RNC 2020 Speaker Lineup Revealed

The Republican National Convention kicks off on Monday, following a mostly virtual format due to the coronavirus pandemic. There will still be a small meeting in Charlotte, North Carolina, the original host for the event, but President Donald Trump will speak from the South Lawn of the White House on Thursday. On Sunday, the Republican National Committee finally released the schedule of speakers, which includes several Trump family members and Republican leaders.

The convention was initially scheduled to take place in Charlotte, but Trump moved the assembly to Jacksonville, Florida, due to North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper's coronavirus restrictions. When COVID-19 cases spiked in Florida, Trump canceled all events in Jacksonville. Instead, speakers will appear from several locations across the country. The central convention location is the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium in Washington, D.C., reports NPR. Back in June, the RNC announced delegates will still meet in Charlotte to nominate Trump and Vice President Mike Pence formally. Only 336 delegates will be in attendance, in comparison to the 2,400 delegates who gathered in Cleveland in 2016.

Political conventions usually include updating party platforms, but the Republicans do not plan to do that. Instead, they are keeping the 2016 platform intact until the next convention in 2024. This was a controversial decision, with even Trump tweeting, "The Republican Party has not yet voted on a Platform. No rush. I prefer a new and updated Platform, short-form, if possible." If the platform is not updated, it will include several outdated details, including criticisms of the "current administration" and "current president," which referred to President Barack Obama. The platform also said the party did not recognize the Supreme Court's decision to uphold same-sex marriage.