What to know about the 2024 Republican National Convention

Thousands of Republicans will gather in Milwaukee on Monday for the Republican National Convention, where Donald Trump and his soon-to-be-announced running mate are on course to officially be nominated by the party.

The political gathering, held every four years, is set to galvanize the base before the election and will feature speeches from rising Republican stars and party fixtures.

The former president announced his candidacy in November 2022 but has not yet publicly announced his vice presidential pick. The shortlist includes Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio, Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum.

This year, more than 50,000 attendees are expected at the four-day event. And on the first day of the convention, thousands of protesters are planning to march nearby.

Here is everything you need to know before the RNC kicks off next week.

When does the RNC start?

The RNC will kick off on July 15 and end on July 18.

Where is the RNC?

The RNC will take place in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, at the Fiserv Forum. Wisconsin is a critical swing state for 2024, where President Joe Biden and Trump have both campaigned this year. Trump narrowly carried Wisconsin in 2016 but lost to Biden in 2020.

The RNC has chosen to host its convention in swing states for the past two decades.

Who is speaking at the RNC?

Some of the big names speaking — other than Trump and his vice presidential pick — will be members of his family, including Donald Trump Jr., Eric Trump, Co-Chair Lara Trump and Kimberly Guilfoyle. Former first lady Melania Trump is not scheduled to speak but is set to attend the convention. She has spoken at the past two conventions.

A few of Trump’s rumored vice president shortlist candidates will speak, including Burgum, Rubio and Vance. Burgum was also a 2024 GOP presidential candidate before dropping out in December.

Other former 2024 presidential candidates on the mic include Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Vivek Ramaswamy and Perry Johnson.

Also on the speakers list: South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, TPUSA founder Charlie Kirk, Teamsters President Sean O’Brien and UFC CEO Dana White.

How to watch RNC speakers?

The convention will be available to watch on YouTube, X, Facebook Live, Rumble, Amazon Prime, Twitch and Direct TV.

What is the RNC platform?

The RNC platform, a formal statement of policy positions, is dedicated “To the Forgotten Men and Women of America” and the committee responsible for adopting the language was largely deferential to the Trump campaign’s recommendations.

The updated platform has drawn disapproval from anti-abortion groups for its new language that abandons its position explicitly advocating for federal abortion limits . The new policy change is in line with Trump’s leave-it-to-the-states approach but has drawn disapproval from anti-abortion groups and former Vice President Mike Pence .

The updated platform is set to be finalized by a vote of the full convention body next week.