Complex at the RNC: What the First Day in Cleveland Was Really Like

Monday, July 18

10 a.m.

I meet the Complex team to get our credentials—little did I know it would be the beginning of a long day of lines. There’s a high level of security at the convention and Republicans are not taking any chances with fraud.

There is one stop for approved Secret Service credentials, and a second stop to get our official convention passes. No media is allowed in without both passes. I noticed the U.S. Coast Guard in the water and helicopters in the sky. There are troopers from Ohio and neighboring states everywhere, as well as more Secret Service folks than you can count, some in suits, some in military fatigues, all with guns. This is not a game, yo.

Out on the streets between credential pick-up locations, I see Republican delegates, many in business attire, and some in tee shirts that say things like "With Trump From Day One." People are friendly enough, but as in past Republican National Conventions, there’s little to no diversity. These are White folks, mostly White folks. Here and there I see a Black or Latino/a, or Asian Republican delegate, but barely. The real diversity is in media, who came out in droves to take in this moment for Donald Trump, and the protesters all around the convention.

3 p.m.

I am at the media entrance for the convention, finally. I am being both entertained and bothered by the Jesus people, as I call them, who are out in the middle of the street yelling at folks for being homosexuals, committing adultery, having sex, having abortions, and anything else they deem worthy of hell. Keeping it one hundred, I am a Christian, but not this kind of Christian, as I love people, all people, no matter who they are. These Jesus people were especially stuck on queer people, as if that is the biggest sin in the world. I stood under a tent in the sweltering heat listening and watching Republican delegates go in and out of the arena without saying a word to or about their sidewalk prophets. At one point, something like a rap battle went down, with different Jesus people on mics shouting over each other, as if the louder you got the closer you were to God, to the truth.  One man with long hair and a long beard carried a gigantic cross and slammed it to the groung whenever he felt people were not hearing his appeals about Jesus and “our final days….”

8 p.m.

I am finally on the floor of the Republican National Convention. I’ve been to many of these, including the ones in 2000 and 2004. In 16 years, the diversity—or lack thereof—of the Republican contingent has barely changed at all. This party does not reflect America, not even close. There are a few people of color scattered here and there, but the vast majority of Black folks I see are the ones who work at Quicken Loans Arena. Most can barely hide how much they do not want to be there, honestly, and a few even say that to me. I try to lighten the mood and say more than a few times, “Your Cleveland Cavaliers are basketball champions!” That usually elicits a smile.

Nighttime at a political convention is the heart of the gathering. That’s when all kinds of media is full force, and featured speakers take the stage. Again, the lack of diversity is striking, amongst both the speakers and the thousands of attendees. It’s notable that the two Black speakers highlighted both dissed President Obama and Black Lives Matter, hard. Also notable that the running theme throughout evening was what a liar and criminal Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton is. And there was one long stretch where speakers blamed Hillary afresh for the Benghazi attack.

I knew going in that many Republicans are not happy about Donald Trump winning the nomination, even though he selected ultra-conservative Indiana Gov. Mike Pence as his vice-presidential running mate. There was an effort to block Trump’s nomination, but it was pushed back. Word on the floor is that quite a few Republican leaders, behind closed doors, are not comfortable with The Donald at all. In fact, as I was heading to the Arena, I passed a hotel where Ohio Gov. John Kasich held a meeting with the Illinois Republican delegation. Kasich still refuses to endorse Trump after losing to him in the primaries—he won’t even attend the RNC held in his own backyard.

The biggest part of the night was Donald Trump’s wife Melania’s speech. The Trumps broke the party’s tradition of speaking the final night of the convention when Donald introduced his wife on day one. To the tune of “We Are The Champions,” a silhouette of The Donald appeared on the stage that had read MAKE AMERICA SAFE AGAIN all evening, and the crowd went wild. He basked in the applause, and then brought out Melania. Her speech was, uh, interesting because it reminded me a lot of Michelle Obama’s at the Democratic National Convention back in 2008. Sure enough, a fact-check found that two passages were directly lifted from Michelle’s remarks.

I had to leave after Melania’s speech, although there were more speakers after her. The first day dragged on and seemed more disorganized than any other Republican convention I had ever attended.