The Making of the President 2024: The Republican National Convention
The 2024 Republican National Convention was held from July 15 to 18, 2024, at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It was the first of the nominating conventions for the two major political parties and was held a full month before the Democratic Party would hold their convention in Chicago from August 19 to 22.
Just two days before the convention began, the party's presumptive nominee Donald Trump had narrowly escaped an assassination attempt at a campaign rally near Butler, Pennsylvania. The convention took place over four consecutive days, with each day having a set theme. The theme for each day was as follows:
July 15: "Make America Wealthy Once Again," focusing on the economy.
July 16: "Make America Safe Once Again," focusing on crime and illegal immigration.
July 17: "Make America Strong Once Again," focusing on national security and foreign policy.
July 18: "Make America Great Once Again."
The convention did not produce a new platform. Instead it reused the 2016 platform, one containing numerous quotes from Trump's speeches and from his posts on his social media platform Truth Social.
Former President Trump's name was placed into nomination by Jeff Kaufmann, chairman of the Iowa Republican Party. The nomination was seconded by Michael McDonald, the chairman of the Nevada Republican Party. The roll call was held, with 2,388 votes cast for Trump and 41 votes for Nikki Haley.
The name of J. D. Vance was placed into nomination as the party's candidate for Vice-President by Ohio Lieutenant Governor Jon Husted. U.S. Senate candidate Bernie Moreno of Ohio moved for the nomination to be approved by acclamation, and House Speaker Mike Johnson proclaimed Trump and Vance as the party's official nominees.
Trump made his first public appearance at the convention on Monday night, arriving with a large white bandage over his right ear. In his lengthy acceptance speech on Thursday, Trump began by recounting the assassination attempt. He told the crowd, "I'll tell you exactly what happened, and you'll never hear it from me a second time, because it's actually too painful to tell. I'm not supposed to be here tonight." His speech was criticized for its length and for his adherence to his controversial position that he had actually won the 2020 presidential election, but that it had been stolen from him.
Trump's closest competitor, South Carolina's former Governor Nikki Haley, spoke and have Trump her "strong endorsement." She had been sharply critical of him during the primary campaign, and she was not initially invited to the convention, but released her delegates the week before and encouraged them to vote for Trump. In her convention speech, Haley said Trump asked her to speak at the event "in the name of unity." She added, "It was a gracious invitation, and I was happy to accept it." She spoke about the need to welcome more people into the Republican Party.
One of the more humorous aspects of the convention was the appearance on stage of Babydog, the bulldog belonging to West Virginia Governor Jim Justice. The dog sat quietly in an armchair as Justice, now a candidate for the US Senate, the Senate candidate spoke glowingly about Trump on Tuesday night. He said of Babydog's appearance. "She makes us smile, and she loves everybody."
Former first lady Melania Trump was absent for most of the convention, but she made an appearance on Thursday, when her husband officially accepted the nomination. She had spoke at the last two Republican conventions, but did not give a speech this year. She had released a statement on the Sunday before the convention about the failed assassination attempt, in which she said:
Former first lady Melania Trump was absent for most of the convention, but she made an appearance on Thursday, when her husband officially accepted the nomination. She had spoke at the last two Republican conventions, but did not give a speech this year. She had released a statement on the Sunday before the convention about the failed assassination attempt, in which she said:
"When I watched that violent bullet strike my husband, Donald, I realized my life, and Barron's life, were on the brink of devastating change. A monster who recognized my husband as an inhuman political machine attempted to ring out Donald's passion - his laughter, ingenuity, love of music, and inspiration. Donald, the generous and caring man who I have been with through the best of times and the worst of times."
One of the more unique speakers at the convention was Peter Navarro, a top trade adviser to Trump, who spoke on the third night of the Republican National Convention after being released from a federal prison in Miami earlier that morning. Navarro reported to the correctional facility in March to begin serving a four-month sentence for defying a congressional subpoena. He completed that sentence Wednesday. In his address to the convention, he said, "I got a very simple message for you: If they can come for me, if they can come for Donald Trump, be careful, they will come for you." He called the Justice Department as Mr. Biden's "Department of Injustice," and claimed his prosecution for criminal contempt of Congress was politically motivated.
Donald Trump's 17-year-old granddaughter, Kai Trump gave a brief speech on Wednesday, in which she commented that "the media makes my grandpa seem like a different person." She said that Trump gives his grandchildren candy and soda when their parents aren't looking and often asks how they're doing in school. She also said, "He calls me during the middle of the school day to ask how my golf game is going, and tells me all about his. But then I have to remind him that I'm in school and I'll have to call him back later. When we play golf together, if I'm not on his team, he'll try to get inside of my head, and he's always surprised that I don't let him get to me. But I have to remind him, I'm a Trump, too." This generated loud applause from the crowd.
She also mentioned learning of the assassination attempt against her grandfather, and stated, "It was heartbreaking that someone would do that to another person. A lot of people have put my grandpa through hell, and he's still standing."
Donald Trump’s dramatic acceptance of his party’s nomination just days after a failed assassination attempt ended a triumphant week for a Republican Party that emerged from its convention confident and unified. “I’m not supposed to be here tonight,” he told the crowd. They shouted back in unison, “Yes, you are! Yes, you are!”
In his acceptance speech, Trump described being saved by providence and emerging “more determined than ever” to take back the White House. His remarks stretched past midnight on the East Coast, shattering his own record for the longest nominating speech, using many of the talking points and familiar grievances used in his rallies. His speech began with more restraint than usual, before talking about inflation and immigration. Mr. Trump condemned an “invasion” and vowed the largest deportation operation in American history.
Earlier on Thursday, wrestler Hulk Hogan appeared on stage ripping off his shirt to reveal a Trump-Vance tank top. He told the crowd, “Greatest tag team of my life.”
Chris LaCivita, a leader of the Trump campaign, declared on Thursday that the convention had gone “flawlessly.”