The Republican Party formally nominated President Donald Trump for a second term in the White House Monday, one of the first acts of a GOP convention that has been dramatically scaled down to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
Trump has sought to minimize the toll of the pandemic, but its impact was evident as proceedings began in Charlotte. Instead of the thousands of people who were expected to converge on this city for a week-long extravaganza, just 336 delegates participated in a roll-call vote from a Charlotte Convention Center ballroom.
Trump is expected to accept the nomination in a speech from the South Lawn of the White House Thursday, a first for any sitting president seeking reelection.
The GOP convention is a crucial moment for Trump, who is trailing in national and battleground state polls and under intense pressure to turn the race around.
Others scheduled to speak during the final night of the convention include Ivanka Trump, Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell, Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton and evangelist Franklin Graham.
Democrats will provide “counter-programming” Thursday in the form of a speech in Washington, D.C. from Kamala Harris, who is expected to condemn the president’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
