What Will Happen at the Republican Convention, and What to Watch For

Republicans will nominate former President Donald Trump as their presidential nominee for a third time at the Republican National Convention at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, from July 14 to July 18.

Party conventions have been a staple of presidential politics for nearly 200 years.

Presidential primaries, which started to gain momentum in the mid-20th century, were originally non-binding.

Conventions were the place where state delegates battled it out for their favorite candidates and emerged with nominees for the national ticket.

Since the primary election results were made binding in 1972, the primaries nearly always produce a clear winner. This makes the convention vote mostly a formality.

Even so, the official nomination is left to the convention because it’s possible that the primary elections won’t produce a winner. National conventions are about more than the nomination, and both parties continue to hold them.

The Democratic National Convention will be held in Chicago from Aug. 19–Aug. 22.

Conventions are the business meetings for the national party. They’re also a showcase for the party and its vision. Besides that, a lot of networking, politics, and lobbying goes on behind the scenes.

Here’s what will happen at the 2024 Republican National Convention, and what to look for when it does.

Former President Trump won the Republican presidential primaries. Of the 2,439 delegates to the convention, 2,265 are pledged to vote for him on the first nominating ballot.

He will almost certainly be elected as the GOP nominee for president at the closing session on July 18.

Candidates who have won delegates in the primaries can release them to vote for another candidate.

That will not affect the final result but will likely produce a wider margin of victory.

Republicans will also nominate a candidate for vice president. In the modern era, the conventions have always deferred to the presidential nominee’s choice of a running mate.

The content and tone of former President Trump’s acceptance speech will be important to note. His speech will reveal his vision for the country to a large, national audience.

The national convention also will vote on the party’s platform for the next four years. The platform tells voters where the Republican Party stands on issues and what it hopes to achieve.

A draft platform is created by the platform committee and then it is voted on by delegates.

This year the Republican platform committee created a draft that’s just 16 pages long and reads more like an action plan than the lengthy, philosophical statements in previous platforms.

The 2024 draft states 20 promises that mirror the content of former President Trump’s stump speeches.

“This time, the president himself appears to have his fingerprints on that shortened platform that focuses on the major aspects that he wants to focus on,” Chris Ager, chair of the New Hampshire Republican Party and a three-time convention delegate, told The Epoch Times.

“People have talked about doing that for years. He’s actually done it.”

The platform committee approved the Trump-influenced draft by a roughly 80 percent vote. A similar margin in the convention vote will signal Republican solidarity with the Trump agenda.

Fanfare and Protests

Some political observers criticize the national conventions as all show and no substance, amounting to a week-long publicity stunt.

“Party conventions now seek to create hoopla around their nominees and stir up the party faithful while avoiding anything that could damage their electoral chances in the fall,” wrote Geoffrey Kabaservice, vice president of political studies at Niskanen Center.

That’s exactly the point according to fans of the tradition. Republicans will have media attention for four days and they’ll use it to showcase their brand.

Along with nominating the national candidates, the convention is “also a motivator for the party faithful,” Mr. Ager said.

“You get to hear from the leaders of the party, and really get fired up to go out there and win the November election.”

The evening sessions typically feature speeches by charismatic leaders, inspiring videos about the party’s vision, appearances by celebrities, and lots of red-white-and-blue balloons—nearly 100,000 for this convention.

“What the various speakers talk about, I think, is a good indicator of kind of the heart and soul of the party,” Mr. Ager said.

And there will be demonstrations.

The City of Milwaukee has two designated speaker platforms for demonstrators a few blocks from Fiserv Forum. One includes a designated route for marches.

The American Civil Liberties Union and the Coalition to March on the RNC 2024 sued the city for the right to march elsewhere, including inside the security zone established around the convention hall.

A federal judge ruled against them on July 8.

Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman said free speech is welcome but not disorder. “We do have rules of engagement in regards to that,” he said at a press briefing on June 21.

Things You Won’t See

Much of the party’s business was conducted in committees that met the week before the convention. Some of that is voted on by delegates, but the committee work is behind the scenes.

During the convention state delegations will meet to elect their representatives to the Republican National Committee.

More than 50,000 people are expected in Milwaukee. That includes delegates from all 50 states plus U.S. territories and hundreds of journalists from around the world.

Some conventions produce surprises. That seems unlikely in Milwaukee unless the former president creates one. That could take the form of a new policy initiative or the early announcement of key personnel choices.

“You know Donald Trump,” Mr. Ager said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if he does put something on the table unexpected.”