The RNC starts today. Here’s what you need to know

The Republican National Convention will officially kick off as planned on Monday in Milwaukee. The convention will be the first national gathering for party members to rally behind former President Donald Trump after he survived an assassination attempt at a campaign rally in Butler, Pa. By the time it concludes Thursday, he will become the party’s nominee along with his running mate, who he has yet to announce.

Trump, who arrived in Milwaukee on Sunday, said in a post on Truth Social the show would go on.

“Based on yesterday’s terrible events, I was going to delay my trip to Wisconsin, and The Republican National Convention, by two days, but have just decided that I cannot allow a “shooter,” or potential assassin, to force change to scheduling, or anything else," Trump wrote on Sunday. In a later post, he wrote, “UNITE AMERICA!”

Members of the party took that message to heart, as they've stood deeper in unison and in support of Trump. Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who initially was not invited to the RNC, is now slated to speak on Tuesday at the convention — a further sign that even some of Trump's former critics in the GOP are expressing support for him.

Leaders in the party see the convention as a chance for its members to show how united they are in contrast to Democrats, who are deeply divided over Biden's candidacy. In total, there will be about 50,000 people attending the RNC, according to the Milwaukee 2024 Host Committee. There are 2,429 delegates from all 56 states and territories, and as of July 12, Trump has earned 2,268 delegates.

What to expect

In terms of messaging, Trump will likely deliver his similar talking points: that the country is weak and in decline — which he pins squarely on the Biden administration — and that the judicial system has unfairly gone after him and his supporters. He and his party members will also fight “Bidenflation,” and discuss how to strengthen the military and secure the border.

And what’s actually going to be happening each day?

The big things on the to do list: the RNC will officially vote on the party platform — essentially the party’s mission statement — early on. On Wednesday, the vice president nominee will likely speak, and Trump is expected to make his big speech formally accepting the nomination on Thursday.

In an announcement released on July 8, the Trump campaign said while the convention will bring in Republican leaders and those supporting conservatives, “the real stars of the convention are everyday Americans.”

The convention has four themes for every day of the convention, with each theme playing on Trump’s iconic “Make America Great Again” catchphrase:

Monday’s theme, “Make America Wealthy Once Again,” will highlight how Biden's economic policies, the campaign maintains, has lowered wages for workers and made “everyday life unaffordable for working-class Americans.” The RNC will focus on Trump’s “America First” economic policies that emphasizes trade deals and cutting tax rates.

“Make America Safe Once Again,” the theme for Tuesday, will paint American cities and communities as in decline because of Biden’s “soft-on-crime and open border policies.” Republicans, per the memo, would bring order to the border and curb the distribution of drugs in the U.S.

Wednesday will center on “Make America Strong Once Again,” and on foreign policy over issues such as the Israel-Hamas War, Iran and China, with a goal of strengthening the U.S.’s standing in the world.

The final day of the convention will culminate with “Make America Great Once Again,” which is when Trump is expected to accept the nomination, and will center on Trump’s promise to “usher in a new golden age for America” of “resurgence” for cities and communities, and “optimism for the future of our country.”

The RNC has given no indication these themes will change in the wake of Saturday’s shooting.

What about the RNC platform?

The document is short, at just 16 pages, and reads a bit like Trump’s speeches. It includes various campaign promises, like launching the largest deportation in history. While these party platforms are usually written collaboratively, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee political scientist Kathy Dolan said that this platform was written in a more top-down manner coming from Trump’s team as an attempt to detract attention from Project 2025, a policy agenda from the Heritage Foundation that was written by several of Trump’s former advisors.

Project 2025 has been controversial among voters: the most recent NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist Poll found 15% of respondents see it as "favorable" while 41% called it "unfavorable." That's why Dolan sees the RNC platform as a way to push away Project 2025.

“I think this is an attempt to create a document where they can point to and say, ‘No, we're not fully in line with Project 2025,’” Dolan suggested.

Who will be speaking?

A list of headliners and keynote speakers released by the Trump campaign and the RNC on Saturday includes several members of the Trump clan, including Donald Trump Jr., and Co-Chairman Lara Trump. Celebrities and industry leaders will also attend such as television host and political commentator Tucker Carlson, senior campaign adviser Alina Habba, and Turning Point USA CEO Charlie Kirk.

Many people speculated to be Trump’s vice presidential nominee are also on the speaker’s list, including Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum and South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott.

How do I tune into the convention?

Visit NPR.org for live video, analysis and fact-checking; listen to and watch NPR's special coverage on many public radio stations. Subscribe to The NPR Politics Podcast for a post-convention recap each night. And subscribe to the NPR Politics Newsletter to get analysis of the week.

Copyright 2024 NPR