RNC Day 2: Here’s what to expect from the convention after Trump announced VP pick

Washington — Republicans from across the country are returning Tuesday to Milwaukee’s Fiserv Forum for day two of the Republican National Convention, after a busy kickoff day that featured a formal nomination of former President Donald Trump, the highly-anticipated announcement of his running mate — and the former president’s first public appearance since an attack on his life over the weekend. 

Delegates gathered on the floor of Fiserv Forum Monday afternoon, where the GOP adopted its 16-page platform, which was heavily influenced by the former president. The delegates went on to officially nominate Trump as the Republican presidential nominee before nominating his vice presidential pick, Sen. JD Vance of Ohio. Trump first announced Vance as his running mate in a social media post, calling Vance the “person best suited” for the job while touting his education, military and business records. 

A number of prominent Republican lawmakers, candidates and officials spoke on the first day of the convention, including Sens. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, Katie Britt of Alabama, Tim Scott of South Carolina and Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, Govs. Glenn Youngkin of Virginia and Kristi Noem of South Dakota, and Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, Wesley Hunt of Texas, John James of Michigan and Byron Donalds of Florida. With a focus on the economy, the Republicans took aim at President Biden, while touting a better outlook under a second Trump administration. 

Near the night’s close, Trump made an appearance at the convention center. With a bandage on his ear, the former president joined members of his family and his new running mate in a box, as chants of “we love Trump” reverberated through the crowd. Trump is expected to accept the party’s nomination on Thursday, as the convention continues. 

What’s on the agenda?

Each day of the convention features a theme that plays off of Trump’s “Make America Great Again” tagline. While Monday’s theme was “Make America Wealthy Once Again,” Tuesday’s theme is “Make America Safe Once Again.”

The theme is a nod to what the Trump campaign calls the Biden administration’s “soft-on-crime” policies that it says have created “dystopian nightmares” out of American cities and communities, which Trump plans to correct.

The first official session of the day gets underway at 5 p.m. CT, or 6 p.m. ET. For a detailed schedule of events, see the RNC’s master calendar on their website. 

Who’s speaking? 

Lawmakers, television personalities and artists and members of the former president’s family are among the list of speakers the RNC and the Trump campaign announced over the weekend. A detailed, daily schedule of the speakers has yet to be released. 

Among the speakers remaining this week are some of Trump’s family members, including his two older sons, along with his son Donald Jr.’s fiancée Kimberly Guilfoyle and RNC co-chair Lara Trump, who is married to Eric Trump. Trump’s wife, Melania Trump, has not been named as a speaker, nor has his daughter Ivanka Trump, who worked in his first administration. 

The list of speakers is primarily dominated by governors, lawmakers and officials. But some outside of the political sphere, like country music stars Lee Greenwood and Chris Janson, are also slated to speak, as is Tucker Carlson

Top contenders for Trump’s vice presidential pick who were not selected, like North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum and Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, are also slated to speak this week. 

Also scheduled to speak in the days ahead is Trump’s former rival for the GOP nomination, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. And in a surprise reversal, Nikki Haley, another Trump primary rival, has also accepted an invitation to speak at the convention, two sources familiar with the planning told CBS News. 

How to watch the 2024 RNC with cable

CBS television stations will have coverage beginning at 10 p.m. ET during the four days. Find your local CBS station here.

How to watch the 2024 RNC without cable

CBS News 24/7 will have coverage of the convention throughout the day and will stream each night’s keynote speeches, and can also be viewed on your mobile or streaming device.