Explainer-What to expect at the Republican National Convention

By Nathan Layne

(Reuters) -Donald Trump will receive his party's official 2024 nomination for president during the four-day Republican National Convention in Milwaukee beginning on Monday, just days after he survived an assassination attempt at a Pennsylvania campaign rally.

The former president, 78, had begun to speak when a bullet pierced his ear. The FBI identified Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, as the suspect. Law enforcement agents killed the gunman and were investigating the motive. Trump was otherwise unharmed.

The assassination attempt enraged Trump supporters and appeared likely to overshadow the convention and other events amid fears of further political violence in the run-up to Trump's Nov. 5 rematch with President Joe Biden, 81.

The convention will feature televised speeches by rising Republican stars and Trump's choice for a yet-to-be-announced vice presidential running mate, while highlighting the party's stance on such topics as abortion, immigration and the economy.

Here's what you need to know about the convention:

HOW DOES THE CONVENTION WORK?

The quadrennial event will be held from July 15-18 at the Fiserv Forum arena, home to the NBA Milwaukee Bucks basketball team. More than 50,000 people, including hundreds of journalists from around the world, are expected to attend.

Party delegates from all 50 states and six U.S. territories will officially select nominees for president and vice president at the convention.

Trump secured the vast majority of delegates during the state-by-state Republican nominating process earlier this year, so his selection in Milwaukee is assured and considered a formality.

Trump is expected to announce his running mate by Monday, and the vice presidential candidate will address the convention on Wednesday. Trump will formally accept the nomination with a speech on Thursday, the final night of the convention.

WHAT MAKES MILWAUKEE A CHOICE LOCATION?

Milwaukee is the largest city in Wisconsin, one of a handful of swing states that can go for either party and play an outsized role in deciding November's election.

The Republicans' decision to convene in Wisconsin was no coincidence. The state has chosen the candidate who won nationally in the last four elections.

Biden, a Democrat, won the state in 2020 by less than one percentage point, and public opinion polls show another closely fought race between the two candidates again this year.

The Republican Party's effort to showcase its support in Wisconsin took a hit ahead of the convention, with Trump reportedly calling Milwaukee a "horrible city" in a meeting with Republican lawmakers last month.

Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung said Trump was referring to problems with crime and voter fraud in the city, although violent crime has been falling in Milwaukee, reflecting a trend across major U.S. cities, and there was no evidence of widespread fraud in the 2020 or 2022 elections.

WHY DO PARTY CONVENTIONS MATTER?

Don't be distracted by the red, white and blue balloons and pageantry of the convention - the event is an opportunity for the party to get lots of free publicity and rally supporters across the country for an election that could hinge on turnout.

The convention has historically been a time for leading figures and up-and-coming lawmakers to get valuable air-time to deliver potentially memorable speeches on the main stage.

The Republican National Committee has announced themes for each of the four days.

Monday will focus on how Trump would "turn the page" on Biden's economic agenda; Tuesday will outline Trump policies to target crime and support law enforcement; Wednesday will feature plans to stem immigration at the southern border with Mexico and improve foreign policy, and Thursday will center on Trump's overall strategy for strengthening the country.

WHAT CHANGES WILL BE MADE TO THE PARTY'S POLICY PLATFORM?

The Republican Party's platform, a formal statement of policy positions, was approved by its platform committee and released last week. It is expected to be approved on the first day of the national convention.

The 16-page platform embraces Trump's position that the issue of abortion is to be determined by individual U.S. states. It makes no mention of a federal ban or protecting a fetus as a person under the U.S. Constitution – tenets that have been included in past platforms and were demanded by a cadre of influential evangelical Christians.

The platform, which is not binding, also pledges that Trump and Republicans will build a missile defense shield over the United States, carry out "the largest deportation in American history" of people in the country illegally, make permanent Trump's signature tax cuts and pass "large tax cuts for workers." It says they will demolish foreign drug cartels, protect Medicare and Social Security benefits for pensioners, and support public funds being used for private school tuition.

WHEN IS THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY'S CONVENTION?

Democrats will hold their national convention in Chicago from Aug. 19-22.

Biden had a shaky debate performance against Trump on June 27, raising questions about whether the incumbent will be the party's nominee or be replaced by someone else.

It remains to be seen whether the convention will play a role in selecting a new candidate or whether Biden, who has vowed to stay in the race, will be officially made the nominee in Chicago.

(Reporting by Nathan Layne in Wilton, Connecticut; Editing by Colleen Jenkins and Howard Goller)