The Republican national convention began on Monday in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with Donald Trump officially nominated as the Republican party’s candidate for president during the four-day event.
It marks a key point in the election calendar. The closely watched convention is a chance for Trump and Republicans to lay out their vision for the US, less than four months from November’s presidential election.
Trump announced Monday that Ohio senator JD Vance is his pick for running mate. Vance is expected to speak at the convention later in the week, making the case to voters for a second Trump presidency.
Each day of the convention has a specific Maga-inspired theme: Monday was “Make America wealthy once again” and Tuesday’s theme is “Make America safe once again” with a focus on crime and immigration.
Immigration has become a rallying cry for Republicans, as Trump and his allies have repeatedly and falsely accused Joe Biden of supporting “open borders”.
The speaker schedule for Tuesday remains unclear, as Republicans have not yet specified who will next be addressing the convention. But a number of Republican lawmakers and members of Trump’s family have been named as speakers and have not yet addressed the convention crowd.
What happened on day one of the RNC?
Trump made his first public appearance since surviving a shooting attack in Pennsylvania on Saturday. Trump made a dramatic entrance to loud cheers, emerging on the floor of the convention hall at about 9pm CT to cheers of “USA!” and “fight!” Lee Greenwood played “Proud to be an American” as Trump entered the convention hall.
The former president appeared with a stiff white bandage covering his ear, and looked more moved than defiant, occasionally holding his fist in the air as he walked through the crowd and mouthing “thank you” to his supporters.
Trump announced his pick for running mate: 39-year-old JD Vance, a bestselling author who swiftly transformed himself from a self-described “never Trumper” to a Trump loyalist.
Vance, who gained a national profile for a much-praised 2016 memoir Hillbilly Elegy, about white family dysfunction in Appalachia and how he made it to Yale Law School, once publicly called Trump “reprehensible” and an “idiot”.
Related: Trump’s arrival and ‘our God saves’: key takeaways from day one of the RNC
What is the point of the RNC?
Officially, the main reason is for Republican party delegates to anoint Donald Trump as their party’s candidate for president.
But the convention is much more than that. It’s a chance to rally supporters, to bring in donations, to get television airtime, and also a chance for Republicans to just have a good time.
The convention started on Monday and runs until Thursday night, which is when Trump is expected to take the stage, accept the nomination, and speak to the crowd and TV cameras.
Where is the convention being held?
At Fiserv Forum, in downtown Milwaukee. The sprawling arena, home to the Milwaukee Bucks NBA team, opened in 2018. According to Fiserv Forum’s own website, the building is “designed to reflect the heritage, history and personality of Milwaukee”.
Fiserv was due to host the 2020 Democratic convention, but Covid-19 meant that event was drastically downsized and moved elsewhere. It’s no coincidence that both parties have sought to hold their flagship events here in recent years: Wisconsin is an important swing state that Biden won by just 20,000 votes four years ago, and it is expected to play a key role in November.
On Monday, about a thousand people led a spirited demonstration against Trump and his party on the streets outside the convention. The coalition of progressive groups marched through downtown Milwaukee, stopping traffic and chanting “Free Palestine” as they walked.
“Today is about telling the Republicans that they’re not welcome in our city, they’re not welcome anywhere and anywhere they show up, we’re going to show the opposition to their ideas,” said Omar Flores, co-chair of the Coalition to March on the RNC.
How does nominating Trump work?
About 2,500 delegates from 50 states and territories will cast their vote. Each state has a certain number of delegates based on its population, and Trump and his opponents won delegates through the Republican primaries. Trump needed 1,215 delegates to win, which he already has, but his nomination isn’t official until the delegates cast their vote at the convention.
Who will be at the convention?
About 50,000 people are expected to attend the convention across the four days. That includes the delegates, but also other supporters, elected officials and media.
Lara Trump, the ex-president’s daughter-in-law, has said “unlikely people” will speak at the convention, including celebrities. Given Trump has few celebrity backers – he has Kid Rock, Dennis Quaid and Dean Cain, a former actor who played Superman in the 1990s TV series Lois and Clark – it will be interesting to see who Lara Trump is talking about.
On Monday, speakers including senators Tim Scott and Marsha Blackburn, celebrity Amber Rose, and union leader Sean O’Brien.
Ron DeSantis, who became embroiled in a bitter war against Trump after running against him for the nomination, will speak. Nikki Haley, who also challenged Trump for the nomination, was added to the schedule on Sunday, one day after the former president survived an assassination attempt.
How can I follow it?
The Guardian will have live coverage every day, as well as pieces on key issues and performances. C-Span, the non-profit political broadcast service, will broadcast live, and live feeds are also expected to be available on YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. News channels will cover plenty of the events too.
When should I tune in for the RNC?
Donald Trump will give his address on Thursday night. His son Donald Trump Jr and JD Vance will speak on Wednesday night.
Apart from nominating Trump, what else happens?
Each day has a theme based on the “Make America great again” slogan. Monday was “Make America wealthy once again”, Tuesday is “Make America safe once again”, Wednesday’s theme is about making America strong and Thursday’s comes full circle: Make America great once again”.
There will be various speakers each day on the convention floor, and there are events elsewhere in Milwaukee. According to the convention calendar the European Union is holding a “Europe night” at the city’s Harley-Davidson museum, while the Heritage Foundation – which is behind Project 2025 – hosted a “policy fest” on Monday. There are also film screenings, pro-gun workshops and plenty of drinks events.
