On Tuesday, the delegates to the Republican National Convention confirmed Donald Trump as their party's presidential nominee, and livestreams of the convention have been dominating the small screen since it began. But what we see of the convention on TV isn't entirely comprehensive — what is attending the RNC actually like?
Bustle spoke to some RNC attendees Wednesday to ask them what someone wouldn't know about the convention unless they were actually there. Most people who have been paying attention to the convention these past couple days know that there have been numerous protests taking place, and they are familiar with the controversy surrounding Melania Trump's speech. They will likely have heard about Chris Christie's remarks in which he attempted to deliver his own indictment of presumptive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.
But what's happening behind the scenes? (Psst... you can follow Bustle on Snapchat at @bustledotcom for live updates from the RNC!) We've heard from a bunch of different politicians and observed the efforts of the #NeverTrump Republicans, but are the celebrities and politicians at the convention interacting with other attendees? Is there food? Are people enjoying themselves? Eleven convention attendees have answers to these questions and more — check out what they had to say below.
Montel Williams, 60 (@themontel)
There were about 300 to 400 Republicans in a room talking about LGBT rights.
Carrie Sheffield, 33
I'm starving. There's no food here, only $11 hot dogs that are really kind of gross. We're all hungry, feed us!
Suzi Allen, 64
The thing that people are not seeing on the inside of the convention is all of the protesters outside — some good, some bad.
H. Alan Burton, 64
The people who know Donald Trump personally have given a really great, personal, warm story about him and his leadership.
Corky Haynes, 68
It is freezing in here. I'm from Phoenix, Arizona and I am not used to this cold. I should have brought a coat.
Barbara Wyllie, 74
The people of Cleveland have been wonderful.
Susan Reneau, 64
There is nothing but positivity during the convention and that's something that you don't see on television. There isn't any disunity.
Sarah Scholl, 27
Something people might not know about the conventions is that the states have parties every single night, but I'm always too tired to attend.
Elizabeth Ritchie, 61
I got a chance to see a preview of Hillary's America by Dinesh D'Souza. It's opening July 22, go see it!
Rachel Gunther, 59
[One] moment was meeting Ann Coulter today. I was able to get a picture with her, and she's one of my idols. Adios, America was one of the best books written.
Cheryl McDonald, 71
Rudy Giuliani — the speakers have been great — he was wonderful, explosive. Everybody should have heard him. He nailed it on the head with everything going on.
There you have it! Obviously, these are just some people's experiences and do not necessarily capture how every attendee feels, but they do give us an idea of what it's like to actually be there — from the apparent lack of food to the smaller events that don't receive as much coverage.
Additional reporting and images by Hayley Saltzman/Bustle
