Five people have been arrested near the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee since Sunday evening. For officials, it’s a sign that the increased security – strengthened in the aftermath of the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump over the weekend – is working as intended.
Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson said the first day of the RNC was “a calm day,” with only three arrests made near the convention center. The other two arrests occurred Sunday evening in the lead up to the RNC.
Why were people arrested at the RNC?
One arrest on Monday involved a repeat offender, who attempted to climb a fence into a restricted area twice before being apprehended. The second arrest occurred when someone blocked traffic and refused to follow police orders to move their car, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, part of the USA TODAY Network.
The third arrest took place during a demonstration outside the RNC on Monday afternoon, where hundreds gathered to protest the Republican Party’s agenda.
Police said a 36-year-old man was arrested following a parade. The man intentionally disrupted the demonstration, authorities said, taking signs from protestors and attempting to knock over a booth. He was arrested, cited for disorderly conduct, and released the same day.
Johnson stressed that overall, the protest happened without any major incidents, and that Monday was “a peaceful day.”
The two arrests on Sunday evening involved intoxicated people, Johnson said.
One man was arrested for trespassing near a RNC welcome party after entering the grounds without credentials. He ignored officers’ orders to stop and maneuvered around police tape.
Authorities arrested another person for crashing into a security barrier near the convention, missing police officers stationed nearby.
Secret Service increases RNC security measures
In a statement released on Monday, U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle said she felt confident in the agency’s increased security measures following the assassination attempt on Trump on Saturday.
Cheatle acknowledged that the shooting in Pennsylvania led to further questions around security at the RNC but said that the Secret Service’s RNC coordinator and its law enforcement partners have since “reviewed and strengthened” security measures in Milwaukee.
She assured that the agency will “continuously adapt our operations as necessary in order to ensure the highest level of safety and security for convention attendees, volunteers and the City of Milwaukee.”
In addition to the heightened security at the convention, the Secret Service announced that it had implemented changes to Trump’s security detail following Saturday’s shooting.
How to watch and stream 2024 RNC
The RNC will livestream events across multiple online platforms.
USA TODAY will provide livestream coverage on YouTubeeach night of the RNC, Monday through Thursday.
Each television network will handle coverage slightly differently. Here's a breakdown of the major networks and their coverage plans for the RNC:
- C-SPANwill carry the entire convention uninterrupted for all four days.
- CBStelevision stations will have live coverage starting at 10 p.m. ET all four days.
- NBC Newswill broadcast "Decision 2024" live during the same time it streams the program, from 10 p.m. to 11 p.m. the first two nights of the convention, and from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. the final two nights.
- ABC Newswill have live coverage from 10 p.m. to 11 p.m. all four days on its main broadcast network, hosted by David Muir.
- Fox Newswill air coverage during its regular prime-time lineup of shows, and will broadcast a nightly one-hour special starting at 10 p.m., hosted by Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum.
- CNNwill air live coverage beginning at 2 p.m. Monday, before Trump is expected to be formally nominated via a roll call. The network will then have a combination of coverage and analysis each night from 8 p.m. to midnight, anchored by Jake Tapper and Anderson Cooper.
- MSNBCwill broadcast a prime-time special from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday, hosted by Rachel Maddow. The network will have coverage from 8 p.m. to midnight on Wednesday and Thursday.
- NewsNationwill provide primetime coverage titled "Decision Desk 2024: The Republican National Convention" from 7 p.m. to 12 a.m. ET on Wednesday and Thursday, co-anchored by Chris Cuomo, Elizabeth Vargas and Dan Abrams, along with Leland Vittert, who will anchor coverage live from the convention.
Melissa Cruz is an elections reporting fellow who focuses on voter access issues for the USA TODAY Network. You can reach her at mcruz@gannett.com or on X, formerly Twitter, at @MelissaWrites22.
