RNC speakers: A look at the big-name Republican politicians and celebrities who'll endorse Trump in Milwaukee
Former President Donald Trump will be officially renominated this week to be the Republican Party’s standard-bearer for the third presidential election in a row as he seeks to return to the Oval Office.
The moment comes at a tense time for Trump, who survived what the FBI called an assassination attempt Saturday after a gunman opened fire at him during a rally.
GOP delegates from around the country are gathering in Milwaukee for the Republican National Convention, with much of the country following along through the primetime speeches each night.
These speeches have historically allowed presidential candidates to unify discord from aggressive primary campaigns, and the conventions offer a high-profile platform to sway undecided voters.
Thursday's RNC speaker lineup
According to a Republican National Convention source. All times in Eastern Time.
6:30-7PM
Sen. Steve Daines (MT)
Rep. Richard Hudson (NC), Chair of National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC)
7-7:30PM
Diane Hendricks, everyday American
Diane Evans, everyday American
Linda McMahon, former Administrator of Small Business Administration
Mike Pompeo, former Secretary of State
7:30-8PM
Pastor Lorenzo Sewell
John Nieporte, everyday American
Steve & Zach Witkoff
8-8:30PM
Alina Habba, President Donald J. Trump's attorney
Tucker Carlson, founder of Tucker Carlson Network
8:30-9PM
Carrie Ruiz, everyday American
Hulk Hogan, professional entertainer and wrestler
Annette Albright, everyday American
9-10PM
Franklin Graham, president and CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association
Eric Trump
Dana White, CEO of Ultimate Fighting Championship
10-11:30PM
President Donald J. Trump
Below is a list of headline and keynote speakers who are slated to take the podium at the RNC, in addition to Trump himself.
Family:
Donald Trump Jr.
Eric Trump
Lara Trump
Kimberly Guilfoyle
Entertainers, Celebrities, & Industry Leaders:
Republican Jewish Coalition CEO Matt Brooks
T.V. host Tucker Carlson
T.V. personality Savannah Chrisley
Renowned faith leader Franklin Graham
Singer Lee Greenwood
Trump Campaign Senior Advisor Alina Habba
ABC Supply owner Diane Hendricks
Former Acting ICE Director Tom Homan
Singer Chris Janson
Businessman Perry Johnson
TPUSA CEO Charlie Kirk
Teamsters President Sean O’Brien
Businessman Vivek Ramaswamy
Influencer Amber Rose
Yammer CEO David Sacks
Goya Foods CEO Bob Unanue
UFC CEO Dana White
Businessmen Steven and Zach Witkoff
RNC Leadership:
RNC Chairman Michael Whatley
COA Chairwoman Anne Hathaway
Host Committee Chairman Reince Priebus
GOP Officials & Candidates:
Ala. Sen. Katie Britt
Ark. Sen. Tom Cotton
Fla. Sen. Rick Scott
Fla. Sen. Marco Rubio
Mo. Sen. Eric Schmitt
NRSC Chairman / Mont. Sen. Steve Daines
Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance
S.C. Sen. Tim Scott
Tenn. Sen. Marsha Blackburn
Texas Sen. Ted Cruz
Wis. Sen. Ron Johnson
Ariz. Senate candidate Kari Lake
Ind. Senate candidate Jim Banks
Mich. Senate candidate Mike Rogers
Mont. Senate candidate Tim Sheehy
Nev. Senate candidate Sam Brown
Ohio Senate candidate Bernie Moreno
Pa. Senate candidate Dave McCormick
Va. Senate candidate Hung Cao
Wis. Senate candidate Eric Hovde
W.Va. Senate candidate / Gov. Jim Justice
House Speaker Mike Johnson
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise
House Majority Whip Tom Emmer
NRCC Chairman / N.C. Rep. Richard Hudson
House GOP Conference Chair / N.Y. Rep. Elise Stefanik
Fla. Rep. Matt Gaetz
Fla. Rep. Michael Waltz
Fla. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna
Fla. Rep. Byron Donalds
Fla. Rep. Brian Mast
Ga. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene
Mich. Rep. John James
N.J. Rep. Jeff Van Drew
S.C. Rep. Nancy Mace
Texas Rep. Ronny Jackson
Texas Rep. Monica De La Cruz
Texas Rep. Wesley Hunt
Ark. Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders
Fla. Gov. Ron DeSantis
N.D. Gov. Doug Burgum
S.D. Gov. Kristi Noem
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott
Va. Gov. Glenn Youngkin
Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird
N.C. Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson
Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson
East Palestine Mayor Trent Conaway
Former Amb. Nikki Haley
Former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Dr. Ben Carson
Former Counselor to President Kellyanne Conway
Former Acting Director of National Intelligence Ric Grenell
Former Director of United States Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy Peter Navarro
Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo
Former Administrator of SBA Linda McMahon
Former House SpeakerNewt Gingrich
Former N.Y. Rep. Lee Zeldin
The RNC also released names and bios for "everyday Americans" who will be featured at the convention:
Annette Albright – Former School Teacher & Corrections Officer
A former corrections officer, Annette is a schoolteacher in North Carolina who wants to make a difference in her students’ lives as a positive mentor. Annette was a lifelong Democrat and even ran for local office as a Democrat. After seeing a decline in her community and realizing how Democrats have failed Black Americans, she will proudly be voting for President Donald J. Trump for the first time this year.
Robert “Bobby” Bartels, Jr. – Business Manager, Steamfitters Local 638A
Bobby is the business manager of Steamfitters Local 638A, a union with an almost century-and-a-half history in the Greater New York City Area. Four generations of Bobby’s family – including his maternal grandfather, great uncle, father, brother, cousins, and son – have been members of Steamfitters Local 638A. A lifelong Democrat, Bobby has become a powerful voice representing union workers who are now supporting President Trump.
David Bellavia – Decorated War Hero
David is a former U.S. Army soldier who was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions during the Second Battle of Fallujah – the first and only currently living recipient of this honor for service during the Iraq War. David also received the Bronze Star Medal, two Army Commendation Medals, two Army Achievement Medals, and the New York State Conspicuous Service Cross. In 2005, David was inducted into the New York Veterans’ Hall of Fame. He has subsequently gotten involved in politics in western New York State.
Madeline Brame – Criminal Justice Reform Advocate
Madeline Brame is a national victims rights advocate and is involved with several not-for-profit groups that assist victims of violent crimes with financial and moral support and counseling to navigate a justice system geared to protect violent felons. She is an outspoken critic of “bail reform” and lesser sentences for repeat offenders. Her son, Sergeant Hason Correa, was murdered by career criminals. While the first district attorney prosecuting her son’s killers was confident in securing convictions and lengthy sentences, the soft-on-crime Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg took over the case and attempted to negotiate generous plea bargains with all four of Hason’s killers, declining to seek murder charges against two of the four assailants. That injustice spurred Madeline to act and stand up for other victims.
Jim Chilton – Rancher
Jim is a fifth-generation rancher from Arivaca, Arizona. His family has been in the cattle business for nearly 140 years. His ranch extends to the US-Mexico border and is located in a top corridor of drug smuggling and human trafficking. Jim’s concerns and issues with the border are shared by other ranchers in the Tucson Sector, regardless of whether their ranches also touch the border.
Linda Fornos – Mother & Life Insurance Industry Worker
A legal immigrant from Nicaragua residing in the Las Vegas area, Linda is a single mother of three children. She has sorely felt the impact of inflation under the Biden-Harris administration, especially as she works to rebuild her life after she lost nearly everything when her home burnt down in 2022. Linda will be voting for President Trump for the first time after repeatedly being let down by the Democrats she had previously supported.
Diane Evans – Property Manager & Trump Force 47 Captain
Diane is a 30-year resident of Florida but was born and raised in New Jersey. She owns a property management company that specializes in seasonal rentals. Diane never had any desire to get into politics until President Trump got elected in 2016. Although her husband admonished her that it was impossible for President Trump to win, Diane got involved with volunteering for the campaign in 2019 and got “the bug” to stay involved with getting President Trump elected. She is committed to work day and night to make sure that President Trump is re-elected this November.
Vanessa Faura – Mother and Activist
Vanessa is a legal Peruvian immigrant and mom. She has spent much of her career working with other mothers and communities she has seen harmed by Joe Biden’s America unable to pay for groceries, canceling family vacations, and struggling to pay for college.
Anne Fundner – Mother
In 2022, when Anne was living in California with her husband and three children, she experienced the unexpected and devastating loss of her 15-year-old son who was poisoned by fentanyl-laced pills. Shortly after her son’s death, Anne and her family moved to the East Coast to be closer to family and find a community to support them; California authorities would not pursue prosecution for her son’s overdose.
Benjamin Josephs – Small Businessowner
Ben and his wife live in Macomb County, Michigan with their six children. The Biden economy has taken a toll on his family’s small business, reducing his disposable income. He’s already had to cut back on vacations and outings for his family. Ben has also taken on the burden of caring for his ailing father, and business partner, who, in this economic climate, has been left without much. Benjamin’s American Dream of living in their own home has been shattered as he and his family are now having to move in with his parents.
Shabbos Kestenbaum – Jewish American & Alumnus, Harvard University
Shabbos is a proud American Jew and recent graduate of Harvard University. Shabbos has watched Joe Biden’s America threaten the lives of everyday Jewish Americans. Shabbos and his classmates are currently engaged in a lawsuit with their alma mater, Harvard, to fight for Jewish students at the university. Shortly after October 7, Shabbos shared that he, along with a few classmates, made a deliberate decision to reach out to Harvard and try to work with the administration to combat antisemitism on campus and create safe spaces for Jewish students. The response they received was that Harvard was unable or unwilling to show Jewish students that they belong at the school. Shabbos is a lifelong Democrat who will be voting for President Trump for the first time this year.
Erin Koper – Community Activist
Erin thought she’d be living the American Dream when she and her husband moved into their new home in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Instead, Erin is living the American Nightmare with her community overrun by homelessness, drugs, and crime; she often wakes up in the morning to find used needles on the sidewalk in her neighborhood and fears going outside when it’s dark. Instead of giving up hope and accepting the decline of her neighborhood, Erin is an active member of her community and leads cleanup days.
David Lara – Businessowner & Community Activist
David is the owner of Desert Water, a water purification business serving Yuma County, Arizona. As a community leader and activist, David takes the future of Arizona seriously; David serves on the Yuma Union High School District #70 school board, among other volunteer roles. David is a firsthand witness to the negative impacts of illegal immigration overrunning and overburdening his community.
Mark Laws – Grandfather & Retiree
Mark is the proud grandfather of 13 grandchildren. Retired life has not been easy for Mark; over the last four years inflation has made living off Social Security difficult; draining his savings. Mark hopes to one day take his grandchildren on a family trip to Disney but cannot afford to under the Biden-Harris administration’s abysmal economy.
Michael Morin – Rachel Morin’s Sibling
Michael lost his sister, Rachel, after she was brutally murdered on a hiking trail near her home by an illegal immigrant. Rachel was a mother of five.
Scott Neil – Decorated War Hero & Founder, Horse Soldier Bourbon
Scott is a retired special forces veteran with significant executive, operational, and combat experience, having served as a senior advisor to several general officers, senior civilian policy makers, national members of interagency task forces, and several Congressional committee members. Following the tragic events of 9/11, Scott conducted numerous successful special forces combat missions as part of the Commander’s In-Extremis Forces; he was one of the first to lead America's direct action and counter-terrorism charges into Afghanistan, Iraq, and the Horn of Africa. Scott has since become a voice in the veteran community as part of his drive to ensure our veterans receive the necessary support to ensure successful re-integration into civilian society. Recently, Scott started a craft distillery called American Freedom Distillery along with other special operations veterans in the Tampa Bay Area.
John Nieporte – Head Golf Pro, Trump International
John worked his way up from an assistant golf pro and Donald Trump’s caddie to become the head golf pro at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach. John has tried to qualify for the U.S. Open “more than 20 times,” and it started with his boss, Trump, pushing him to concentrate on his game and follow his golf dreams.
Sgt. William Pekrul – Decorated War Hero
US Army William (Bill) Pekrul, a native of Milwaukee, entered the US Army during WWII at the age of 17. He was in the 29th Infantry and the 75th Infantry but also trained with the 5th Rangers at Ft. Benning, GA. Bill was part of the second wave of troops in the assault on Normandy on June 6th 1944. Wounds led to his having to recover in a hospital in England for 42 days, after which he was assigned to the 75th Infantry. Bill was awarded two Bronze Stars and a Silver Star for his performance in WWII. Bill and his wife Rose Mary have been married for 76 years and have 11 children.
Sarah Phillips – Petroleum Engineer
Originally from West Virginia, Sarah is a petroleum engineer who has spent much of her career working in oil fields. Sarah works to educate others about the impacts and importance of energy for our economy and country. Sarah is particularly passionate about one of the greatest gifts our country is endowed with: natural gas. Sarah has witnessed a decline in her industry under the Biden-Harris administration, which has doubled-down on their “Green New Deal”-inspired agenda; the worst-hit by this agenda are the everyday Americans who are unable to live an affordable life due to higher energy prices.
Carrie Ruiz – Golf General Manager, Trump National Doral
Carrie has been at the Trump National Doral property for years. During that time, she witnessed firsthand how the Trump family and its patriarch put hundreds of millions of dollars along with their sweat and tears into the Doral property after its acquisition. Carrie noticed how the Trumps went far beyond the usual, lazy touchups like new carpeting and a paintjob that real estate developers typically make with new properties. The Trump family instead put hundreds of millions of dollars along with their sweat and tears into the property; the legendary resort was stripped down to its core and rebuilt – all while the resort’s rich history and legendary status as one of the greatest golf resorts in the world was maintained.
Lorenzo Sewell – Pastor
Lorenzo was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan. He grew up in a physically and verbally abusive home. High school was an emotionally challenging experience for Lorenzo with his father going to prison and his younger brother getting killed. As a result, Lorenzo became heavily involved in drug use and dealing, ultimately becoming a gang leader. But despite this rough start in life, God had other plans for Lorenzo; on April 18, 1999, during his senior year at Fraser High School, Lorenzo had a ‘Damascus Road’ encounter with Jesus Christ that set his heart on fire. In January 2019, Lorenzo became the Lead Servant of Evangel Ministries in Detroit, a thriving urban congregation with a heart for gospel-centered service and discipleship. Lorenzo came to Evangel from Woodside Bible Church, where he was the lead pastor of the Pontiac Campus. Lorenzo also served as the director of the Dream Center of Pontiac.
Randy Sutton – Founder & Chairman, Board of Wounded Blue & Retired Law Enforcement Officer
Randy has spent most of his adult life serving his community. Randy spent over 30 years as a police officer, detective, and lieutenant in an active-duty law enforcement role. Randy is one of the most highly decorated police officers in the Las Vegas Police department history, with awards for valor, community service, and saving multiple lives. Randy founded Wounded Blue to support injured and disabled law enforcement officers.
UNC Fraternity Members
A group of students and fraternity brothers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill patriotically protected an American flag that had been disturbed by demonstrators during an anti-Israel protest on their campus. The students gained national attention as videos of the protest showed them standing strong to protect the American flag, even as protestors antagonized them.
Sara Workman – Mother
Sara is a single mother who moved from California to Arizona to provide a better life for her son. Although she still struggles to make ends meet in Joe Biden’s economy despite working a second job at the expense of precious time with her son, Sara maintains her faith in God and God’s plan for her and her family. Sara is a passionate supporter of President Trump and his vision to ensure a better future for her son
