3 things to know about the Republican Convention Thursday
Like the other days of the Republican National Convention, a lot of people will speak during Thursday night's finale. But one speech will be watched far more than any other. Here's what you need to know.
• Republican Donald Trump is set to accept his party's nomination for president Thursday in prime time, capping an unorthodox campaign that lifted the real estate magnate and former reality TV star to the heights of American politics. Will the speech be a bombastic stemwinder typical of his rallies? Or will the nominee be looking at the TelePrompTer for a carefully worded message to deliver to America in a speech that will be widely watched even by Trump's showman standards?
• Some Illinois delegates laid out for us this week why the speech is so important. Bolingbrook Mayor Roger Claar called the speech "extremely important" and an opportunity for Trump to clarify some of his most controversial statements for a broader audience. "I think some were distorted a bit," Claar said. "But some of them were just perhaps the wrong choice of words. I think he needs to clarify that, and he will."
• At their final breakfast together of the convention, Illinois delegates are scheduled to hear from Ned Ryun, a former speechwriter for George W. Bush and founder of American Majority. "Under Ryun's leadership, American Majority has trained over 27,000 candidates and activists since January 2009, conducting over 800 in-person trainings in an unprecedented national effort to recruit new community leaders," his bio reads. He might be a good fit for a delegation that includes a lot of first-time convention-goers.