| | | | RNC's first night overshadows its second day | | With Republicans set to nominate Donald Trump for president, his campaign is grappling with the controversy surrounding Melania Trump's plagiarism of Michelle Obama -- hoping to deflect and move on from the story amid internal finger-pointing. Trump's campaign says it doesn't plan to fire anybody over the speech. Here's CNN's latest.
Who's really at fault? Donald Trump, argues The Washington Post's Chris Cillizza. He writes: "This is the campaign he wanted, the campaign he prided himself on running. Zigging when everyone else zags works -- until it doesn't. Unpredictability isn't a strategy."
Give this man a job: Laid-off journalist Jarrett Hill was among the first to notice the plagiarism. His tweet about it now has more than 23,000 retweets. "It was kind of a total recall moment," he told CNN. | | Trump's nomination set for this evening | | Coming up tonight: Republicans are set to officially nominate Donald Trump for president. Trump's son Donald Trump Jr., a delegate from New York, is expected to cast the official vote -- number 1,237 -- to put his father over the top. The drama: Will Ted Cruz supporters and anti-Trump forces try to stop it from happening?
Eyes in the sky -- from CNN's Tom LoBianco: The Trump delegate brain trust is holed up in "the crow's nest" -- a skybox inside the convention center where they can literally track the movement of delegates and whip count as the roll is called. The neon green hats worn by the junior whips makes it easier to see them from high up and then direct their movement. If they spot trouble on the floor, they can act fast. | | "Twilight Sparkle from 'My Little Pony' said, 'This is your dream. Anything you can do in your dreams, you can do now.'" -- Sean Spicer, the RNC chief strategist, noting to CNN's Wolf Blitzer the similarity of that "My Little Pony" line and Melania Trump's speech, attempting to dismiss criticism | | | | Renowned British photographer Martin Parr is on assignment for CNN at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland. Here are some of his shots: | | Cleveland rocks: Dispatches from the RNC | | -- Iowa is frustrated at Michael Flynn. The retired general's 26-minute speech Monday night bumped their own freshman senator, Joni Ernst, out of prime time. "The person who was before her went on way too long and repeated himself," Gov. Terry Branstad vented to reporters at an Iowa delegate lunch. Here's my story.
-- Where is Sheldon Adelson's money to back Donald Trump? The country's most prolific donor entered and exited the Public Auditorium for an exclusive leadership lunch hosted by his Republican Jewish Coalition. We asked him -- probably about 15 times -- about any donations to Trump and his current views on the campaign. We received zero words in response. -- Theodore Schleifer
-- Chicken and waffles, cheesy grits and mimosas made with Florida orange juice -- plus some inflatable flamingos for photos. That's how the Sunshine State's delegation kicked off its day at a breakfast headlined by Ben Carson and Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton. The state's agriculture commissioner, Adam Putnam, hosted the event and joked that he'd be a bad ag official if he didn't put some calories into his guests. -- Ashley Killough
-- The Trump Museum: American Bridge, a pro-Democratic opposition research group, is putting on a "museum" of Donald Trump's 30-year history from their perspective. Exhibits include his "failed businesses," clothing made overseas, and even a newspaper from 1927 that detailed the arrest of Trump's father, Fred Trump, at a white supremacist riot. The "museum" is set up in an apartment steps from the entrance to the convention and offers a window into the type of research that goes on in the opposition machine. -- Tal Kopan, who did a Facebook Live from there.
Tonight's speakers to watch: New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell are the big Republican names. Also up: two Trump children, Tiffany Trump and Donald J. Trump Jr.. | | | A protester-police confrontation CNN's Gregory Krieg caught last night: | | Wednesday prep: Pence test-drives his Trump message | | From CNN's Tom LoBianco: Mike Pence began testing his message as Donald Trump's running mate by attempting to build a bridge to the legacy of Ronald Reagan in a 20-minute speech before the American Conservative Union. Pence recounted meeting Reagan for the first time at the White House, where he said Reagan explained the populace was responsible for his success. "I think the American people decided to right the ship and I was just the captain they put on the bridge when they did it," Reagan said, according to Pence. The Indiana governor is the headliner Wednesday night -- and was set to spend most of Tuesday preparing for his speech.
The last Republican president? A must-read story by Politico's Shane Goldmacher includes this nugget: George W. Bush told former aides at a Dallas gathering in April, "I'm worried that I will be the last Republican president." | | Wright State drops presidential debate | | | Fretting about security and costs, Wright State University is pulling out of hosting a presidential debate in the fall -- shifting that debate to Hofstra University. "I can't assure the safety of our students and the community," Wright State president David Hopkins told the Dayton Daily News' Lynn Hulsey, who broke the story. The university said costs climbed from an estimated $3.5 million to $8 million. | | | House Speaker Paul Ryan fumbled an Aggies and Longhorns football analogy in front of the Texas GOP delegation. ... Rapper Chuck D says Donald Trump is "out of his mind." ... Chris Christie didn't get the vice presidential nod, but says he's "over it." | | | Get the Nightcap, a comprehensive summary of the most important political news, delivered to your inbox daily. | | | | | |
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