GOP convention begins with sharp warnings

On the first night of the convention, Republican speakers said in their remote addresses that the country risks falling into socialism, economic ruin, and lawlessness without President Donald Trump. Earlier on Monday, Trump officially accepted the party’s presidential nomination in Charlotte, N.C., before a crowd of more than 300 socially distanced delegates.

Who were the speakers? Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, the Senate’s only black Republican, and Nikki Haley, the Indian-American former United Nations ambassador, both lauded the party for working to help minorities and criticized Democrats for taking them for granted. Mark and Patricia McCloskey, the St. Louis couple that faces charges for pointing guns at protesters outside their home in June, said Democrats are “protecting criminals from honest citizens.” Conservative activist Charlie Kirk lauded Trump as the “bodyguard of Western civilization” and said his victory will “ensure that our kids are raised to love America, not taught to hate our beautiful country.”

Dig deeper: Read Jamie Dean’s report on how mental fitness will play into this year’s campaign.