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Tuesday, November 10, 2026Nov 10

Year of Trump: Guide to the Republican National Convention

Howard Wilkinson, right, takes a picture of a bobblehead for sale of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, Sunday, July 17, 2016, in Cleveland. The Republican National Convention starts Monday, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
Howard Wilkinson, right, takes a picture of a bobblehead for sale of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, Sunday, July 17, 2016, in Cleveland. The Republican National Convention starts Monday, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/John Minchillo) Howard Wilkinson, right, takes a picture of a bobblehead for sale of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, Sunday, July 17, 2016, in Cleveland. The Republican National Convention starts Monday, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

CLEVELAND (AP) – The glitz. The glam. The speeches, protests and parties. The flamboyant presidential candidate who’s giving his party heartburn.

The 2016 Republican National Convention, kicking off Monday, will be like no other. Just ask Donald Trump, who’s promised a “monumentally magnificent” display of stagecraft at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland.

Whether this year’s confab meets that benchmark remains to be seen. With many Republicans deeply reluctant to nominate the billionaire reality TV star, GOP organizers have struggled to attract the star power that typically graces the stage, and there were more questions than answers about what, exactly, is on the schedule once the convention is gaveled in.

Still, the quadrennial gathering boils down to a few key pieces of business the Republican Party must carry out before it can turn its focus fully to winning the White House in November. Here’s what to know about the week:

THE POINT