The poignant theme, which was chosen ahead of time, hit especially close to home after former President Donald Trump – now the GOP presidential nominee – miraculously survived an assassination attempt at a rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday.
Republicans have accused President Biden and the Democratic Party of turning “once iconic American cities” into “hollowed out, dystopian nightmares” rife with crime and decay.
The packed Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee heard from GOP leaders – including House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.), Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) and one-time presidential hopeful Nikki Haley – but the most moving speeches came from everyday Americans affected by the scourge of violent crime.
The family of Rachel Morin, the 37-year-old mother of five who was ruthlessly raped and murdered by an illegal Salvadoran migrant, bravely addressed the crowd.
“This was described as one of the most brutal and violent offenses that has ever occurred in Harford County, Maryland,” said Michael Morin, Rachel’s brother. “There is nothing compassionate about allowing violent criminals into our country and robbing children of their mother.”
“To this day, we have not heard from Joe Biden or Kamala Harris,” he added, drawing boos. “They never apologized. But when Rachel was killed, President Trump called my family to offer his condolences.”
“As brutal as the murder of my sister was, I pray that her killer will find Jesus Christ,” he added.
Morin’s mom, Patty Morin, previously revealed that former President Trump called her following the arrest of the 23-year-old suspect, Victor Antonio Martinez-Hernandez, last month. Martinez-Hernandez is also believed to be a gang member.
The grieving mom said she was “deeply touched” by the ex-commander-on-chief’s “kindness and concern.”
Martinez-Hernandez illegally crossed into the US in February 2023.
Another speaker included Madeline Brame, a New York mom who lost her then-35-year-old son Hason Correa to a beating and stabbing attack outside a Harlem apartment building in 2018. Correa was a father of three who served in Afghanistan.
“He received enemy fire from the Taliban only to be murdered with a knife on the streets of New York City,” she said, explaining that the four suspects were initially facing justice.
“But that changed when District Attorney Alvin Bragg was elected,” she continued angrily to thunderous boos. “The injustice was devastating for me and my family. I don’t want anyone else to experience [this].”
“He received enemy fire from the Taliban only to be murdered with a knife on the streets of New York City,” she said, explaining that the four suspects were initially facing justice.
Brame contended that “soft-on-crime” prosecutors like Bragg have “turned our great country and cities into war zones.”
“The Democratic Party that poor minorities have been loyal to for decades, including myself — they’ve betrayed us, stabbed us in the back,” she said.
Brame has long accused Manhattan’s Democrat District Attorney Alvin Bragg of going easy on the four suspects in the killing of her son.
The courageous mom even vied for the GOP bid for the Westchester and Bronx congressional seat held by Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY), who lost his primary last month. She was ultimately unable to get her name on the ballot.
Trump and his recently announced vice presidential pick Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) were seen clapping throughout both of those emotional speeches.
Republicans organizing the event also prepped several videos, including one that powerfully detailed the toll that crime has taken on rural America as of late.
Both Trump and his newly minted running mate also watched the key speeches of the night from Haley, DeSantis, Brame and Morin.