The Republican National Convention gets underway Monday, and unlike its political predecessor, it will not be entirely remote.
While most of the next four nights will be virtual, the convention begins with some Republicans physically in Charlotte, North Carolina, where it was going to originally be held.
More than 300 delegates are expected to be at the Charlotte Convention Center on Monday morning for an in-person roll call.
President Donald Trump will be formally nominated at the convention center.
That is in contrast to the virtual roll call that was done for the Democratic National Convention last week, during which Democrats announced their votes from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and the U.S. territories.
RNC organizers said that health protocols were established for carrying out convention business in Charlotte. They include pre-travel coronavirus testing of all the participants, temperature checks and wearing masks.
President Trump and Vice President Mike Pence plan to be in Charlotte on Monday.
The entire convention had been set for Charlotte — but then, the president decided to move it to Jacksonville, Florida, after a disagreement over the city’s health requirements related to the pandemic.
Plans for Jacksonville were then scrapped after COVID-19 cases surged in Florida over the summer.
FAQs: What to know about the 2020 Republican National Convention
After the initial in-person convention business and roll call, the evening programming, from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m., will rely much more on a virtual presentation. But organizers say there may be some surprises.
What is not a surprise is that the president, who once hosted his own reality television show, plans to be a part of each nightly convention program in one way or another.
The president plans to give his acceptance speech on the South Lawn of the White House on Thursday.
First lady Melania Trump plans to speak Tuesday evening, and Vice President Pence plans to speak in Baltimore, Maryland, at Fort McHenry on Wednesday.
A slate of prominent Republican political leaders will also speak, though not as many as the Democrats featured. Those expected to speak include House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst and South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott.
Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley is also expected to speak.
Convention organizers plan to feature many “average Americans,” including a couple who brandished guns at Black Lives Matter protesters outside their St. Louis home.
Also expected to speak is Nick Sandmann, a former Covington Catholic High School student from Kentucky who was involved in a viral video that received national attention near the Lincoln Memorial in 2019.
The end of the convention is expected to include a fireworks show on the National Mall on Thursday night.
