Republican National Convention 2020: Day 1

By Melissa Macaya, Veronica Rocha, Rebekah Metzler and Jessica Estepa, CNN

Updated 1500 GMT (2300 HKT) August 25, 2020
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7:48 p.m. ET, August 24, 2020

RNC will not adopt new platform at 2020 convention

From CNN's Kaitlan Collins and Jim Acosta

The Republican National Committee has confirmed it will not release a new platform during the 2020 convention this week — and in lieu of one, the party will support President Trump's agenda. 

In one of several resolutions issued and viewed by CNN, the RNC said it has "unanimously voted to forego the Convention Committee on Platform, in appreciation of the fact that it did not want a small contingent of delegates formulating a new platform without the breadth of perspectives within the ever-growing Republican movement." 

Instead there will be no new platform until the next convention in 2024 and, in the meantime, the RNC "will continue to enthusiastically support the President’s America-first agenda." Despite multiple opportunities, Trump has struggled repeatedly to articulate what a second term of his presidency would look like and what goals he'd like to achieve. 

On June 12, Trump tweeted, "The Republican Party has not yet voted on a Platform. No rush. I prefer a new and updated Platform, short form, if possible."

The resolution issued this week said is due to logistics and if the platform committee had been able to meet this year without Covid-19 restrictions, the RNC "would have undoubtedly unanimously agreed to reassert the Party’s strong support for President Donald Trump and his Administration."

Before the convention was dramatically scaled back, Trump's aides, including Jared Kushner and Bill Stepien, had been assembling a platform for 2020, which they were hoping would be slimmed down.

The RNC accused the media of misrepresenting why it is not adopting a new platform this convention and said reporters are engaging in "misleading advocacy for the failed policies of the Obama-Biden Administration." 

It ends by saying "any motion to amend the 2016 Platform...will be ruled out of order."

7:42 p.m. ET, August 24, 2020

Here's who is slated to speak this week during the RNC

From CNN's From Kevin Bohn and Keith Allen

Former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley visits "Fox & Friends" at Fox News Channel Studios on November 12, 2019 in New York.
Former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley visits "Fox & Friends" at Fox News Channel Studios on November 12, 2019 in New York. John Lamparski/Getty Images

The Trump campaign announced the list of speakers for the Republican National Convention beginning Monday in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Among the notable speakers listed are Vice President Mike Pence, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, former Ambassador Nikki Haley, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson, counselor to the president Kellyanne Conway, Rudy Giuliani and UFC President Dana White.

Trump family members appearing at the RNC include first lady Melania Trump, and his children Ivanka, Donald Trump Jr., Eric and Tiffany Trump.

Lawmakers slated to address the convention include Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy, Sens. Tim Scott, Rand Paul, Marsha Blackburn and Joni Ernst, along with Reps. Steve Scalise, Matt Gaetz, Dan Crenshaw, and Jim Jordan. 

State lawmakers include Govs. Kim Reynolds of Iowa and Kristi Noem of South Dakota.

Multiple sources told CNN that President Trump will participate in each night of the convention, with his acceptance speech coming from the White House on Thursday.

The campaign did not indicate whether any of the remarks will be prerecorded, a criticism Trump and others lobbed at many of the Democratic National Convention speakers last week.

Pompeo, who is slated to address the convention Tuesday night, departed Sunday on an official visit to the Middle East. A person familiar with his plans said Pompeo intends to address the RNC from Israel, a break from longstanding traditions of leaving domestic politics when outside the country — particularly for the nation's top diplomat. 

7:38 p.m. ET, August 24, 2020

Senate Majority Leader McConnell will tape a speech for the RNC

From CNN’s Ryan Nobles

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell will tape a speech that will be featured as part of the Republican National Convention, Tim Murtaugh, Trump campaign communications director, told CNN.

7:35 p.m. ET, August 24, 2020

Couple who pointed guns at protesters in St. Louis will speak tonight

From CNN's Kaitlan Collins, Caroline Kelly and Donald Judd

Patricia and Mark McCloskey draw their firearms on protesters as they enter their neighborhood during a protest against St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson on June 28.
Patricia and Mark McCloskey draw their firearms on protesters as they enter their neighborhood during a protest against St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson on June 28. Lawrence Bryant/Reuters

Patricia and Mark McCloskey, the St. Louis homeowners who pointed guns at protesters earlier this summer, are scheduled to speak at the Republican National Convention tonight.

The McCloskeys drew national attention in late June after they were seen in a viral video brandishing guns outside their mansion at protesters walking on a private street en route to demonstrate outside the St. Louis mayor's residence. The Missouri couple was charged in July with unlawful use of a weapon.

The White House has defended the couple on multiple occasions, with White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany telling reporters at the time that President Donald Trump "said it is absolutely absurd, what is happening to the McCloskeys."

In videos obtained by CNN, Mark McCloskey holds a long rifle and Patricia McCloskey holds a handgun as demonstrators, protesting Mayor Lyda Krewson's decision to publish the names and addresses of people in favor of police reform, walked outside the home. Portland Place, the private street where the McCloskeys live, is near Krewson's home.

Daniel Shular, a local reporter, took one of the videos and said he watched the entire roughly 10-minute long incident unfold. About 500 protesters were cutting through Portland Place, according to Shular, to bypass road closures nearby that blocked access to the mayor's home.

"A door next to the gate at Portland Place was unlocked and protesters went through it to cut through the neighborhood to get to Krewson's house," he told CNN.

That's when Shular says the McCloskeys came out of the house with the firearms. At one point in Shular's 31-second video, Patricia McCloskey points the handgun in the direction of protesters. In multiple videos, it appears the McCloskeys and protesters exchange words, but it is unclear what is said.

Mark McCloskey has defended his actions towards the protesters, saying last month that he was "in imminent fear they would run me over, kill me."

McCloskey asserted that it is "ridiculous" to consider him the face of opposition to the Black Lives Matter movement after the incident.

"I didn't care what color they were. I didn't care what their motivation was," he said. "I was frightened. I was assaulted."

Former Covington Catholic student Nick Sandmann, Andrew Pollack, the father of Parkland shooting victim Meadow Pollack, anti-abortion activist Abby Johnson, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem and Pennsylvania congressional candidate Sean Parnell will also be among the speakers at the Republican convention.

7:25 p.m. ET, August 24, 2020

The RNC kicks off today. Here's what to expect of the 4-day event.

From CNN's Paul LeBlanc, Jeremy Diamond, Kaitlan Collins, Kevin Liptak and Jennifer Hansler

The room is set and delegates begin to arrive for the first day of the Republican National Convention on Monday in Charlotte.
The room is set and delegates begin to arrive for the first day of the Republican National Convention on Monday in Charlotte. Travis Dove/The New York Times/Pool/AP

The Republican National Convention will get underway this week with a four-night event that will see the party formally renominate President Donald Trump while navigating a mix of online and in-person events due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Trump campaign senior adviser Jason Miller told NBC's "Meet the Press" Sunday that viewers can plan on hearing Trump "speaking at various parts through each of the nights" at the GOP convention.

Here's what you need to know of this week's event:

Notable speakers: Participants will include Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, former Ambassador Nikki Haley, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson, counselor to the president Kellyanne Conway, Rudy Giuliani and UFC President Dana White.

Trump family members appearing at the RNC include first lady Melania Trump, and his children Ivanka, Donald Trump Jr., Eric and Tiffany Trump.

The convention will also feature "breakout stars," people one wouldn't typically consider to be Trump supporters, and "a great, uplifting message from the President," he told NBC.

Dan Scavino, one of President Trump's longest serving aides and one of the few people with access to his Twitter account, is also scheduled to speak at the RNC this week, a person familiar with the planning told CNN.

As the deputy chief of staff for communications, Scavino is in a public-facing role, but he rarely speaks publicly.

The convention's focus: Miller said Republicans will present an "optimistic and upbeat convention this week" in contrast with what he described as last week's "massive grievance fest" of a Democratic National Convention.

The RNC will focus heavily on Trump's accomplishments over his first four years, lay out a second term vision for the administration, and promised "a complete change in the perception that I believe the media tries to tell of what a Trump supporter looks like, or who a Trump supporter is," Miller added.

Where Trump will accept the nomination: Trump will accept the Republican nomination at the White House after scrapping his plans to deliver the speech in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Ethics experts have said that accepting the nomination from White House property highlights Trump's willingness to trample on norms. A federal law, known as the Hatch Act, generally forbids the use of government property and employees for political activities with some exceptions.

The President and vice president are exempt, but some previous officeholders have sought to limit political activity in the White House, for instance, by holding political events elsewhere or in the residential spaces of the presidential mansion.

Where the convention will take place: After exhaustive deliberations over potential venues, the bulk of the convention will be centered in Washington, including on the White House lawn and at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium, situated around the block from Trump's hotel (which Republicans said they expected to act as a social hub for the week and will likely benefit financially).

Notably, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo plans to address the RNC on Tuesday from Jerusalem, a person familiar with his plans said, a break from longstanding traditions of leaving domestic politics when leaving the country — particularly for the nation's top diplomat.

Read more about the four-day event here.

7:17 p.m. ET, August 24, 2020

Trump is hoping to outshine Democrats during this week's RNC

From CNN's Kaitlan Collins and Kevin Liptak

President Donald Trump speaks on stage during the first day of the Republican National Committee convention on Monday in Charlotte.
President Donald Trump speaks on stage during the first day of the Republican National Committee convention on Monday in Charlotte. Evan Vucci/AP

President Trump, a television producer at heart, is hoping for a convention this week that looks vastly different from the all-digital event Democrats have staged over the past days — including an emphasis on live programming and at least some type of audience who can respond to the multiple appearances he is planning.

Calling aides at all hours from Air Force One or the White House residence, Trump has conveyed last-minute ideas on venues or gimmicks and demanded progress reports on the speakers he wants during his nominating extravaganza, which he hopes will provide a boost to his poll numbers.

Early drafts of his nomination acceptance speech closely resemble two previous addresses that delved heavily in the divisive culture wars that Trump has aggressively stoked: his first convention speech in 2016, where he declared "I alone can fix" the country's ailments, and his July 4 address at Mount Rushmore, which seized upon recent racial strife to hammer a "law and order" message.

Even amid a national pandemic that has severely limited Republicans' ability to party, the convention ordered up by the President will still contain moments that are designed both to surprise viewers and trigger outrage from Trump's opponents — both defining features of Trump's political style.

Depending on how the election turns out in November — and how Republicans reshape themselves if the President loses —this week's proceedings could reflect either the last gasp of that brand of politics or an illustration of the new GOP formed in his image.

7:00 p.m. ET, August 24, 2020

Here's what you need to know about today's roll call

From CNN's Adam Levy

A member of the Georgia delegation walks out with their delegation placard after the vote on the first day of the Republican National Convention, Monday, August 24, in Charlotte.
A member of the Georgia delegation walks out with their delegation placard after the vote on the first day of the Republican National Convention, Monday, August 24, in Charlotte. Chris Carlson/AP

Donald Trump was unanimously renominated by the Republican National Convention to be the party’s nominee for president in November.

All 2,550 delegates were able to cast their votes, though many were done via proxy. Each state and territory was offered six in-person spots at the convention in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Nevada cast the votes that put the President over the top at the convention.

Florida skipped their alphabetical spot. The state would have needed to cast their votes between Nebraska and Nevada to formally give the President enough votes to win the nomination during the roll call.

Instead, the Sunshine State cast their votes after South Dakota, immediately before the President spoke. In the announcement of their votes, Florida GOP Chairman Joe Gruters called the President, “our new favorite son,” acknowledging Trump’s change of formal residence from New York to Florida in 2019.

Here's some notable speakers who cast their state’s votes:

  • My Pillow CEO Mike Lindell for Minnesota
  • Gov. Kristi Noem for South Dakota
  • Gov. Henry McMaster of South Carolina
  • Sen. Mike Lee of Utah
  • Former Trump campaign aides Corey Lewandowski and David Bossie for New Hampshire and Maryland, respectively
6:59 p.m. ET, August 24, 2020

Convention 101: CNN's Zachary B. Wolf takes your questions

From CNN's Melissa Mahtani

Republicans from all over the country are about to kick off night one of the Republican National Convention with a theme focused around the “Land of Promise.”

The convention begins as the first polls since last week’s Democratic National Convention show Joe Biden has gained popularity, but hasn’t widened his lead over Donald Trump.

CNN’s Zachary B. Wolf, alongside Leyla Santiago and Kelly Mena, gave a preview of what to expect in the nights ahead and took viewers' questions.

Watch:

Read more about why the US still has political conventions and what will happen in 2020 here.

6:44 p.m. ET, August 24, 2020

Trump and Pence were formally nominated for the 2020 Republican ticket earlier today

From CNN's Betsy Klein, Kevin Liptak and Jason Hoffman

President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence give a thumbs up after speaking during the first day of the Republican National Convention Monday, August 24 in Charlotte, North Carolina.
President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence give a thumbs up after speaking during the first day of the Republican National Convention Monday, August 24 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Chris Carlson/AP

The first day of the Republican National Convention kicked off in Charlotte, North Carolina, this morning – the city initially chosen to host the event – for an in-person event before moving the rest of the production to the nation's capital. 

The formal presidential nomination process was attended by six delegates from each state and territory, amounting to a total of 336 delegates, according to the RNC. RNC Chairwoman Ronna Romney McDaniel presided over the nomination process, which concluded with Donald Trump and Mike Pence being formally nominated as the party's nominee for President and vice president.

Trump and Pence appeared at the roll call in North Carolina to thank delegates.

Pence briefly addressed a friendly, fired-up crowd of delegates at the RNC ahead of Trump’s appearance.

A Trump victory, he said, will make America great again, again.

“We are going to reelect President Donald Trump for four more years, and with your continued support and with God's help, we are going to make America great again, again,” he said.

He called on the delegates to help with down-ballot races, and said the economy, law and order, freedom, and free markets are “on the ballot” this year, urging them to mobilize, phone bank, and door knock.

He thanked the delegates “for the honor of this day” and said he’d be speaking more about the nomination at Fort McHenry later this week.

Trump had voting on his mind Monday morning as he addressed his convention, kicking off his first remarks for the week with dark messaging lamenting the 2016 election and railing against mail-in voting, continuing to cast doubt on the election’s results.

“Now if you really want to drive them crazy, you say 12 more years,” he said as an enthusiastic crowd of delegates chanted “four more years.”

“Because,” he continued, “We caught them doing some really bad things in 2016. Let’s see what happens. We caught them doing some really bad things. We have to be very careful because they’re trying it again, this whole 80 million mail-in ballots that they’re working on. Sending them out to people that didn’t ask for them. They didn’t ask, they just get them, and it’s not fair, and it’s not right, and it’s not going to be possible to tabulate, in my opinion.”

There is no evidence that former President Barack Obama spied on Trump's campaign. You can read CNN's most recent mail-in voting fact checks here.

Still, Trump went on to claim Democrats "are trying to do it with the whole post office scam, they'll blame it on the post office. You can see them setting it up. Be very careful and watch it very carefully."

He closed his remarks with another warning about how important the election will be while telling the delegates not to “let them take it away from you.”

“Be very, very careful. This is going to be, and I really believe this, this is the most important election in the history of our country. Don't let them take it away from you. Don't let them take it away,” Trump said.

Trump's formal acceptance speech will happen remotely Thursday from the White House.

Watch: