How to Watch What Happens at the Republican National Convention

The Republican National Convention kicked off today, and while President Trump has already been renominated (and obviously accepted), now is your chance to spend your next four evenings listening to dozens of supporters explain why. As a bonus, the event was planned in part by two producers of “The Apprentice,” Trump’s reality show and major claim to TV fame, so you know it’s going to be totally down to earth.

How to watch the convention

While there’s convention programming all day, every day, the key speeches are scheduled to begin at 8:30 p.m. ET each night and last for 2-2.5 hours. (Coverage and analysis may air at different times on different channels.)

If you’re just looking for a livestream, you can watch via the RNC’s Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Prime Video pages. The New York Times will also be streaming live every evening with commentary.

If you prefer cable, you can watch on ABC, CBS, NBC or Fox News from 10 p.m. to 11 p.m. ET. CNN will provide coverage from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m., MSNBC from 7 p.m. to 2 a.m. and PBS from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. C-SPAN will also be covering the event.

For audio only, follow along with NPR or check out the Spotify playlist curated at the end of each evening.

Who to watch at the convention

Unsurprisingly, President Trump is expected to speak every evening during the 10 p.m. block. You’ll also get to hear from six members of Trump’s family—including the First Lady and all of his children—during the week. And of course VP Mike Pence will take the stage on Wednesday night.

The full lineup is long, but here are a few highlights:

• Monday: Donald Trump, Jr., Rep. Matt Gaetz, the Florida congressman of gas mask fame and Mark and Patricia McCloskey, the couple that faced felony charges after pointing guns at Black Lives Matter protesters walking past their St. Louis home.
• Tuesday: Melania Trump, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Nick Sandmann, the high school student who got into a viral confrontation with a Native American activist at a 2019 demonstration in Washington, DC.
• Wednesday: The Pences, former advisor Kellyanne Conway (who resigned this week) and civil rights activist Clarence Henderson.
• Thursday: Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton, Rudy Giuliani and UFC president Dana White

Because the convention can’t be held entirely in person, attendees will be piping in from a variety of locations—including the White House lawn. This has drawn quite a bit of criticism, as the Hatch Act limits what campaign activities federal employees can undertake while working in their official capacities.

Technically, Trump himself is exempt from the Hatch Act, but Melania Trump will be speaking from the Rose Garden, and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will attend virtually while on an official Middle East trip.