The vibe on the convention floor: It was a madhouse. Some delegates were seated, some danced by their seats and others lined the aisles. Convention staff repeatedly tried to keep the aisles clear, but hundreds of reporters had access to the floor — and were roaming without a seat or designated area. Yellow lanyards signified members of the press, making them easily identifiable.
At times, delegates got aggravated and short-tempered with reporters. One delegate yelled for journalists and photographers to get out of his section — and “stop blocking our view.” He told me he would try to “have my badge taken away” if I didn’t leave his section. Lol. 🤔
Gosh, that’s cheesy: NBC’s Jacob Soboroff posted a photo of the Wisconsin delegation sporting cheeseheads.
A tense tidbit: Bloomberg’s Jennifer Jacobs posted: “A muffled bang near the press riser on the floor of the RNC during Trump's speech made people freeze then look around, including some reporters who were at Pennsylvania rally during shooting. The sound was a woman who collapsed. Paramedics treated her, Trump staff checked on her. Possible dehydration, an aide here said.” 📸 Photo
📹 Kid Rock performed
📸 Up close in Trump’s arena box
📹 Watch Melania Trump enter the arena: Thursday night was her first appearance at the convention.
📸 See the balloons in netting on the ceiling before they dropped
Oh, hello Hulk: Former professional wrestler Hulk Hogan ripped off his shirt, revealing a Trump-Vance shirt. 📸 Photo
Who got special treatment in Trump’s box?: HuffPost’s Igor Bobic posted, “10 Senate Republicans in the box with Trump tonight. [Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.)], who accosted the Secret Service director yesterday, got an extended handshake.” 📸 Photo of Trump’s box ; Backstory
📹 Watch the moment the balloons were released: I was standing on the floor and watched them fall in slow motion. I had forgotten how slow a balloon drop is!
🪑 Poor North Dakota: Despite Gov. Doug Burgum (R) being a finalist for Trump’s VP, his state’s delegation was placed in the back left corner. Some of the seats are even in a covered nook under the teleprompter. 📸 North Dakota’s area 📸 The covered nook seats
You may have seen different versions of this same lede: Roll Call’s Niels Lesniewski noticed: “Depending on when your local newspaper hit the print deadline, you may have seen one of these two versions of a paragraph in the same AP story about Trump's speech.” 📸 Compare the versions
I do not like this: By the entrance of the Baird Center, which is where the media filing center was, there was a woman standing with a binder. Well, it took me until Thursday to realize that this woman is NOT REAL. It's been an exhausting week, so please don’t compare me to the viral “this man isn’t real” woman who became a meme. 😅
📹 See for yourself. This woman is not real!
Wow, time flies!: C-SPAN’s Howard Mortman posted a side-by-side comparison of ex-Trump White House trade adviser Peter Navarro speaking at the 1996 Democratic convention and the 2024 Republican convention.
📸 These Trump hair socks make me feel uncomfy. The hair is … 3D.
