Republicans are set to hold their own part digital, part in-person convention Aug. 24-27 as the party officially nominates President Trump as its presidential candidate.
Unlike the 2016 RNC that hosted more than 2,400 delegates, this year 336 delegates will gather in person in Charlotte, North Carolina to conduct the roll call vote and formally nominate Trump.
The planning process for this year’s RNC has proved tumultuous as the GOP’s original plans to hold it in full capacity in Charlotte were floundered after North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper (D) refused to do so due to coronavirus restrictions. The RNC then changed its primary location to Jacksonville, Florida, but was abruptly canceled in late July by Trump amid surging COVID-19 cases in the state.
The 2020 RNC will focus on the theme of “Honoring the Great American Story” and will feature everyday Americans who support the President’s re-election, Trump campaign officials told the Associated Press. RNC events will be live streamed each day, with the main programming scheduled between 8:30pm and 11pm ET nightly.
Trump will speak every night
Although plans for the RNC have yet to be fully formalized, Trump will speak every night in the 10 p.m. hour, according to the New York Times, ahead of his acceptance speech that is expected to be held at the White House South Lawn on the final night.
It’s largely a Trump family affair
According to the Associated Press, Donald Trump Jr. will speak on the opening night of the RNC on Monday, which is themed “the Land of Promise.”
On Tuesday, first lady Melania Trump will deliver the marquee address from the White House Rose Garden. Trump’s adult children Eric and Tiffany are expected to speak that night as well, which may also include Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner.
Two producers of ‘The Apprentice’ are involved
The New York Times reported that Sadoux Kim, a longtime deputy to the “Apprentice” creator Mark Burnett and once served as a Miss Universe judge when Trump owned the pageant, is a lead consultant on the 2020 RNC’s production. The Times also notes that Chuck LaBella, a former NBC entertainment executive who helped produce “The Comedy Central Roast of Donald Trump,” is also involved in the RNC’s production.
Featured speakers and themes of the night
Below is the tentative schedule that the AP outlined, citing Trump officials.
Monday, August 24, “Land of Promise”
- South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott
- Former Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley
- Presidential son Donald Trump, Jr.
- Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL)
- Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH)
- Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel
- Tanya Weinreis, a Montana coffee shop owner who received federal loans to pay her employees during the coronavirus
- Andrew Pollack, a parent whose daughter was killed in the 2018 school shooting in Parkland, Florida
Tuesday, August 25, “Land of Opportunity”
- Secretary of State Mike Pompeo
- Trump children Eric and Tiffany Trump
- Nicholas Sandmann, who sued news networks that accused him of harassing a Native American protester at the Lincoln Memorial in January 2019
- First lady Melania Trump will deliver the marquee address of the night from a newly renovated White House Rose Garden
Wednesday, August 26, “Land of Heroes”
- South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem
- White House counselor Kellyanne Conway
- former acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell
- Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-NY)
- Presidential daughter-in-law Lara Trump
- Clarence Henderson, a civil rights figure from the 1960s
- Vice President Mike Pence will deliver the keynote from Baltimore’s Fort McHenry, which inspired “The Star-Spangled Banner” in 1814
Thursday, August 27, 2020, “Land of Greatness”
- Alice Johnson, the criminal justice advocate whose sentence on drug crimes was commuted by Trump after celebrity Kim Kardashian pushed for it
- Carl and Marsha Mueller, the parents of human rights activist Kayla Mueller, who died while being held by the Islamic State group in Syria
- Evangelist Rev. Franklin Graham
- Rudy Giuliani
- Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY)
- Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA)
- Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-NJ)
- Ultimate Fighting Championship President Dana White
Ivanka Trump will introduce her father during the final night of the RNC, ahead of President Trump’s acceptance speech from an “elaborate stage” in front of the Executive Mansion.
