The Republican national convention began on Monday in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with Donald Trump officially nominated as the Republican party’s candidate for president and JD Vance named as his running mate.
Each day of the convention has a specific Maga-inspired theme – Wednesday’s theme was “Make America Strong Once Again”. The focus on foreign policy comes after Republicans focused on crime and safety on Tuesday and on the economy on Monday.
Vance, a former critic of Trump who once called the former president “America’s Hitler” as well as a “total fraud”, will speak at the convention on Wednesday evening. He will be introduced by Donald Trump Jr.
On Tuesday, Trump’s former opponents Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis both made appearances at the Milwaukee convention during which they heavily endorsed Trump.
What happened on day two of the convention?
The convention’s official theme Tuesday was “Make America Safe Again”, with a focus on crime and border security.
Nikki Haley and the Florida governor, Ron DeSantis, who both challenged Trump for the GOP nomination, unequivocally backed Trump in speeches from the convention floor on Tuesday.
“You don’t have to agree with Trump 100% of the time to vote for him. Take it from me. I haven’t always agreed with President Trump. But we agree more often than we disagree,” Haley said in her speech.
Neither Haley nor DeSantis initially had speaking slots at the convention, but they were added after the attempt on Trump’s life on Saturday as Republicans sought to project unity.
Other speakers on Tuesday included the Texas senator Ted Cruz, the Arkansas governor, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Marco Rubio, Elise Stefanik, Ben Carson, Rick Scott and Tom Cotton.
Related: Day two of the Republican National Convention: key takeaways
What is the point of the Republican national convention?
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 included the senators Tim Scott and Marsha Blackburn, the model Amber Rose and the union leader Sean O’Brien.
Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley, who challenged Trump for the nomination spoke at the convention on Tuesday night.
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 Republican national convention?
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.
