MILWAUKEE — Thousands of Republicans will converge for the start of the Republican National Convention in Wisconsin Monday — just two days after former President Donald Trump was nearly killed at a Pennsylvania rally.
Undeterred by the attack that nearly cost him his life, Trump, 78, will attend the GOP’s first large-scale, in-person national convention since 2016, where he is slated to accept the Republican Party’s nomination for president and unveil his vice presidential pick.
“Based on yesterday’s terrible events, I was going to delay my trip to Wisconsin,” Trump wrote on Truth Social Sunday, “but have just decided that I cannot allow a ‘shooter,’ or potential assassin, to force change to scheduling, or anything else.”
Security concerns, which were already heightened, will loom even larger as major political leaders and celebrities deliver remarks at Fiserv Forum.
The Post has a team of reporters and photographers on the ground to bring you the news as it happens.
Here’s what else you should know about the four-day convention:
Every four years, Republicans hold a massive convention to allow their 2,400 delegates to officially nominate a party standard-bearer for president.
In that process, key party luminaries as well as sitting officials sync up to discuss strategy, policy and more. The convention is sometimes staged in a state where the party is seeking a bit of a boost.
Wisconsin is widely seen as one of the top seven battleground states in recent presidential cycles. Biden won the Badger State in 2020, but Trump claimed it in 2016.
During the roll call process, states will assemble in alphabetical order and announce how many delegates will be allocated to each candidate.
By the end of the campaign cycle, Trump clinched roughly 2,243 delegates – well over the 1,125 needed to lock down the nod. That’s why he’s been referred to as the presumptive party standard bearer.
Additionally, the GOP is expected to officially adopt its new platform, which was unveiled to the public last week in a historically slim, 16-page document.
This go-around will be markedly different from the 2020 GOP convention, which was scaled down and hosted partly in Charlotte, NC, partly in Washington, DC, and partly in various remote settings due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Additionally, the GOP is expected to officially adopt its new platform, which was unveiled to the public last week in a historically slim, 16-page document.
All major news networks including Fox News, CNN, MSNBC, NBC, as well as C-SPAN will broadcast the convention sessions.
The Republican Party’s official website will also offer convention live streams, which can also be found on YouTube, Facebook and Twitter.
There are various events happening over the course of four days.
Monday – “Make America Wealthy Once Again”
Timing: programming will commence at 1:45 p.m. through 5:45 p.m. ET. There will be an hourlong break and then the next half of the session will span from 6:45 p.m. through 10 p.m.
The day will focus on economic policy and juxtapose the outlet of the nation’s wealth under Trump vs President Biden.
Tuesday – “Make America Safe Once Again“