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Border control and the scourge of the opioid epidemic surfaced as major themes on the second night of the Republican National Convention, which focused on safety and security.

On Tuesday night, allies of Donald Trump shared their fears for the safety and security of their constituents and their families, while also criticizing and questioning President Biden's mental and physical stamina.

Border Control, Opioid Deaths

Anne Fundner, a mother and activist, shared the story of her 15-year-old son, who was killed by fentanyl in California. Weston was a regular teenager who bowed to peer pressure for one deadly moment in February 2022 and lost his life, she said.

"His whole future, everything we ever wanted for him was ripped away in an instant, and Joe Biden does nothing. I hold Joe Biden, [Ka]mala Harris -- the 'border czar,' what a joke -- and [Democratic California Gov.] Gavin Newsom and every Democrat who supports open borders responsible for the death of my son," Fundner said, as people began chanting, "Joe must go!"

"We have seen the during the Biden-Harris administration, and fentanyl is now the ," Fundner continued. "We need President Trump back to save the lives of our kids."

Michael Coyle, an illegal immigration activist, said he started a nonprofit to clean up the area of Kensington in Northeast Philadelphia, which he dubbed "one of the worst neighborhoods in America," claiming that he and his group recovered over 1,000 needles in a park frequented by children en route to the public library in a single day.

Philadelphians aren't only dying from fentanyl, they are also using xylazine, a veterinary sedative popularly known as "tranq," Coyle added, which "literally rots the flesh of the users."

"Do you know what the smell of rotting flesh smells like? The people of my city do. In Donald Trump, I see a leader who will end the urban nightmare," he said, urging everyone listening to vote for the former president.

Like Fundner, Kari Lake, a Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate from Arizona, blamed her opponent Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) and other Democrats for "hand[ing] over control of my state ... to the drug cartels, and because of them, criminals and deadly drugs are pouring in and our children are dying ... We are losing a generation of young people to this fentanyl crisis, and it's got to stop."

"The Grand Canyon State has become the Fentanyl State, and it's not okay with this mom," Lake added.

David McCormick, a Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate from Pennsylvania, also argued that his opponent Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) and President Biden are "dangerous for Pennsylvania and America."

Not only are they responsible for drugs pouring across "wide open borders," leaving 100,000 Americans dead, as a result of their policies, "illegal immigrants have victimized innocent young women who could easily be your daughter or mine," McCormick said.

Forest County Potawatomi Executive Council Chairman James Crawford also pointed to the threats to tribal communities.

"The growing use and abuse of illegal drugs are claiming countless lives on reservations across this country, and Native American women and girls continue to be exploited, trafficked, and subjected to violence at reprehensible levels," Crawford said.

(Researchers have between undocumented people and an increase in crime.)

A 'Weekend at Bernie's' Presidency

Following an arguably weak debate performance in June, Democrats and Republicans alike have paid closer attention to President Biden's health, , with some Democrats .

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said President Biden "lacks the capability to discharge the duties of his office. Our enemies do not confine their designs to between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m."

"America cannot afford 4 more years of a 'Weekend at Bernie's' presidency," he added, referring to the 1980s comedy in which two insurance salesmen pretend their dead employer is still alive.

Notably, Nikki Haley, the former South Carolina governor and a former Republican presidential candidate, also targeted Vice President Kamala Harris, noting that illegal immigration is "the single biggest threat Americans face ... And let me remind you, Kamala had one job. One job. And that was to fix the border. Now, imagine her in charge of the entire country."

"After seeing the debate, everyone knows it's true -- if we have 4 more years of Biden or a single day of Harris, our country will be badly worse off," Haley said. "For the sake of our nation, we have to go with Donald Trump."

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