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Nikki Haley endorses Trump in show of unity at RNC
Washington — Nikki Haley endorsed former President Donald Trump at the Republican National Convention on Tuesday as the party tries to spread the message of unity and court voters beyond his base.
“I’ll start by making one thing perfectly clear,” she said. “Donald Trump has my strong endorsement.”
Haley, who served as U.N. ambassador under Trump and is the former governor of South Carolina, was not originally expected to be at the convention. Her spokesperson said last week that she had not been invited. Ahead of the convention Haley released her delegates and encouraged them to vote for Trump.
When Haley dropped out of the primary race against Trump in March, she declined to endorse him, saying he needed to earn the votes of the people who did not support him. In May, she said she would vote for him, despite her intense criticism of him throughout the campaign.
On Tuesday, she said Trump asked her to speak at the convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, “in the name of unity.”
“It was a gracious invitation, and I was happy to accept it,” she said.
Seeking to bring voters into the Republican Party, she said the party must acknowledge that there are Americans who don’t always agree with the former president.
“My message to them is simple. You don’t have to agree with Trump 100% of the time to vote for him. Take it from me,” Haley said.
Haley said the U.S. is at a critical moment and for the country’s sake, “we have to go with Donald Trump.” She praised his national security policies and said he “appreciated advice and input.”
“Americans were well served by his presidency, even if they didn’t agree with them on all things,” she said. “Now to my fellow Republicans, we must not only be a unified party, we must also expand our party. We are so much better when we are bigger. We are stronger when we welcome people into our party who have different backgrounds and experiences.”
Republicans are trying to take advantage of a groundswell of support during the convention, which comes on the heels of an assassination attempt against Trump on Saturday.
Trump arrived in the convention arena shortly before the speeches of Haley and some of his other former rivals, including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz.
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A Georgia county’s emergency call center was overwhelmed by calls on Sept. 4 about a school shooting at Apalachee High School that killed four people and wounded nine others, records released Friday by Barrow County show.
Local news organizations report many of the 911 phone calls were not released under public record requests because state law exempts from release calls recording the voice of someone younger than 18 years old. That exemption would cover calls from most of the 1,900 students at the school in Winder, northeast of Atlanta.
Calls spiked around 10:20 a.m., when authorities have said that 14-year-old suspect Colt Gray began shooting. Many calls were answered with an automated message saying there was a “high call volume,” WAGA-TV reported.
One man called 911 after receiving text messages from a girlfriend. He was put on hold for just over 10 minutes because of an influx of calls at the time of the shooting, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.
“She hears people yelling outside, so I don’t know if that’s officers in the building or that’s — I don’t know,” he said, adding that she was eventually evacuated out of the school.
Other adults also called 911 after their children contacted them.
“My daughter calling me crying. Somebody go ‘boom, boom, boom, boom,'” one mother said. The 911 operator responded: “Ma’am we have officers out there, OK?”
Parents of students at an elementary school and middle school neighboring Apalachee also flooded 911 seeking information.
“Sir, my daughter goes to school next door to Apalachee. Is there a school shooter?” one caller asked.
“We do have an active situation (at) Apalachee High School right now,” the operator responded. “We have a lot of calls coming in.”
More than 500 radio messages between emergency personnel were also released Friday.
“Active shooter!” an officer yells in one audio clip while speaking with a dispatcher, CNN reported. Another officer responds, “Correct. We have an active shooter at Apalachee High School.”
The shooting killed teachers Richard Aspinwall, 39, and Cristina Irimie, 53, as well as students Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, both 14. Another teacher and eight more students were wounded, with seven of those hit by gunfire.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation reported Thursday that the suspect rode the school bus on the day of the shooting with the assault-style rifle concealed in his backpack.
He then asked a teacher for permission to go to the front office to speak with someone, and when he received it, he was allowed to take his backpack with him, GBI said. He then went to a restroom, where he hid, and then eventually took out the weapon and started shooting, investigators said. A knife was also found on him when he was arrested.
According to investigators, the suspect enrolled at Apalachee High on Aug. 14, and between Aug. 14 and the day of the shooting, he was absent for nine days of school.
The family told CBS News that the suspect’s maternal grandmother had visited the school the day before the massacre to discuss the suspect’s alleged behavioral issues.
The suspect has been charged as an adult with four counts of murder, and District Attorney Brad Smith has said more charges are likely to be filed against him in connection with the wounded. Authorities have also charged his father, 54-year-old Colin Gray, alleging that he gave his son access to the gun when he knew or should have known that the teen was a danger to himself and others.
The 13,000 students at Barrow County’s other schools returned to class Tuesday. The 1,900 students who attend Apalachee are supposed to start returning the week of Sept. 23, officials said Friday.
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