For all the usual stagecraft, the Republican National Convention that opens Monday is different from Donald Trump’s previous nominating affairs.
In 2016 and 2020, Trump was the underdog heading into fall and faced criticism from within his own party. This year, he will accept the Republican nomination with his party in lockstep behind him and Democrats in turmoil over President Joe Biden’s viability.
There will be the usual convention tasks throughout the four days. Delegates, almost 2,400 of them, must approve a platform and formally designate the presidential ticket: Trump and his yet-to-be-named running mate. They’ll hear from both national candidates and a slew of others rallying support for Trump and taking aim at Democrats.
The GOP expects a triumphant moment.
“The political environment is not only great for Donald Trump, but it’s really great for Republicans running for Senate, governor, House seats, all the way down,” said Henry Barbour of Mississippi, an influential Republican National Committee member who has sometimes criticized Trump in the past.
Here’s are some questions going into the convention.
Are there any dissenters left in the ‘Trump National Committee’?
Trump has buried his opponents and taken over the party. Voters get fundraising mail with “Trump National Committee” stamped above the RNC’s Capitol Hill address. Trump’s closest primary rival, Nikki Haley, will not see the convention stage. Instead, delegates will hear from, among others, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who ended his presidential campaign after the Iowa caucuses and immediately endorsed Trump.
“I don’t think there’s any comparison to his previous campaigns,” said former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, a Trump ally.
Most importantly, Trump is on offense against Biden and confident enough that his campaign promised in a convention preview that “President Donald J. Trump will usher in a new golden age for America.”
Who will be the pick for vice president?
Ever the showman, Trump has strung out his choice of running mate. The most commonly mentioned candidates are North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance. Trump has mused that he’d love to withhold his pick until the convention
Read original article by clicking here.