. Did she really have to hold out? That would have led to a fight, members of her delegation say. So Dame, too, caved. “I felt bad about that,” she says. “But that’s over now.”
The story is over. Haley takes another bow and quickly disappears from the stage. Now it is the turn of Trump’s other rival, Governor Ron DeSantis.
“When I see Haley like that,” Dame says, “I think she’s right. Unity is really the most important thing.”
