A handful of entertainers, celebrities, and other high-profile figures were among the tens of thousands who descended on Milwaukee, Wisconsin, this week to attend the Republican National Convention (RNC), where GOP delegates formally nominated former President Donald Trump as the official presidential candidate for 2024.
Country music singer-songwriter Lee Greenwood kicked off the RNC’s four-day event on July 15, singing “God Bless the USA” as the former president was welcomed into the Fiserv Forum.
“Prayer works. This nation is based on faith. Prayer works because He was sure, as Donald Trump turned his head just slightly, that the bullet missed him just enough to save his life to be the next president of the United States,” Mr. Greenwood said before belting out his 1984 patriotic hit.
“You will not take this man down. He has the courage, the strength, and he will be the next president of the United States,” the singer said, concluding his song.
Country singer Chris Janson also performed during the convention’s opening night, while rapper and model Amber Rose—who took to social media in May to endorse the former president—took the stage as a speaker.
“My message to you tonight comes from a humble place. The left told me to hate Trump, and even worse, to hate the other side, the people who support him,” the influencer said. “When you cut through the lies, you realize the truth. American families were better when Donald Trump was president.”
Reality star Savannah Chrisley, who appeared on the show “Chrisley Knows Best” alongside her parents, Todd and Julie Chrisley, spoke during the RNC’s second night, which featured the theme “Make America Safe Again.”
While addressing the need for criminal justice reform, the 26-year-old touched upon her parents’ prison sentences for bank and tax fraud offenses. Mr. and Mrs. Chrisley have both maintained their innocence.
Final Night of the RNC
Country singer Jason Aldean and his wife, Brittany, attended the convention’s final night ahead of the musician’s scheduled performance at a private RNC party at the Potawatomi Casino Hotel later that evening.Political commentator Tucker Carlson, faith leader Franklin Graham, and retired professional wrestler Hulk Hogan were among those who gave headline speeches.
Mr. Carlson highlighted the former president’s abilities as a leader, touching upon the assassination attempt on his life at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, just days before the start of the RNC.
“I do think the entire point—from the famous escalator ride nine years ago until today—of Donald Trump’s public life has been to remind us of one fact, which is a leader’s duty is to his people, to his country, and to no other,” Mr. Carlson said during his nearly 11-minute speech. “And another word for this is democracy.”
During his speech, Mr. Hogan praised former President Trump as a “gladiator” and called him his “hero.”
“We’re gonna bring America back together one real American at a time,” he said, later ripping off his shirt to reveal a red “Trump-Vance” tank top beneath.
“I’m proud to support my hero as the next president of this United States,” he added.
Singer Kid Rock performed his 2000 hit “American Bad Ass” prior to former President Trump delivering his keynote address formally accepting his party’s nomination to conclude the final night of the convention. Recalling the former president’s response to being shot during a campaign rally days earlier, the musician urged the crowd to stand and hold their fists in the air while chanting, “Fight, fight, fight!”
“Ladies and gentlemen, get ready for the most patriotic, American, badass on Earth, President Donald J. Trump,” he told the RNC audience before calling Dana White, chief executive officer and president of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, to the stage to formally introduce his good friend and former president.
“I know that President Trump is fighting to save the American dream, and that’s what’s at stake in this election,” Mr. White said.
“We are choosing who we want to lead us in this fight. I know President Trump is a proven leader—a fearless leader—and this country was in a much better place when he was in the Oval Office.”
