RNC Day 2: What to expect as GOP promises to ‘Make America Safe Again’

The second day of the Republican National Convention will focus on a theme chosen ahead of time but especially relevant now: “Make America Safe Again.”

Each day of the conference includes a theme, with Monday’s being “Make America Wealthy Again,” Wednesday’s “Make America Strong Again,” and Thursday’s “Make America Great Once Again.” But with with attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump still top of mind, Tuesday’s theme will carry extra resonance.

Republicans have accused President Joe Biden and the Democratic Party at large of fomenting a crime wave with lax law enforcement policies, a theme they will double down on three days after a gunman came within inches of taking Trump’s life despite warnings of his presence ahead of time.

“The head of Secret Service should resign,” Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) posted on X. “So should the head of [the Department of Homeland Security].”

Amid the fallout in Washington, Republicans will focus on public safety as a campaign message in Milwaukee. Nearly 2,500 delegates from across the country will attend the convention at the Fiserv Forum, home of the Milwaukee Bucks, and other nearby venues for the festivities.

The delegates voted Monday to nominate Trump as the Republican nominee and added Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) as his running mate. While Trump told the Washington Examiner’s Salena Zito that he has rewritten his convention speech to focus on unity rather than Biden, the convention is proceeding more or less as planned. Additional security measures have been implemented, but the daily themes have remained intact.

How to watch the Republican convention

The convention is open only to delegates, elected officials, members of the media, and volunteers but will be easy to watch from home for everyone else.

The session will run from 5-10 p.m. local time, and coverage will be available on YouTube, X, Facebook Live, Amazon Prime, Rumble, Twitch, Fox News, and, of course, the Washington Examiner.

Along with an anti-crime message, speeches and events will focus on protecting the Second Amendment right to bear arms, a longtime plank of the GOP platform.

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The list of convention speakers is much longer than just Trump and his vice president, including a mix of current and former politicians, celebrities, Trump family members, and media personalities.

Among the highlighted speakers throughout the week are RNC Co-chairwoman Lara Trump, singer Lee Greenwood, Turning Point USA CEO Charlie Kirk, Teamsters President Sean O’Brien, entrepreneur and former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL), 11 GOP senators, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), House Republican Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik (R-NY), and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich.