Politics
RNC Live Blog, Day 1: Trump Makes Appearance at Convention; Vance VP Pick
WTTW News reporters are spread out across Milwaukee covering the 2024 Republican National Convention and the Illinois delegation. Check back throughout the day for continuous updates and be sure to tune in to “Chicago Tonight” live at 5:30 and 10 p.m.
Trump’s Grand RNC Entrance, a VP Pick and the New GOP: Takeaways From Day 1
11 p.m., Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee
Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump and Republican vice presidential candidate Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, applaud during the Republican National Convention Monday, July 15, 2024, in Milwaukee. (Charles Rex Arbogast / AP Photo)
Trump-Vance 2024.
The Republican presidential ticket came together on Monday when Donald Trump named J.D. Vance as his running mate. In turning to the 39-year-old Ohio senator, the Republican nominee injected new energy into a campaign that has centered in recent weeks on questions of age following President Joe Biden’s disastrous debate performance.
The Republican National Convention opened less than 48 hours after Trump was the subject of a shocking assassination attempt in Pennsylvania. The shooting, which left Trump injured and one man dead, loomed over the convention with speakers expressing gratitude for the former president’s survival and resolved to win back the White House in November.
Here are some takeaways from the first day of the convention. Read the Full Story.
- Associated Press
Illinois Delegate on Trump’s Recovery, Praying for Presidents
10 p.m., Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee
Illinois delegate Donald Johnson said he has been praying for former President Donald Trump even before Saturday’s assassination attempt. Johnson, a Rock Island resident, said he and his Baptist church have spent their Tuesdays from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. fasting and praying for presidents since former President Barack Obama was in office.
The praying during Obama’s administration started because of concern over abortion policy. Now, Johnson said, the prayer is about a larger push of “God’s attempt to save America.”
Seeing Trump walk out with the bandaged ear, Johnson said, showed the former president’s resilience.
“In spite of everything that he’s been through and all he’s going through with the various trials and all the other kinds of things that have been done, he’s resilient,” Johnson said. “He keeps coming back. And we thank God for that because a lesser man would have already quit and given up.”
- Blair Paddock / WTTW News
Trump Appears at RNC
9:10 p.m., Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee
Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump is seen during the Republican National Convention Monday, July 15, 2024, in Milwaukee. (Charles Rex Arbogast / AP Photo)
Former President Donald Trump, two days after surviving an attempted assassination, appeared triumphantly at the Republican National Convention's opening night with a bandage over his right ear.
Delegates cheered wildly as Trump appeared onscreen backstage and then emerged, visibly emotional, as Lee Greenwood sang “God Bless the USA.” Trump did not address the convention.
Trump’s appearance came hours after jubilant and emboldened delegates nominated the former president to lead their ticket for a third time and welcomed Ohio Sen. JD Vance as his running mate.
The scene upon Trump’s formal nomination reflected the depths of his popularity among Republican activists. When he cleared the necessary number of delegates, video screens in the arena read “OVER THE TOP” while the song “Celebration” played and delegates danced and waved Trump signs. Throughout the voting, delegates flanked by “Make America Great Again” signs applauded as state after state voted their support for a second Trump term.
Multiple speakers invoked religious imagery to discuss Trump and the assassination attempt.
“The devil came to Pennsylvania holding a rifle,” said Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina. “But an American lion got back up on his feet!”
- Associated Press
South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott Calls Out Chicago During RNC Speech
8 p.m., Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee
Republican Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina criticized Chicago during his speech Monday night.
The city is a frequent point of discussion for some conservatives and will likely continue to receive attention ahead of the Democratic National Convention next month.
“Look on the South Side of Chicago, poor Black kids trapped in failing schools,” said Scott. “Thousands shot every single year, including one of my former interns, DaQuawn. There’s good news. It’s conservative values that restore hope. It’s Republican policies that lifts people up.”
- WTTW News staff
An Illinois Republican Leader on the Assassination Attempt Against Donald Trump
7 p.m., Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee
Demetra Demonte, the Republican national committeewoman for Illinois, appears on “Chicago Tonight” with Amanda Vinicky to discuss the first day of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. The convention began just days after an assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, the Republican nominee.
“When he got up he was pale, blood streaming down his face,” Demonte said. “And yet, he was thinking of America, not himself.”
- Amanda Vinicky, WTTW News
Photos: Protesters Take to the Streets of Milwaukee
6:45 p.m., Milwaukee
A tarp held by protesters reads “No Hate in the Dairy State” during the march on Monday, July 15, 2024. (Michael Izquierdo / WTTW News)
As thousands of demonstrators took to the streets of Milwaukee on Monday, WTTW News social media producer Michael Izquierdo documented the protest and march in photos. See More.
‘We’re Not Going Back to That’: Chicagoans Join First Major RNC Protest in Milwaukee
5 p.m., Milwaukee
Protesters march through the streets of Milwaukee during the Republican National Convention on July 15, 2024. (Michael Izquierdo / WTTW News)
Thousands of protesters — including many from Chicago — took part in the first major protest of the Republican National Convention through the heart of Milwaukee on Monday afternoon in a peaceful march that briefly shut down streets around the convention hall.
For some who made the trip from Chicago, Monday’s march served as a practice round before more planned protests during the Democratic National Convention in August.
“We live in the belly of the beast,” said Kobi Guillory, a teacher and activist from Chicago. “This is the headquarters of the world imperialist system. That means it’s our responsibility to destroy that system. … That’s why we’re here protesting at the RNC, (and) that’s why next month we’re gonna be in Chicago protesting against the DNC.”
Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling — who has sent officers to assist with the RNC — said Monday he has spoken with Milwaukee Police Department Chief Jeffrey Norman and believes Norman is handling RNC security the “right way.”
“We’re helping each other out, we’re having these conversations because we want to understand best practices,” Snelling said at a news conference in Chicago. “We want to know what they’re seeing there, we want to let them know what we’re seeing here, and if there’s any info to share, we also will do that.” Read the Full Story.
- Matt Masterson / WTTW News
US Rep. Mary Miller Pledges Illinois’ 64 Delegates to Trump
4:30 p.m., Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee
U.S. Rep. Mary Miller at the Republican National Convention on Monday, July 15, 2024. (Blair Paddock / WTTW News)
By the time it was Illinois’ turn during Monday’s roll call at the Republican National Convention, former President Donald Trump had already secured 1,215 Republican delegates to officially become the nominee for another run at the White House.
Illinois Delegation Chair and U.S. Rep. Mary Miller proudly pledged the state’s 64 delegates to him anyway, “on behalf of parents who are horrified by (President) Joe Biden’s attack on parental rights, on behalf of farmers who are being crushed by the Biden economy, on behalf of our daughters, who Biden is forcing to compete against men in sports, and on behalf of the victims of the Kamala Harris border crisis.”
Miller began her remarks with the reminder that the first Republican president, Abraham Lincoln, was from Illinois.
The roll call, a ceremonial and procedural step, is traditionally a convention highlight for delegates.
Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Bost told the Illinois delegation that while their party is unified behind Trump and was clear on who the presidential nominee would be, that Democrats don’t know. Biden is under pressure from some members of his party to step aside after a weak debate performance in June sparked questions about his age and stamina.
In response to Bost, a delegate said under her breath, “They’ve got a vegetable.”
- Amanda Vinicky / WTTW News
Illinois Delegation Says Trump ‘Knows What He’s Doing’ With VP Pick
4:10 p.m., Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee
In response to former President Donald Trump choosing U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio as his vice presidential pick, U.S. Rep. Mary Miller said the choice was fantastic.
“President Trump knows what he’s doing,” said Miller, who represents Illinois’ 15th District.
Laurie Schaefer, an Illinois delegate with the 2nd District, said the energy on the floor is “awesome.” There was back-to-back news for the delegate: Trump chose Vance, and Illinois delegates voted to nominate Trump.
Schaefer said Vance has a “great heart.” Her top VP pick was Kari Lake, who is running for one of Arizona’s U.S. Senate seats, but Schaefer said she’s still satisfied with Trump’s choice.
“I think he compliments Trump,” Schaefer said. “And I think that if Trump takes J.D. under his wing, there’s going to be a great spot for him in the future.”
Mark Hosty, a delegate at large with Illinois, said he had a $10 bet on Vance getting the nomination, so he’s “very happy with it.”
- Blair Paddock / WTTW News
Biden’s Campaign Chair Says Vance ‘Will Do What Mike Pence Wouldn’t on January 6’
4 p.m.
President Joe Biden’s campaign chair responded to J.D. Vance’s selection as Trump’s running mate by saying Vance “will do what Mike Pence wouldn’t on January 6: bend over backwards to enable Trump and his extreme MAGA agenda, even if it means breaking the law and no matter the harm to the American people.”
Jen O’Malley Dillon said the campaign would spend “every single day making the case between the two starkly contrasting visions Americans will choose between at the ballot box this November.”
Vance has challenged the legitimacy of criminal prosecutions and civil verdicts against Trump and questions the results of the 2020 election.
He told ABC News in February that, if he had been vice president on Jan. 6, 2021, he would have told states where Trump disputed Biden wins “that we needed to have multiple slates of electors, and I think the U.S. Congress should have fought over it from there.”
“That is the legitimate way to deal with an election that a lot of folks, including me, think had a lot of problems in 2020,” he said.
- Associated Press
Illinois Officials React to Dismissal of Trump’s Classified Documents Case
3:25 p.m., Milwaukee
U.S. Rep. Mike Bost speaks at the Illinois Delegates Breakfast at the Comfort Suites Milwaukee Airport on Monday, July 15, 2024. (Michael Izquierdo / WTTW News)
Applause broke out Monday morning as Illinois delegates got word during their meeting at the Republican National Convention that a judge dismissed the federal classified documents case against former President Donald Trump.
Judge Aileen Cannon found the case involving the storage of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago should be dismissed because it was brought by a special prosecutor who was improperly appointed.
“The powers of the president should not be infringed upon. He or she has to be able to run the country,” said U.S. Rep. Mike Bost to fellow Illinois Republicans. “We have to make sure that the president still holds those powers regardless of which party it is. And I think that’s what this was about.”
But Illinois Democratic U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee, called the decision “unprecedented” and said that it “undermines the entire system that our country has long relied on to protect the independence of investigations of the Executive Branch.” Read the Full Story.
- Amanda Vinicky, WTTW News
What’s a Convention in Milwaukee Without Some Live Polka Music?
2:55 p.m., Convention Fest, Milwaukee
What’s more Wisconsin than polka? The Polka Kings roll out the barrel for RNC attendees at the official Convention Fest. (Nick Blumberg / WTTW News)
Trump Announces US Sen. JD Vance of Ohio as VP Pick
2:15 p.m., Milwaukee
FILE - Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, right, points toward Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump at a campaign rally, March 16, 2024, in Vandalia, Ohio. (Jeff Dean / AP Photo, File)
Donald Trump named Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio as his running mate on Monday, choosing a onetime critic who became a loyal ally and is now the first millennial to join a major-party ticket at a time of deep concern about the advanced age of America’s political leaders.
“After lengthy deliberation and thought, and considering the tremendous talents of many others, I have decided that the person best suited to assume the position of Vice President of the United States is Senator J.D. Vance of the Great State of Ohio," Trump said in a post on his Truth Social network.
The 39-year-old Vance rose to national fame with the 2016 publication of his memoir, “Hillbilly Elegy.” He was elected to the Senate in 2022 and has become one of the staunchest champions of the former president’s “Make America Great Again” agenda, particularly on trade, foreign policy and immigration.
But he is largely untested in national politics and is joining the Trump ticket at an extraordinary moment. An attempted assassination of Trump at a rally Saturday has shaken the campaign, bringing new attention to the nation’s coarse political rhetoric and reinforcing the importance of those who are one heartbeat away from the presidency. Read the Full Story.
- Associated Press
Anti-Trump Protesters Begin March Through Downtown Milwaukee
12:35 p.m., Milwaukee
Protesters march through downtown Milwaukee as the Republican National Convention begins on July 15, 2024. (Matt Masterson / WTTW News)
Thousands of anti-Donald Trump protesters — including many from Chicago — began marching through the streets of downtown Milwaukee as the Republican National Convention kicked off Monday.
Marching under flags that read “Dump Trump,” “Lock Him Up” and “Let Gaza Live,” the protesters marched through the heart of the city Monday afternoon in the first major protest of the RNC.
Protesters chanted “No justice, no peace” and “No Trump, no KKK, no racist USA” as they made their way through shut-down city streets.
The march, which followed an hourslong rally in Red Arrow Park, began outside of the convention’s security zone but was within sight and sound of the convention hall at the Fiserv Forum.
- Matt Masterson, WTTW News
Trump Expected to Announce VP Pick on the RNC’s First Day
12:05 p.m., Milwaukee
Donald Trump is expected to announce his vice presidential pick on the first day of the Republican National Convention, he said in an interview Monday.
It remains unclear whether the shooting Saturday at his Pennsylvania rally has changed the former president’s thinking about his potential second-in-command. But he told Fox News Channel host Bret Baier in a call that he planned to make his pick Monday.
The roll call vote to nominate Trump’s pick is expected Monday, according to a person with direct knowledge of the schedule who spoke on condition of anonymity. The person cautioned that Trump could always change his mind.
- Associated Press
Chicago Activists Join Protesters in Milwaukee: ‘Matter of Life and Death’
11:20 a.m., Red Arrow Park, Milwaukee
Kobi Guillory, a teacher and activist from Chicago, speaks during a protest in Milwaukee’s Red Arrow Park on June 15, 2024. (Matt Masterson / WTTW News)
Kobi Guillory, a teacher and activist from Chicago, joined hundreds of other protesters in Milwaukee’s Red Arrow Park on Monday for a rally ahead of the Republican National Convention.
Guillory said defeating Donald Trump’s agenda is a “matter of life and death for working and oppressed people.”
“I came here to loudly and proudly oppose the racist and bigoted agenda of the Republican Party,” he said. “For decades, Republicans have been on a mission to deprive the majority of people of this country of their basic human rights.
“Their attacks on Black and Brown people, on women, on immigrants, on the LGBTQ+ community and on the working class have destroyed the lives and the livelihoods of millions of people.”
Protesters are expected to begin marching through downtown Milwaukee this afternoon.
- Matt Masterson, WTTW News
First-Time Illinois Delegates Look Ahead to Convention Week
11:15 a.m., Comfort Suites Milwaukee Airport
Illinois delegates gathered to mark the start of the Republican National Convention on July 15, 2024. (Michael Izquierdo / WTTW News)
Illinoisans in Wisconsin for their first Republican National Convention say they’re excited about the week ahead and motivated by their passion to see former President Donald Trump reclaim the White House.
“I’ve been a Trump supporter since he came down the escalator in 2015,” said Larisa Calvanese, delegate alternate from the 6th Congressional District.
“I watched … the conventions on TV as a little girl,” Calvanese said. “I feel like this is going to be a convention for the ages, so I’m thrilled to be here.”
Antonio Cundari, who’s originally from Italy, said he became a citizen so he can cast a ballot in elections.
“Even if we are in Illinois and it is a blue state, but even (if) my vote … doesn’t count, I would like to participate,” said Cundari, a delegate from the 11th District.
Delegate Kathleen Abbate, also from the 6th District, said she’s focused on returning Trump to office and looking forward to him addressing the convention.
“I want to hear his unification speech because I think he’s going to do it,” said Abbate, calling unity an important message. “I think so, and I think he knows it too.”
First district delegate Christina Clausen felt so strongly about attending the RNC that she came despite having broken her foot, joking that she would have crawled if she’d had to. Read the Full Story.
- Nick Blumberg, WTTW News
Illinois Delegates Kick Off RNC: ‘The Darker It Gets the Brighter We Can Shine’
10:45 a.m., Comfort Suites Milwaukee Airport
Susan Sweeney, an Illinois delegate of the 9th Congressional District, (left) and Robin Hans, alternate Illinois delegate, wearing Abraham Lincoln-inspired top hats while picking up their credentials at the Illinois Delegates Breakfast on Monday, July 15, 2024. (Michael Izquierdo / WTTW News)
Illinois Republicans gathered Monday to kick off the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee by celebrating former President Donald Trump’s survival after an apparent assassination attempt and pledging to unite the badly fractured party.
“God spared our great leader Donald J. Trump,” said U.S. Rep. Mary Miller (R-Springfield), kicking off the breakfast. “The darker it gets the brighter we can shine.”
The starkly divided party, which will have new leadership by the time the convention ends on Friday, sought to paper over those divisions by focusing on the apparent attempted assassination of Trump and focusing their ire on President Joe Biden.
“If you want to bring down the temperature in this country, you have to elect Republicans,” said state Sen. Andrew Chesney (R-Freeport).
Attorney Kathy Salvi will take over as chair of the Illinois Republican Party on Friday, replacing Don Tracy, who resigned amid intractable infighting between moderates and the more conservative members.
U.S Rep. Mike Bost used his speech Monday morning to acknowledge that he is on track to win another term in Congress after beating former state Sen. Darren Bailey in a tough primary. He pledged to stand “shoulder to shoulder” with Bailey, who rose to his feet and pumped his fist in acknowledgment. Read the Full Story.
- Heather Cherone, Amanda Vinicky, Nick Blumberg, WTTW News
Federal Judge Dismisses Donald Trump Classified Documents Case Over Concerns With Prosecutor’s Appointment
10:10 a.m., Washington
The federal judge presiding over the classified documents case against former President Donald Trump in Florida dismissed the prosecution on Monday, siding with defense lawyers who said the special counsel who filed the charges was illegally appointed by the Justice Department.
The decision by U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, which can be appealed and may be overruled by a higher court, brings at least for now a stunning and abrupt conclusion to a criminal case that at the time it was filed was widely regarded as the most perilous of all the legal threats the Republican former president confronted.
Though the case had long been stalled, and the prospect of a trial before the November election already was an unrealistic scenario, the judge’s order is a mammoth legal victory for Trump as he recovers from a weekend assassination attempt and prepares to accept the Republican nomination in Milwaukee this week.
In one of four criminal cases against Trump, he had faced dozens of felony counts accusing him of illegally hoarding classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, and obstructing FBI efforts to get them back. He had pleaded not guilty and denied wrongdoing. Read the Full Story.
- Associated Press
Secret Service ‘Confident’ in RNC Security Plans After Trump Assassination Attempt
Milwaukee police patrol the river outside the Republican National Convention security zone on June 15, 2024. (Matt Masterson / WTTW News)
9:45 a.m., Milwaukee
Security officials say they’re redoubling safety efforts at the Republican National Convention following the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump over the weekend.
U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle on Monday said that shooting at a campaign event in Pennsylvania Saturday that left one person dead has “understandably led to questions” about security updates for this week’s convention.
“I am confident in the security plan our Secret Service RNC coordinator and our partners have put in place, which we have reviewed and strengthened in the wake of Saturday’s shooting,” Cheatle said in a statement.
According to Cheatle, the Secret Service — which works with federal, local and state authorities to secure events like the RNC — has developed flexible safety plans that allow them to “continuously adapt our operations as necessary in order to ensure the highest level of safety.”
Cheatle said her department provided additional security enhancements to Trump’s last month and has now implemented more changes to his security detail since Saturday in order to “ensure his continued protection for the convention and the remainder of the campaign.”
“The Secret Service is tasked with the tremendous responsibility of protecting the current and former leaders of our democracy,” Cheatle said. “It is a responsibility that I take incredibly seriously, and I am committed to fulfilling that mission.”
- Matt Masterson, WTTW News
Milwaukee Mayor: RNC Has Highest Security Level Possible and ‘I Feel Pretty Confident’
9:30 a.m., Milwaukee
Milwaukee’s mayor says he knows Americans will have questions about security at the Republican National Convention after Saturday’s assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump, but the event has the highest security level possible “so I feel pretty confident.”
“The folks on the ground here have confidence in the work that they’ve put in over the last 18 months,” Mayor Cavalier Johnson said at a Monday morning briefing. “And I have faith and confidence as well in the Secret Service and the police and fire departments and other agencies providing security today.”
- Associated Press
Who Are Illinois’ Biggest Republican Donors?
5 a.m., Chicago
Illinois might be a solidly blue state when it comes to presidential elections, and its donors tend to put their money where their votes are. In the 2020 election, federal data shows the Biden campaign took in $25.6 million in cash from Illinoisans — compared to the $14.3 million that went to the Trump campaign.
But the Land of Lincoln still has plenty of big-money donors backing conservative candidates and causes. With the Republican National Convention upon us, here’s a look at the Illinois residents who have been spending big so far in this political cycle.
With a combined $10 million donation to the Make America Great Again Super PAC, billionaires Richard and Elizabeth Uihlein are the second-biggest backers of Trump’s reelection bid — though their contribution has been dwarfed by the $75 million kicked in by banking heir Timothy Mellon.
The Uihleins aren’t the only Illinoisans actively backing conservative political committees during this election cycle.
Billionaire Ken Griffin — who famously railed against crime in Chicago and announced he’d move his hedge fund, Citadel, to Miami in 2022 — is still listed as an Illinois resident in some of the contributions that appear in federal election records. During the current campaign cycle, he’s pumped nearly $60 million into campaigns and committees across the country. Read the Full Story
- Nick Blumberg, WTTW News
First Day Will Still Focus on the Economy. Here’s What to Know About Trump’s Plans
5 a.m., Washington
Donald Trump goes into the Republican National Convention with bold promises about the U.S. economy, but he has sketched out notably few details about how his plans would actually work.
The convention’s first day is still expected to focus on the economy even after Saturday’s shooting at a Trump rally in Pennsylvania in which the former president was injured.
If the program goes ahead as planned, expect speakers to argue that Trump’s agenda of sweeping tariffs and lower taxes would jump-start the economy.
The former president says he wants tariffs on trade partners and no taxes on tips and would like to knock the corporate tax rate down a tick.
Democrats and several leading economists say the math shows that Trump’s ideas would cause an explosive bout of inflation, wallop the middle class and — by his extending his soon-to-expire tax cuts — heap another $5 trillion-plus onto the national debt. Read the Full Story.
- Associated Press
Republicans Are Gathering in Milwaukee to Nominate Donald Trump Again. Here’s What to Expect
5 a.m., Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee
People walk past the Fiserv Forum ahead of the 2024 Republican National Convention, Thursday, July 11, 2024, in Milwaukee. (Alex Brandon / AP Photo)
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.
Will Trump reach for the middle or for his base? Will the protesters outside matter? Here are some questions going into the convention. Read the Full Story
- Associated Press
