The Republican Party will hold its national convention next week in Milwaukee. Here is what you need to know and how to tune in:
When is the convention?
The convention runs from Monday, July 15 through Thursday, July 18, with most of the noteworthy speeches occurring late in the evenings.
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How can I watch the convention?
Scripps News will air live coverage of the convention on air and online from 8-11 p.m. ET Monday-Thursday. To find Scripps News on air, click here. You can also watch on Scripps News' website.
What are the themes?
Each night of the Republican National Convention will feature a theme highlighting the GOP's agenda. Here are the themes for each night:
Monday: Make America Wealthy Once Again
Tuesday: Make America Safe Once Again
Wednesday: Make America Strong Once Again
Thursday: Make America Great Once Again
What is the purpose of the convention?
The Republican Convention has several official functions. One is to officially nominate the party's presidential and vice presidential candidates for the upcoming election. The other is to vote on a party platform.
Given that primaries pick the delegates who vote for the presidential nomination, it's generally a foregone conclusion who the nominee will be. This year, former President Donald Trump has the overwhelming majority of delegates and is the presumptive nominee.
But who he chooses as a running mate remains in question. He has said he plans to name the vice presidential nominee at the convention, although he has teased naming that person sooner.
On Monday, the party released its proposed platform for the next four years, which includes mass deportations, large tax cuts, protecting Social Security and Medicare, ending diversity programs for public schools, and only allowing voting on Election Day itself.
While political conventions do serve official purposes, they have largely become four-night infomercials for the party's platform and candidates.
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Who are the RNC speakers?
Customarily, the presidential nominee speaks at the end of Thursday's session, while the vice presidential nominee gives their acceptance speech at the end of Wednesday. These two speeches are generally the most-followed addresses of a given convention.
While as of early Wednesday the GOP has not released a list of speakers for the convention, it is safe to say many prominent Republican figures who back Trump will be featured.
Host city
Milwaukee will host the Republican Convention four years after the Democrats intended to have their convention in the same spot. That year's convention was largely held remotely due to COVID-19.
Hosting a major national political convention is a massive undertaking for the host city. In addition to delegates, political leaders and the media converging on the town, thousands of protesters are also likely to demonstrate there.
Given the security concerns, numerous blocks of downtown Milwaukee will be closed off to the public as thousands of officers from agencies throughout the U.S. will try to secure the area.
When is the Democratic National Convention?
This year's Democratic National Convention will be held Aug. 19-22 in Chicago.
