Now it's Donald Trump's turn for a virtual convention: President says he wants event next week to be 'live' but second most powerful Republican snubs him by sending tape speech and staying at home in Kentucky
President Donald Trump is pushing for a 'live' Republican National Convention next week but the event won't be the massive celebration he had originally envisioned for his coronation as the GOP nominee.
The hub will now be in Washington D.C., at the Andrew Mellon Auditorium, instead of in Charlotte, North Carolina, or Jacksonville, Florida, which is where Trump tried to move it to get around coronavirus restrictions.
The schedule still hasn't been announced and the president, a former television producer, has been tweaking plans as he watched Democrats' virtual convention this week, CNN reported.
President Donald Trump has pushed for a 'live' Republican National Convention next week and has criticized the Democrats for having several pre-taped speeches
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell will send taped speech after reports he wasn't going to the gathering at all - which would have been a snub
President Trump has tweaked plans for his convention after watching the Democrats and Joe Biden's event this week
Trump has been calling aides at all hours as he tosses out ideas on how to surpass the Democrats' gathering, hoping for an eye-popping extravaganza that can give him a bump in the polls.
The gathering kicks off on Monday in Charlotte, where the procedural business of the convention takes place.
The president, Vice President Mike Pence and a small group of Republican lawmakers will stop in Charlotte on Monday, The New York Times reported, to be on hand for the roll call process that will formally nominate the GOP presidential ticket.
But it will be a pared down event, with only six delegates from each state making the trek, and the main speeches *of the week will be at the White House instead of in a convention center.
Trump is expected to thank the delegates in Charlotte and give short remarks, but it won't the packed, raucous event he wanted. Social distancing rules will be in effect - giving appearance of a barely filled room - and delegates will wear masks.
And he still hasn't chosen who will give the big speech 'seconding' his nomination as president.
Workers construct staging on the South Lawn of the White House where President Trump is expected to deliver his convention speech on Thursday night
Melania Trump will give her speech Tuesday night from the newly renovated Rose Garden at the White House
President Trump won't get the convention he wants - like the 2016 Republican National Convention in Cleveland where his nomination was feted by a cheering crowd and a balloon drop
Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell will send taped remarks to the convention, making a hasty change of plans after his campaign originally said he wouldn't attend the event, which would have been seen as a snub to the president.
'Sen. McConnell is submitting taped remarks, and there was a miscommunication,' a McConnell campaign source told USA TODAY.
Earlier, the campaign had said the senator, who is up for re-election in November, 'traveling across all corners of Kentucky next week to speak with families, workers and job creators about their needs.'
McConnell and Trump have worked together to shepherd many judicial nominations through the Senate - including two Supreme Court appointments - but they clashed on other matters: Trump has pushed for a payroll tax cut which McConnell opposes and the president grumbled that his postmaster general Louis DeJoy will testify before the Senate about mail delays.
Still, it would have been awkward if McConnell, the top Republican on Capitol Hill, did not make some sort of appearance at next week's convention particularly when several prominent Republicans - such as former President George W. Bush and Utah Senator Mitt Romney - are skipping it.
House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy, who is close to Trump, will address the convention. Republican Senators Joni Ernst and Tim Scott are also slated to speak.
Pence will speak from Fort McHenry in Baltimore on Wednesday evening.
And first lady Melania Trump will speak Tuesday from the newly-renovated White House Rose Garden. Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump are all expected to have speaking roles at some point during the week.
Trump himself will speak from the South Lawn on Thursday, a decision that raised question about the appropriateness of using the executive mansion for a political event.
Ivanka Trump is expected to introduce him. She also introduced Trump in 2016 at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland.
Scaffolding and lighting have been being installed on the South Lawn all this week in preparation for the president's big night.
It's unclear how much of an audience will be there although some supporters are expected. The president feeds off a crowd and enjoys the cheers and applause.
The Republican Party has also put in a permit for a firework display over the National Mall Thursday night and is awaiting its approval.
The themes for the week will be 'land of opportunity,' 'land of promise,' 'land of heroes' and – on the night Trump gives his address - 'land of greatness.'
The live speeches will be at Trump's request.
He has been critical of the taped programming used in parts of the Democrats' convention. The president, who enjoys playing to a crowd, particularly hit at Michelle Obama for pre-taping her remarks for her Monday night address.
'Frankly, she should have made the speech live, which she didn't do – she taped it,' Trump said earlier this week at the White House. 'And it was not only taped, it was taped a long time ago because she had the wrong deaths, she didn't even mention the vice presidential candidate in the speech.'
'And yet, she gets these fawning reviews – if you gave a real review it wouldn't be so fawning,' he added.
But live programming risks technical glitches, speakers talking over one another and delays - all of which happened, albeit rarely, during the Democrats' convention.
Ivanka Trump is expected to introduce her father on Thursday night at the White House
Ivanka Trump also introduced Donald Trump at the 2016 Republican National Convention in Cleveland
Donald Trump Jr and Eric Trump are expected to have some speaking role at next week's Republican National Convention
Still, Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel told Fox News this week that there will be live speakers every night and, she added, a few 'surprises.'
And Chief of staff Mark Meadows told reporters earlier this week there will be some untold stories shared by convention speakers.
'I think probably the biggest thing is the untold stories that will be told next week. I think that will be the biggest surprises,' he said.
Now it's Donald Trump's turn for a virtual convention: President says he wants event next week to be 'live' but second most powerful Republican snubs him by sending tape speech and staying at home in Kentucky
![Now it's Donald Trump's turn for a virtual convention: President says he wants event next week to be 'live' but second most powerful Republican snubs him by sending tape speech and staying at home in Kentucky]()
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August 22, 2020
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