Preparations are made around the Fiserv Forum ahead of the 2024 Republican National Convention on July 12 in Milwaukee.Alex Brandon/The Associated Press
Former U.S. President Donald Trump will officially accept his nomination this week at the Republican National Convention, where we are also expected to hear from his vice-presidential pick.
In the wake of the assassination attempt on Trump, there are new considerations at the convention, particularly around security concerns. The attack heightened long-standing worries that political violence could erupt during the presidential campaign and after the election.
More than 50,000 attendees are expected at the four-day political event in Milwaukee, Wis. The political gathering will feature televised speeches by rising Republican stars and Trump’s choice for a running mate, while also highlighting the party’s stance on topics such as abortion, immigration and the economy.
Here’s what you need to know about the convention.
When is the Republican National Convention and how does it work?
The Republican National Convention will be held July 15-18, 2024, at the main venue, Fiserv Forum, in Milwaukee, with some events also taking place at the nearby University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Panther Arena and the Baird Center.
Republican Party delegates from all 50 states and six territories will officially choose nominees for president and vice-president at the convention. Mr. Trump had already secured many delegates earlier this year during the Super Tuesday primaries, so his nomination at the Republican National Convention is considered a formality.
Almost 2,400 delegates will also have to approve the party platform.
According to the Republican National Committee, each day of the convention will focus on different themes, including the economic agenda, targeting crime, stemming border immigration and improving foreign policy.
Why is it taking place in Milwaukee?
Milwaukee is the largest city in the swing state of Wisconsin. The state has voted for the winner of the last four presidential elections; Joe Biden won Wisconsin in 2020 by less than one percentage point. It was a close call then, and public opinion polls suggest it will be another tightly fought race this year. So, the Republicans’ choice to hold the convention in this crucial jurisdiction is no coincidence.
What is the Republican National Committee and who is the chair of the Republican National Convention, Michael Whatley?
The Republican National Committee is responsible for advancing the national Republican Party brand and platform as well as organizing the national convention. The committee also helps fundraise and determine election strategy for the party. Every four years, state delegations at the Republican National Convention choose its members.
Michael Whatley has been chair of the Republican National Committee since March, 2024. Mr. Whatley was endorsed by Mr. Trump to replace Republican National Convention’s chair Ronna McDaniel and was voted in along with co-chair Lara Trump – Mr. Trump’s daughter-in-law. The Republican National Convention’s chief of staff is Chris LaCivita, a Trump campaign senior adviser.
Before he became Republican National Convention’s chair, Mr. Whatley was chair of the North Carolina GOP.
Key things to watch out for:
Trump will officially get on the presidential ticket after announcing his running mate
Trump is expected to accept the nomination with a speech on July 18, the final night of the convention. He is was expected to pick his running mate by the first day of the event on July 15, and the vice-presidential candidate would then address the convention on July 17.
Mr. Trump announced on his Truth Social platform on Monday that he had chosen Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance as his vice-presidential running mate.
According to The Associated Press, the top contenders had been North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and Sen. Vance. By Monday afternoon, reports suggested that Mr. Burgum and Mr. Rubio were informed they were not selected.
What are major policies in the platform delegates must approve at the Republican National Convention?
The Republican Party’s platform was released this week. The 16-page document is light on details when it comes to platform promises. It does, however, reflect Mr. Trump’s position opposing a federal abortion ban and the imposing of limits to individual states, omitting the explicit basis for a national ban in the Republican platform for the first time in 40 years.
The document retains the party’s long-standing principle that the Constitution extends rights to fetuses but removes language that supports an “amendment to the Constitution and legislation to make clear that the Fourteenth Amendment’s protections apply to children before birth,” a passage in the party platform first included in 1984.
Instead, it says: “We believe that the 14th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States guarantees that no person can be denied life or liberty without due process.” It also includes “that the states are, therefore, free to pass laws protecting those rights.”
Mr. Trump is hoping to avoid strict abortion language in his campaign, even while taking credit for setting up the reversal of Roe v. Wade by the Supreme Court in 2022. The then-U.S. President appointed three of the six justices who voted in the majority to overturn the precedent for a national right to have an abortion.
It remains to be seen whether there will be dissent at the Republican National Convention about this new approach.
What is Project 2025, and is it related to Republican Party policies?
Project 2025 is a huge proposed reenvisionment of the federal government, headed by The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank. The 922-page plan details an expansion of presidential power and the intention to fire tens of thousands of government workers and replace them with Trump loyalists.
The idea has been around since 2023 but the Biden campaign has recently made an effort to call attention to the project in the hopes of painting it as a sign of the extreme hard-right intentions of a second Trump administration. Biden’s camp has created a website dedicated to the project and the Democratic National Committee has announced plans for billboards mentioning Project 2025 in 10 cities.
Mr. Trump denies knowing anything about the project and has distanced himself from the proposal. However, many policy advisers close to Trump and those likely to have important positions in his administration are deeply involved in Project 2025.
Former Trump administration official Russ Vought, for instance, has been key in the project. He also serves as the Republican National Convention’s platform committee’s policy director, an appointment the campaign approved.
The project’s director is Paul Dans, who served as chief of staff at the U.S. Office of Personnel Management under Mr. Trump. Former Trump campaign spokeswoman, Karoline Leavitt‚ was featured in one of Project 2025’s videos.
John McEntee, a former director of the White House Presidential Personnel Office during the Trump administration, is a senior adviser of the project.
What role will Trump’s family play?
Some media reports suggest that Donald Trump Jr. will be announcing his father’s running mate on Wednesday. Trump Jr. has been a vocal defender of his father in the last few months.
Mr. Trump’s wife, Melania Trump will also make a rare political appearance at the convention, sources tell The Associated Press. Ms. Trump has largely stayed out of the public eye in the campaign so far. She wasn’t present at his 78th birthday party, nor did she attend any of the days of Trump’s hush money trial.
While she will be at the convention, she will not be addressing the gathering.
Is anything changing in light of the attempt on Trump’s life this weekend?
Milwaukee’s Mayor Cavalier Johnson says the event has the highest security level possible “so I feel pretty confident.”
“The folks on the ground here have confidence in the work that they’ve put in over the last 18 months,” Mr. Johnson said at a Monday morning briefing. “And I have faith and confidence as well in the Secret Service and the police and fire departments and other agencies providing security today.”
The director of the U.S. Secret Service, Kim Cheatle, also says she’s confident in the plan to secure the Republican National Convention in the wake of the attempt on the life of Mr. Trump.
In a statement, Ms. Cheatle said Monday the security plans for the event are “designed to be flexible.”
“The Secret Service will continuously adapt our operations as necessary to ensure the highest level of safety,” she said.
Ms. Cheatle says the plan will change as necessary to ensure the continued safety of attendees at the Milwaukee event.
What about the protests outside?
A national coalition of groups and unions, called The Coalition to March on the Republican National Convention, is planning a major rally on the first day of the convention.
The group’s website said that the march will “fight the racist and reactionary agenda of the Republican Party” and “defend women’s, LGBTQ, and reproductive rights.” Omar Flores, co-chair of the coalition, told Wisconsin Public Radio he expects anywhere from 2,500 to 5,000 people to attend the July 15 march.
Last month, the coalition sued the city of Milwaukee for violating its First Amendment rights by restricting its access to protest near the Fiserv Forum. After a federal judge ruled that the city did not violate the Constitution, the group and the city reached an agreement on the route of the march.
Milwaukee police are bracing for protests during the convention and have said that they will bring in officers from more than 100 outside state and local departments.
With reports from Reuters and The Associated Press