After spending a week of counter-messaging during the Democratic National Convention, President Trump heads into the GOP convention where he finally gets a chance to rally the base and own the libs.
While the 2016 DNC was an absolute disaster of discord and division between liberals and progressives, the 2016 RNC had its moments where it looked like the Republicans would never unite under the banner of Trumpism. At the time, out of the five living former Republican nominees for president, only Bob Dole, the 1996 nominee, would attend the 2016 RNC. Presidents George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush, Mitt Romney, and John McCain all announced they would skip the convention. On top of that, a number of Republican Governors, Senators, and House members sought to distance themselves from Trump by either bailing or playing a limited role at the convention.
