GOP planning ‘surprise factor’ each night of convention, officials say

The Republican National Convention (RNC), where President Trump will formally be renominated by the GOP, is set to feature a “nightly surprise factor,” officials told Axios.

The four-night event will feature guests and themes honoring “the forgotten men and women of America,” two unidentified senior Trump campaign officials confirmed to the news outlet. The convention will also reportedly include “very granular details” of the president’s possible second term, in addition to attacks on “cancel culture,” “radical elements of society” and threats to public safety in the U.S. 

The convention will feature a combination of live and pre-taped addresses, Axios reported. Each night will feature a respective focus, including America as “a land of heroes,” “land of promise,” “land of opportunity” and “land of greatness,” it added.

Trump is set to deliver his acceptance speech for the nomination in Charlotte, N.C., on Thursday, Aug. 27. His plan to lead the country to “the great American comeback” will also be featured that night, according to the outlet. 

Other speeches and events will take place nightly beginning on Monday, Aug. 24 in a “central hub” in a metro area that has not been publicly confirmed, Axios reported. 

The convention was initially set to take place in Charlotte, but the RNC moved its major events, including Trump’s acceptance speech, to Jacksonville, Fla., after the president objected to North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper’s (D) insistence that the GOP convention be scaled down due to the pandemic.

However, the president late last month said he would cancel the GOP convention events that were set to be held in Jacksonville, saying that it was not the “right time” amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

The Hill has reached out to the Trump campaign for comment.