Coverage of this year’s Republican National Convention was universally inadequate. In an effort to appear neutral and nonpartisan, we have failed to communicate the urgency that this event deserves. I wish to correct the record.

Let me speak plainly: this year’s convention was a fascist rally. It was a neo-Nazi, and explicitly white nationalist rally. For four days, current and former members of each congress, the Senate, and the House of Representatives described precisely how they intend to install an authoritarian dictator, dismantle democracy, and violently purge the country of malcontents. They televised that announcement to the world.

The press moved on almost immediately. This was a mistake.

It is our duty to the public to look directly at this circus and to call it what it is:

Fascism.

In other words, an emergency. One which demands our sustained attention, beyond the window in which it was sensational or traditionally newsworthy.

Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. So in this series of articles, I will attempt to present just that, by documenting the event as thoroughly and comprehensively as I can.

I will recount not just what was said, but what was meant. I will not look away, or squirm in my seat. I will provide the public with the context it needs to understand the threat, which has gone unconscionably understated.

Most importantly, I intend to bind fascist rhetoric to the fascists that spoke it in the historical record for all time, so that they cannot escape it.

In short: I watched 30 hours of political hate speech, so you don’t have to.¹

Writing on the Wall

On paper, the purpose of the Republican National Convention is for party officials to democratically nominate their candidates for President and Vice President of the United States, and to agree upon an official policy platform to guide the next four years. Everything after that point is essentially a glorified advertisement.

Yet, this convention was unlike any other due to a series of behind-the-scenes rule changes and staffing upheavals in the months leading up to it. These were sparsely reported on, and as a result went largely unnoticed by the general public. Their impact on the final product, however, was enormous.

And look, I’ll be the first to tell you that the minutiae of election rules and meeting etiquette are the most boring things you could ever read. I’ve slept better in the past month than I have my entire life. But if you stick with me, I promise it will pay off. This shit is wild.

Change Number One:

The Distribution and Agency of Delegates

Primary elections are regulated at the state level, so their rules vary widely from state to state and are different from those of general elections. Within certain federal constraints, each party is also allowed to set their own rules on how the results are interpreted.

State delegates from each party, chosen from a pool of elected officials and advocacy groups, are responsible for translating the results of a primary election into a nomination. Each of those delegates is either bound or unbound, depending on whether their state law requires that they honor the results of the popular vote in their district.

Some states take a proportional approach to awarding delegates; a candidate which wins 30% of a state’s popular vote might get 30% of its delegates bound to them. Other states are winner-take-all, determined by which candidate has either a majority or plurality of votes. Keep in mind that those are different measurements; a majority means more than 50%; a plurality is whoever has the most. Finally, some states have a minimum threshold that a candidate must reach for their votes to count at all.

And the Trump campaign has been very busy the last few years, openly lobbying each state for different tweaks to these knobs which most favor him. Unless you’re a political nerd watching for changes across each of the 50 states, they’re likely to pass you by. Nevertheless, they function as a powerful filtering agent which culls competition and projects a manufactured image of unity.

For example, in July 2023 the state of California switched to a winner-take-all model. Rather than awarding delegates on a per-district basis as it had previously, the state now funnels all of its 169 delegates into whichever candidate captures more than 50% of the primary vote. States such as Texas use a hybrid model, awarding delegates proportionately only if no candidate reaches a winner-take-all threshold.

According to Bloomberg, the number of winner-take-all and hybrid states has more than doubled since Trump took office in 2016. New candidates are discouraged from campaigning in them; as even if you amass strong support in individual districts across the nation, they may add up to zero delegates.

Other states canceled their primaries entirely, replacing the popular vote with invite-only caucuses which could be stacked with Trump loyalists. Nevada actually had both this year, thanks to lobbying by Trump and his allies. All of the state’s bound delegates were awarded to the winner of the caucus rather than an election that voters could influence. The lone unbound delegate voted for Trump anyway.

The result of these changes is that Trump’s nomination was all but guaranteed before the primary even began. Members of the public watching the convention broadcast from home might have had the impression that the nomination was decided in front of their eyes. But practically speaking, that was not the case.

In isolation, these changes aren’t very interesting. Both parties have a history of gatekeeping by tinkering with the rules of their respective primaries. Keep it in mind, though, as we talk about…

Change Number Two:

Mass Layoffs in the Republican National Committee and Their Subsequent Replacement with Trump Allies

The Republican National Committee, which is unfortunately also abbreviated as RNC, is responsible for the entire party’s branding and fundraising. Subcommittees are in charge of convention and platform planning. Although it provides support when Republicans control the White House, its allegiance is to the Republican Party rather than specific candidates. Or rather, it was. There’s been a change in management.

The first departure was Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel, who had served in that role since 2016. Although she was originally appointed by Trump, their relationship had reportedly soured. Many of those pain points related to her refusal to bend the RNC’s candidate-neutrality policies for Trump.

Most recently, McDaniel drew Trump’s ire by daring to organize debates for Republican primary challengers, which was her job. Trump famously objected to the debates’ existence and refused to attend, on the basis that he was so popular, no primary election was needed. He later posted on Truth Social that McDaniel’s debates had not been “approved” by him, although since he was no longer President, the organization was explicitly not required or even allowed to seek his approval at the time.

Following continued pressure, McDaniel resigned, and Trump handpicked North Carolina Republican Chair Michael Whatley to replace her. Keeping with his tradition of appointing his own family members into positions of power, he also endorsed his daughter-in-law Lara Trump for co-chair. In March, the Committee voted to elect both.

According to CNN, it’s pretty normal for the presidential nominee to swap in a few members of their own team, in the interests of campaign cohesion. Conducting a systematic purge is considerably less normal, however, and that’s exactly what happened next.

Almost immediately after securing these leadership positions, Trump’s team ejected another 60 staff from the organization in what insiders described to Politico as a “bloodbath”. Remaining members were asked to reapply for their jobs, and subjected to loyalty tests where candidates were interviewed about things like whether they believed the 2020 election had been stolen.

So, in the months leading up to the convention, the committees which decide nomination rules were all stacked almost exclusively with Trump officials. This was done at his request, despite not yet being the official nominee. Functionally, Trump was in complete control of the Republican party from this point on.

And that was especially handy, because…

Change Number Three:

The Platform Was Designed in Secret This Year

Members of the Republican party assemble one week before every convention to write what is essentially a manifesto, detailing their goals and specific policies they will pursue for the next four years. Attendees debate what ought to be a priority, and the precise language everyone in the party should use. Traditionally, the press is invited to watch and report on at least some of this process.

Not this time!

The RNC announced in January that deliberations would be closed to journalists. Beyond just those meetings concerning the platform, this would include discussions on rules, the budget, all of it.

Yet despite the lack of transparency, we do still know a little bit about what went on there. And it was a mess. This year’s platform was not debated so much as it was dictated; not even the platform subcommittees were able to modify it.

The first draft was written privately by Vincent Haley, with Trump providing edits over the phone. It was released to the public on Monday, July 8th.²

Substantially smaller than previous years, it is written in the style of Trump’s social media presence, UNNECESSARY CAPITALIZATION and all. Some of it even appears to be copy-and-pasted directly from his Truth Social account. It’s also extremely vague, which was done on purpose in order to minimize surface area for criticism.

Delegates were told they’d be able to propose changes on the 9th. That turned out to be a lie.

Instead, guests allege that the amendment process was fast-tracked, with one attendant describing the meeting as “hostile.” Their devices were confiscated, their notes were scrutinized, and one guest claims they were even followed to and from bathrooms. In the end, the draft was considered for just two hours before being ratified in its original form. A bunch of people gave speeches, but no amendments were considered.

And I mean, of course not. It had already been released. How would that even work?

The Trump team clearly did not intend to leave room for dissent but needed to go through the motions. And this perfectly encapsulates the entire convention experience this year. All of this context will help you understand what I mean when I say that the display of “unity” at the Republican National Convention was an illusion.

So now that you’re properly prepared to appreciate this disaster, let’s walk through the event itself— from its opening to the certification of its nominees— to see how these changes manifested during the program.

The 2024 Republican National Convention

Opening Ceremony

Since Michael Whatley is the new chairman of the RNC he serves as master of ceremonies for much of the event. His first order of business: reminding the delegates of the convention rules.

Approximately 16 minutes into the Associated Press’ stream, Whatley says:

Ladies and gentlemen, the chair has an important announcement to make so that we may proceed in an orderly manner under our current time constraints. As described in our rules and the order of business, to enable the chair to be certain that any motion offered has met the necessary requirements of our rules, the chair would like to put the delegates on notice that the chair through the secretary of the convention must be provided in advance with satisfactory written evidence of support of a majority of delegates from each of the necessary number of states required by our rules.

This written confirmation is consistent with our modern practice and precedent during previous conventions with similar announcements as well as the use of written certificates for the presentation of the names of our candidates for nomination.

This delightful word salad manages to obfuscate both which rule he means (“nominations” or general “motions”) and whether it has changed (it’s a “modern practice” but also somehow honors “precedent”). However, by comparing his announcement against the 2022 Rules of the Republican Party, we can infer something valuable either way.

The first possibility is that he’s talking about nomination procedure, which would be governed by Rule No. 40(b) of the Republican Party.

Much like the state delegate rules we discussed earlier, 40(b) sets a threshold for how many delegates a candidate must receive to be eligible for nomination at the national level. As if one filtering agent wasn’t enough!

From the 2022 Rules of the Republican Party, Rule No. 40(b)(2) (emphasis mine):

To demonstrate the support required by this paragraph a certificate evidencing a plurality with the affirmative written support of the required number of permanently seated delegates from each of the five (5) or more states shall have been submitted to the secretary of the convention not later than one (1) hour prior to the placing of the names of candidates for nomination pursuant to this rule and the established order of business.

If this is what Whatley is referring to, that would confirm a change behind closed doors, as the 2022 rules require written support from a plurality rather than a majority. A majority would be substantially more difficult to achieve, insulating Donald Trump.

There would be precedent for this: 40(b) was first tweaked in this exact way in 2012, in order to prevent Ron Paul from being nominated and potentially creating the appearance of a divided party. It has been adjusted back and forth multiple times since, in order to dissuade a different set of grassroots challengers.

However, just before the nomination for Vice President, Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird specifies plurality. Although it is possible that they separated the rules for President and Vice President this year, that would be highly unusual.

Alternatively, it is possible that Whatley is talking about restrictions for proposing new, unscheduled motions to be considered on the convention floor. If that’s the case, that would also indicate… a change in procedure behind closed doors!

There definitely there are rules which govern specific types of motions and the threshold of delegates required to pass them. For example, consider Rule No. 32 (Suspension of Rules):

A motion to suspend the rules shall always be in order, but only when made by authority of a majority of the delegates from any state and seconded by a majority of the delegates from each of seven (7) or more other states, severally.

But to the best of my knowledge, none of these rules require advance written notice and approval by the chair within a specific time window in order to be considered at all.

Impromptu motions have influenced the RNC within recent memory. Consider the “Free the Delegates” movement in 2016, where Trump’s team was blindsided by an attempt to initiate a roll-call vote on that year’s proposed rule package. Proponents sought the ability for delegates to nominate according to their conscience, rather than nominate the candidate to whom they were bound. And it very nearly worked. This is precisely the sort of spectacle Donald Trump would need to avoid in order for his “unity” branding to be successful.

Even if you (generously) assume that Whatley or Bird simply misspoke, later speakers also allude to a shift in convention rules. When Jeff Kent, Brian Jack, and Julianne Murray of the Committee on Rules take the stage to talk about the updated rules package, they acknowledge that it has been “streamlined”:

Each of you were first elected by your Republican party constituents to serve as delegates to this convention, and then you were elected by your peers to spend an additional week in Milwaukee with us. The rules package you overwhelmingly passed out of committee streamlines the way our party functions. It incentivizes greater Republican participation in our primaries, caucuses, and conventions going forward, and it enables us to nominate the 45th and 47th President of the United States of America: President Donald J Trump!

Notably, the Trump campaign also used this “streamlining” language when they culled the RNC staff, and again when they forced the new platform through. Those passed “overwhelmingly,” too, in that compliance was the only option. Introducing a new rule which restricts debate would be consistent with the campaign’s previous anticompetitive behavior.

I want to be clear about the limitations of my knowledge here; I cannot conclusively prove which rules changed or how without reading the amendments directly. The RNC also uses a subset of Roberts Rules of Order as well as the procedures of the House of Representatives. The latter is an extremely complex document which I am not particularly qualified to interpret.

What I can tell you, based on statements of the Committee on Rules, is that something definitely changed. That change just so happens to correspond with both a reduction in transparency and the suspiciously fast-tracked nomination of a man with not only motivation to deceive but a felony record doing so. I feel like this is a reasonable thing to call into question.

In any case, the RNC typically releases an updated version of its rulebook, including recent amendments, two years after the previous convention. So assuming they continue to honor that process, I guess we’ll find out for sure what they tweaked in 2026.

We also start to see the first cracks in the convention’s official “unity” framing at this point. Although the new rules package passes a voice vote and it is mostly unanimous, a few loud “no”s can be heard in the background.

Then, when Kentucky Senator Mitch McConnell is appointed a member of the temporary chair staff, the entire audience boos. It is clear that the bulk of the “no” votes are meant for him, too. McConnell has been, shall we say, on the Republican party’s shit list since asserting that Donald Trump was “practically and morally responsible” for the January 6th insurrection, even as he voted to acquit him for it.

These are the consequences for failing to kiss the ring; half-measures will not suffice. It’s going to happen to McConnell at least once more before the end of the ceremony, and this hostile ingroup/outgroup dynamic only intensifies as the convention continues.

At another point, Florida Senator Joe Gruters presents a report from the Committee on Credentials. He’s accompanied by Mississippi Committeewoman Jeanne Luckey.

As Luckey nears the podium, the applause is audibly broken up by jeers and boos. Someone shouts a (largely unintelligible, but agitated sounding) command from the audience. Luckey smiles and ignores it.

If she’s unpopular, it’s likely because she recently ruled that the Missouri Republican Party had to replace 54 of their delegates after finding “alarming irregularities” in their credentialing process. In fact, that’s precisely what she’s there to talk about.

Just two days before the convention, the Committee on Credentials suddenly reversed course and reinstated those delegates. The crowd she is addressing at the convention contains the very people whom she had rejected. Luckey also voted against a measure to censure Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger for their work on the January 6th Committee back in 2022. That probably didn’t make her many friends.

Eventually Gruters takes over to share the good news: the appeal over Missouri’s delegates was tossed. The original slate of electors is approved. Everyone cheers.

At the conclusion of their report, the pair are hurried off stage. Gruters feels the need to collect the microphone from Luckey’s lap for some reason, and as Luckey adjusts her wheelchair to leave, several members of the audience shout for her to “go, go, go.”

Extremely classy behavior.

Presenting The Platform

Next, Tennessee Senator Marsha Blackburn prompts the vote to officially accept the party’s new platform.

Blackburn says:

I would like to thank all the delegates who served on the committee and helped us produce a platform that all Americans can be proud of. It’s a different kind of platform. It is not a laundry list of special interest wishes but a succinct, clear agenda, and a promise to the American people.

At the time, I had to take her word for it. But thanks to the New York Times’ coverage, we now know that everything about this statement is false. The delegates may technically have “served on the committee,” but it doesn’t sound like they were allowed to provide any input at all.

It’s definitely no less a laundry list of special interest wishes, either; it’s just that now they’re exclusively the wishes of a single person. About the only honest thing Blackburn has to say about the platform is that it “reflects the agenda of Donald Trump.”

Consider that statement verified.

At another point Blackburn remarks,

We Republicans serve the people…and we will not forget them.

And I’m wondering, which people, specifically? Because I know you don’t mean me, and it’s starting to look like maybe you don’t mean Republicans either. Your delegates literally just booed a disabled person off the stage.

There’s one other part of the platform presentation that I really want to draw your attention to: the vote.

I’m surprised more outlets didn’t mention it, but when it came time to officially ratify this platform, a substantial portion of the delegates emphatically voted “no”.

It’s impossible to say what the ratio sounded like from where Whatley was positioned, but it was without question the most clear dissent of any motion proposed over the entirety of the four-day convention. I was watching the PBS stream, and to my ear, it almost sounded 50/50.

That’s the trouble with voice votes, though; it’s subjective. It’s also a reason why strongmen prefer them.

Regardless of whether Whatley noticed, the objections were overruled and the platform passed without incident.

The next minor outburst occurs when territories outside the 50 US states propose their first motion. They request that the RNC temporarily recognize them as full members for voting purposes. This is apparently a ritual they have to repeat every year in order to participate.

It goes through just fine, but a handful of delegates in the crowd can be heard voting “no” to this too. Given the unobjectionable nature of allowing delegates that you specifically invited to participate in the event, I cannot think of a single reason to object to this that isn’t racism.

I know what you’re thinking… racism? In the Republican party? Impossible.

Part of me is dying to know whether this happens every year, but I’m not about to watch another 30 hours of this shit to find out.

For now let’s move on to…

Nomination(s)

I won’t belabor this point too much, but it’s worth noting that Trump has not been officially nominated, much less voted for, by this point in the program. That is, in fact, the entire reason for the convention. With the exception of a small pool of unbound delegates, they are assembled here to rubber-stamp a decision that has already been made, and look excited doing it.

So certain is his victory, however, that approximately six speakers have referred to him not only as the winning nominee but the winner of the general election in the short time before nominations began.

Naturally, what follows is a sprint to the finish. Several more motions are rapidly proposed and passed, to skip such troublesome bureaucracy as reading or debating rules, and then speakers yield back the bulk of their time.

Check. Check. Check. Check. Let’s get to the fun part already.

Mike Johnson, Speaker of the House and proud Christian nationalist, takes over as MC for a while. He repeats a subset of the nomination rules: to be eligible, candidates must have furnished the Committee with sufficient written support. Again, the specifics are left undefined, frustrating attempts to reverse-engineer any policy changes.

Johnson continues to say candidates, plural, but it is clear there is only one. Reading of the roll is dispensed with; instead Johnson calls directly upon Jeff Kaufmann, Chairman of the Iowa Republican Party, to provide a nomination.

Kaufmann nominates Donald Trump in a preprepared speech. Along the way, he also outlines the structure of the four-day convention to come. Each day is devoted to one slice of Trump’s four-word slogan: Make America Wealthy/Safe/Strong/Great Again.

This of course only works if you are positive who will be nominated and who will win. Otherwise, you’d have to redo the whole convention schedule on short notice, and that would just be embarrassing.

Directly afterward, Johnson calls upon Nevada Chairman Michael McDonald, who says some more unhinged fascist shit before seconding Donald Trump’s nomination.

When he’s done, they immediately transition to a live band, which plays dad rock for the next three straight minutes. Everyone celebrates and cheers.

That’s it. Nobody else is considered.

Johnson does not return to the podium, seek objection, or even pretend to open the floor. Every mic transition is tightly scripted, to prevent a repeat of 2016’s rebellion.

Even if you had the required written certification, I genuinely do not know how you would have convinced anyone to let you speak this year. There just wasn’t space for it. This was likely by design.

Roll Call

At some point during this premature victory lap, RNC staff remember they still have to do that whole voting thing to make it official.

Almost every state unanimously votes for Trump because they have to. That part’s not super interesting. But if you watch the roll call carefully, you can still spot a couple of anomalies.

Most states and territories use their screen time to chew the scenery: celebrating whatever cultural landmarks they’re famous for, bragging about their loyalty to Donald Trump, and competing to see who’s his real bestest friend. Only then do they report their results.³

But then the mic finally makes its way around to the Kentucky delegation and everyone immediately breaks rank to shame Mitch McConnell again.

Unlike prior speakers, McConnell does not attempt to praise his state, or Trump. He knows better than to even try. The crowd launches into a fit of hisses and boos the instant he is recognized. McConnell struggles to call out his results over the noise, gives a meek thumbs up, and passes the baton as quickly as humanly possible.

For 15 seconds, Mitch McConnell is an ant beneath the world’s largest, most spiteful magnifying glass. Here’s a video of that moment, if you’d like to enjoy his suffering on repeat for a while.

North Carolina is the first state to not award 100% of its delegates to Trump.

The results are announced by Lieutenant Governor and Holocaust denier Mark Robinson:

I am directed that the state cast 62 votes for America’s Braveheart and the next President of the United States of America, Donald J Trump for president!

Then he adds, as if in afterthought,

…and 12 votes in accordance with the rules.

He does not elaborate on whom they are for, because it does not matter. This is not their party, and they will not be crowned prom queen.

At least three other delegations follow him in reporting a split vote; Virginia, Michigan, and Washington DC. None of them deign to mention whom the outlying votes were cast for.⁴

In fact, one state tries to slip its unbound delegates through without acknowledging them at all: Virginia.

Like everyone before him, Governor Rich Anderson announces how pleased he is to award Virginia’s votes to Trump. What’s unique about his delivery is that he does not say how many delegates the state is awarding or even how many it has in total:

…We cast our delegates votes for the next President Donald J Trump and his Vice President JD Vance!

Perhaps Anderson was concerned about the optics. If you look over his shoulder, you can see that the number is printed on the teleprompters he’s supposed to be reading from. He also avoids reading the rest of it, which says: “…and 6 votes in accordance with the rules.” ⁵

He definitely has this information. Everyone before him, 40 minutes into nomination, has followed the format. A script has been explicitly provided to him.

In the absence of a delegate count, Anderson has used his time to say exactly nothing. This likely would have been considered a violation of the rules in previous conventions (see Rule No. 37, Roll Call):

In the balloting, the vote of each state shall be announced by the chairman of such state’s delegation, or his or her designee; and in case the vote of any state shall be divided, the chairman shall announce the number of votes for each candidate, or for or against any proposition…

Yet Anderson still finds time to join Utah senator Mike Lee in sniping the announcement of Trump’s running mate.⁶ (We’ll get to that.)

In all, delegates spend over an hour alternating between reporting their votes, and telling Trump what a big and special boy he is, uwu. (◕ᴗ◕✿)

One Eternity Later™, Mike Johnson returns to the podium. When he says they’re ready to announce the results, the audience laughs, and it’s clear that Johnson is in on the joke.

He reads out the number of votes cast to Trump and names him the official nominee. He does not bother to read or even acknowledge the rest.

A few moments later, the teleprompter malfunctions, and they once again call on a Johnny Silverhand cosplayer to distract the crowd with dad rock.

The Matter of Vice President

The event resumes a full 30 minutes later. Brenna Bird, Iowa Attorney General, says it’s time to nominate the Vice President.

Except the Vice President has already been chosen. Donald Trump announced it himself… on Truth Social. During the roll call. Mike Lee had been able to contain his excitement for all of eight minutes before blurting it out to a bewildered crowd.

It’s been over an hour since then. JD Vance has already done his red-carpet handshake tour, which was broadcast onstage for everyone. Everyone understands that Trump’s last-minute choice is law; it’s going to be Vance. But they still need to finish the ritual. Pesky rules!

The chair confirms that she has only received evidence for one candidate having the required support.⁷ The floor is now free to nominate anyone who is JD Vance.

Fortunately, Ohio’s Lieutenant Governor Jon Husted knows someone who is JD Vance! It’s a long shot, but maybe you could try him?

Poor Vance can’t even get this moment to himself, though. Husted spends a substantial portion of his nomination speech subtweeting Mike Pence instead.

Husted says (emphasis mine):

The Vice Presidency is an office of sacred trust…

The man who accepts this nomination, accepts with it the awesome responsibility to give wise council to the President… to preside over the Senate, and to be ready to lead our nation at a moment’s notice. Such a man must have an America first attitude in his heart. Amen. He must embrace his obligation to the American family, the American worker, and the American soldier. He must believe that America is exceptional…

He must share the values and principles of our Presidential nominee and be trusted to faithfully implement the will of the people.

This I know…he will faithfully stand by Donald J Trump’s side… and change the course of our nation to the benefit of all citizens.

Here, Husted is referring to Pence’s refusal to overturn the results of the election on January 6th, 2020, an act which MAGA Republicans view as an unforgivable betrayal. He is echoing the language and tone of Trump’s infamous (and now-deleted) tweet during the insurrection:

Mike Pence didn’t have the courage to do what should have been done to protect our Country and our Constitution, giving States a chance to certify a corrected set of facts, not the fraudulent or inaccurate ones which they were asked to previously certify. USA demands the truth!

When Husted says that JD Vance is “loyal”, “trustworthy”, and “faithful,”— that you can count on him to “change the course of the nation,”— he isn’t really remarking on any observed quality or accomplishment of Vance so much as he is contrasting the party’s expectations of the role against the disappointing performance of Vance’s predecessor.

Husted says that the new VP “must share the values and principles of our Presidential nominee and be trusted to faithfully implement the will of the people.” What he means is that he expects Vance to do what Pence wouldn’t. That’s the quality the Republican party is looking for in their next VP. Compliance.

It’s less about Vance himself and more “See, Pence? We’re not going to have to construct gallows outside the capitol for this guy.” What an awkward onboarding experience. I do not envy this man.

Since Vance is the only candidate, Bird says he will be nominated by acclimation; that is, no roll call is necessary. She proceeds to another mass voice vote, and does not pause to listen for “no’”s at all, which she does still receive. Bird breezes right on through them and Vance, who is still on the big screen, can be seen laughing. The crowd begins to chant his name.

Someone behind Vance has added his name to a Trump campaign sign, in what appears to be ballpoint pen. They have a child’s handwriting.

It’s the perfect vignette to encapsulate the convention as a whole: a sloppy, last-second addition to a TV show actually dedicated to Trump, by his fiat, which he twote.

It’s perfect, no notes.⁸

Made In America

The image of “unity” at the Republican National Convention this year was little more than branding; not only was it manufactured, but it was brittle. Scratch that gilding and the dysfunction is obvious.

By lobbying for changes to state election laws, Trump ensured that no one could actually run against him. He overthrew the entire RNC, because he just can’t get enough of doing coups. His newly installed task force of friends and family organized the least transparent convention in recent memory, which was conducted at lightspeed and with zero margin for debate or compromise. His social media posts were copy-and-pasted into the party’s platform before his nomination and were also the vehicle for his absolute-last-second selection of running mate.

From beginning to end, the convention itself was structured with one conclusion in mind. Almost every speaker name-checked Trump as the next President ahead of schedule. Each day in the program was already devoted to a separate pillar of his campaign. When Johnson announced the results, that was funny, because everyone understood it never could have gone any other way. All of this is merely a show of force, a goose step by way of rally.

To support his strongman image, Trump simply left nothing to chance. Unfortunately, convention staff couldn’t stop gnawing on each other’s faces long enough to sell it.

The ingroup outgroup dynamic was pervasive and absolutely unrelenting. Long-held grudges surfaced whenever a malcontent’s name was mentioned, and sometimes, as in the case of Pence, in spite of their absence. They basically threw tomatoes at McConnell.

All the while, speakers tied themselves in knots to perform loyalty. They competed with each other to deliver the most lavish compliment to Donald Trump, and apparently even felt compelled to hide anything less than a 100% commitment in delegates to their fearless leader. This is not normal behavior. It’s a signal of distress.

Don’t get me wrong; I’m not going to shed any tears for these people. At the end of the day they’re all still Republicans. Couldn’t have happened to a worthier bunch, honestly.

But my point is:

The new RNC would like you to associate them with “unity,” and a disturbing amount of the press was happy to oblige. The trouble is, they are very much and very obviously not unified.

In the wake of an attempted assassination, they would have us believe that their fearless leader’s authoritarian tendencies have been softened; they have not.

They would have us believe that he is universally respected and revered, so powerful and perfect that his victory was certain; this is also false.

Like a photograph that has been cropped, they’ve merely removed what was undesirable or inconvenient. To the extent that the RNC achieved their desired image at all, it was only through coercion, fear of consequence, and lack of alternative.

That image is incompatible with the way they treat dissent within their own ranks, the lack of trust they show in their own process, and…oh yeah, the sea of attendees waving professionally produced MASS DEPORTATION NOW con swag.

Because that’s the other thing.

The RNC doesn’t just want to convince you that they have their shit together. They also need to convince the viewing public that America, too, is unified under their platform. That their regressive beliefs are in fact common sense. That they are widespread and normal. That, actually, your neighbors like fascism, and you like fascism, you’re a big fan and you want it so bad now open wide for the airplane nyeooooww choo choo! ヽ(°〇°)ﾉ

So allow me to remind you that this is not normal, the only way I know how: academic hyperfixation!

In part two, we’ll deconstruct the campaign speeches which followed nomination using multiple models of historical fascism. Let’s take a second to properly appreciate all of the plans to enact mass violence that they so graciously took turns sharing on national TV.

Doesn’t that sound fun?

_{wait come back i promise i’ll make it fun}

Notes

1. Full disclosure: I am an unaffiliated voter. There will be no need to speculate about whether or not I hold your party in contempt. Whatever your particular allegiance, you may rest assured that I do. But only one of them holds officially sanctioned Neo-Nazi rallies, so that’s the one I’m covering today. ↩︎
2. Although the file name sent to NPR suggests the platform actually passed committee as early as the 7th. They really just could not wait to get this thing out the door, huh? ↩︎
3. This was excruciating. I watched this for you. You’re welcome. ↩︎
4. Most of them went to Nikki Haley, if you’re curious. ↩︎
5. It’s hard to catch on the Associated Press stream, but it’s glaringly obvious from PBS’s camera angle. If you’re wondering if that means I watched all of this twice: yes. Kill me. ↩︎
6. This would have been a surprise to just about everyone. Trump announced it on Truth Social during the convention, basically at the last possible minute. ↩︎
7. The rule she cites is identical to the 2022 edition, suggesting that the earlier rule changes were regarding program interruptions. It does create a new question about the timeline, though; remember that one-hour-notice requirement in 40(b)? Given Trump’s last-minute choice, they would have had maybe 30 minutes to get the necessary written evidence to the chair to confirm his nomination. Either they rushed to do so, or they bent the rules. ↩︎
8. Whatley wraps it up by begging everyone to take a group selfie with him. ↩︎

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Citations

Primary

Associated Press. “RNC LIVE: Day 1 at Republican National Convention.” YouTube, 15 July 2024, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_t0bhqHUdFg.

PBS News. “WATCH LIVE: J.D. Vance picked for VP | 2024 Republican National Convention | Night 1 | PBS News.” Youtube, 15 July 2024, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1ljFB_VazU

Republican National Committee. “The Rules of the Republican Party.” Originally published 24 August 2020, last updated 14 April 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20240814005624/https://prod-static.gop.com/media/Rules_Of_The_Republican_Party.pdf

Republican National Committee. “CALL OF THE 2024 REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION.” 20 November 2023. https://prod-static.gop.com/media/documents/2024_Call_of_the_Convention_as_adopted_11.20.23_1700517775.pdf

Republican National Committee. “ICYMI: RNC Platform Committee Adopts 2024 Republican Party Platform”. 8 July 2024. https://gop.com/press-release/icymi-rnc-platform-committee-adopts-2024-republican-party-platform/

Trump, Donald. “I see that everybody…” Truth Social, 25 April 2023. Social Media Post (god we live in the worst timeline that I have to do this) https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/110260496156494542

Secondary

Alberta, Tim. “Trump’s VP Announcement Didn’t Go According to Plan.” Atlantic, 15 July 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240716005335/https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2024/07/the-vp-announcement-didnt-go-according-to-plan/679027/

Ballotpedia. “Rule 40 and its impact on the 2016 Republican National Convention.” https://ballotpedia.org/Rule_40_and_its_impact_on_the_2016_Republican_National_Convention

Beaumont, Thomas. “The RNC will meet privately after Trump allies pull resolution to call him the ‘presumptive nominee’.” Associated Press, 30 January 2024. https://apnews.com/article/trump-haley-rnc-republican-mcdaniel-99230edb3e2f5c41dc7ceb11a8a0ba6a

Beaumont, Thomas & Fernando, Christine. “Republicans move at Trump’s behest to change how they will oppose abortion.” Associated Press, 8 July 2024. https://apnews.com/article/republicans-abortion-party-platform-trump-rnc-5561e857c5501df9864ab8ca666d8bc5

CBS & Associated Press. “RNC votes to install Trump’s handpicked leaders, tightening his control of party.” 8 March 2024. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/rnc-donald-trump-michael-whatley-lara-trump/

Cheney, Kyle. “Chaos erupts on GOP convention floor after voice vote shuts down Never Trump forces.” Politico, 18 July 2016. https://www.politico.com/story/2016/07/never-trump-delegates-have-support-needed-to-force-rules-vote-225716

Collinson, Stephen & Kopan, Tal & LoBianco, Tom. “Convention drama: Trump campaign stops rules rebellion.” CNN, 18 July 2016. https://www.cnn.com/2016/07/18/politics/rnc-procedural-votes-rules-committee/index.html

Dáte, Shirish V. “Trump Demands That The RNC Stop Hosting Debates For His Rivals Or Be Revamped: NOW!!!” HuffPost, 20 November 2023. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-republican-national-committee-presidential-debates-revamp_n_655be44fe4b0c91d82782d9f

Dawsey, Josh. “Was the 2020 election stolen? Job interviews at RNC take an unusual turn.” Washington Post, 26 March 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240327011759/https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2024/03/26/rnc-2020-election-stolen-trump-hiring/

Gibson, Ginger & Holland, Steve. “Trump campaign touts Republican rule changes aimed at unified 2020 convention.” Reuters, 7 October 2019. https://www.reuters.com/article/world/us/trump-campaign-touts-republican-rule-changes-aimed-at-unified-2020-convention-idUSKBN1WM235/

Holmes, Kristen & Treene, Alayna & Strauss, Daniel. “Tensions between Trump and RNC spill over into public view.” CNN, 23 October 2023. https://www.cnn.com/2023/10/23/politics/trump-rnc-relationship/index.html

Hulse, Carl & Fandos, Nicholas. “McConnell, Denouncing Trump After Voting to Acquit, Says His Hands Were Tied.” New York Times, 17 February 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20240411233014/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/13/us/mcconnell-trump-impeachment-acquittal.html

Isenstadt, Alex. “Trump campaign moves to stave off mayhem at 2020 convention.” Politico, 7 January 2019. https://www.politico.com/story/2019/01/07/trump-reelection-campaign-2020-republican-convention-1083176

Isenstadt, Alex. “Bloodbath at RNC: Trump team slashes staff at committee.” Politico, 11 March 2024. https://www.politico.com/news/2024/03/11/bloodbath-at-rnc-trump-team-slashes-staff-at-committee-00146368

Keller, Rudi. “Missouri presidential delegates rejected by Republican National Convention committee.” Missouri Independent, 2 July 2024. https://missouriindependent.com/2024/07/02/missouri-presidential-delegates-rejected-by-republican-national-convention-committee/

Keller, Rudi. “GOP credentials committee reinstates Missouri convention delegation at center of dispute.” Missouri Independent, 12 July 2024. https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/gop-credentials-committee-reinstates-missouri-convention-delegation-at-center-of-dispute/

Korte, Gregory. “Trump Changed GOP Rules to Make Winning the Nomination Even Easier — for Trump.” Bloomberg, 14 May 2023. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-05-14/trump-has-easier-path-to-2024-nomination-with-latest-republican-rules

Lowell, Hugo. “Trump’s RNC takeover triggers strife and staff exits as purge partly backfires.” Guardian, 8 April 2024. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/apr/08/rnc-trump-takeover-republican-strife

Mehta, Seema. “Tensions flare as California GOP gives Trump a boost by overhauling state primary rules.” Los Angeles Times, 29 July 2023. https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2023-07-29/california-republican-primary-delegates-trump-desantis-presidential-election-2024

Narea, Nicole. “Mark Robinson, the North Carolina GOP nominee for governor, is off the rails even by MAGA standards.” Vox, 6 March 2024. https://www.vox.com/politics/24092798/mark-robinson-north-carolina-governors-race-2024

New York Times. “How Trump Dominated His Own Party on a New G.O.P. Platform.” 18 July 2024. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/18/us/politics/trump-gop-platform-convention.html

Paybarah, Azi. “Why Nevada is having GOP caucuses just days after its primary.” Washington Post, 5 February 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240207234203/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/02/05/nevada-caucus-vs-prmary/

Pender, Geoff. “Mississippi RNC delegation splits on vote to censure Cheney, Kinzinger for serving on Jan. 6 committee.” Mississippi Today, 14 February 2022. https://mississippitoday.org/2022/02/14/mississippi-rnc-delegation-censure-cheney-kinzinger/

Peoples, Steve & Colvin, Jill. “Trump wants to install new RNC leadership including his daughter-in-law as co-chair.” Associated Press, 13 February 2024. https://apnews.com/article/republican-national-committee-ronna-mcdaniel-trump-whatley-51c1cf029cd0a5901082f475abc81673

Pratz, Megan. “With just one mention of abortion, Republican Party lays out its 2024 policy platform.” NPR, 8 July 2024. https://www.npr.org/2024/07/08/nx-s1-5033015/rnc-republican-party-platform-2024

Restuccia, Andrew & Hughes, Siobhan. “Trump’s Tweet About Pence Seen as Critical Moment During Riot.” Wall Street Journal, 21 July 2022. https://www.wsj.com/livecoverage/jan-6-hearing-today-trump/card/trump-s-tweet-about-pence-seen-as-critical-moment-during-riot-fmPxoFkeoTKxi0NqPLCL

Scherer, Michael & Dawsey, Josh. “Trump proposes scaled-back platform that softens language on abortion, same-sex marriage.” Washington Post, 8 July 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240708184222/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/07/08/trump-abortion-republican-platform/

Treene, Alayna & Strauss, Daniel & Pellish, Aaron. “Trump’s takeover of Republican National Committee is official as McDaniel steps down.” CNN, 8 March 2024. https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/08/politics/trump-republican-national-committee/index.html

Whitehead, Andrew & Perry, Samuel. “The Christian Nationalism of Speaker Mike Johnson.” Time, 27 October 2023. https://time.com/6329207/speaker-mike-johnson-christian-nationalism/