Trump makes appearance at convention with bandage on ear at RNC 2024

Trump has officially cleared the numerical threshold at which he has locked in the nomination, with a pause in the roll call for celebration.

Former president was formally nominated by Iowa GOP chair Jeff Kaufman and Nevada GOP Chair Michael McDonald.

"We want to remind all our delegates, alternates and guests that maintaining order during the roll call is extremely important," House Speaker Mike Johnson said.

Trump has officially cleared the numerical threshold at which he has locked in the nomination, with a pause in the roll call for celebration.

In his speech, Kaufman said that over the next four days, they will hear about Trump's "broad and inspiring vision for our country."

"This is not a program just for Republicans, but one for all Americans," he said.

In his speech, McDonald played up Trump's support for eliminating taxes on tips -- a policy that plays well in the service-industry-dependent swing state of Nevada.

"In Nevada, a state that is resilient on service industry. President Trump has proposed to eliminate taxes on tips on day one," McDonald said. "Unlike the Biden-Harris administration and the Democrats that increased taxes on tips."

As Iowa cast its votes, Iowa GOP chair Kaufman gave a shoutout to basketball star Caitlin Clark, while Sen. Mike Lee of Utah shouted out JD Vance -- Trump's just-revealed VP pick -- as he announced the state's delegates for Trump.

Florida, his adoptive home state, put him over the edge as his son, Eric Trump, announced the delegates.

Trump announced Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance will be his running mate, writing on Truth Social that the Ohio Republican is "the person best suited to assume the position of Vice President of the United States."

The decision caps off months of speculation and sees Trump elevate a 39-year-old first-term senator whose roughly year and a half tenure in the Senate has seen him emerge as a staunch ideological ally of the former president.

MORE | Trump VP pick: Former president announces Vance as his running mate

The Republicans have passed their party platform, despite dissent from the evangelical wing over softened language on abortion that better matches Trump's current posture. A fair amount of "nayes" were heard in the convention hall, but not enough for the vote to fail.

Rep. Michael Waltz, R-Fla., told delegates that the "platform was personally approved by President Donald J. Trump."

"It's a different kind of platform," said platform co-chair Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., as she presented the platform for a vote.

"It is not a laundry list of special interests' wishes, but a succinct, clear agenda and a promise to the American people."

Before the overwhelming voice vote in Milwaukee, the platform had passed 84-14 by the platform committee.

Donald Trump's son, Eric Trump, announced on X that he'll be casting the vote at 3:30 p.m. ET declaring his father the Republican nominee for president.

He lives in Florida and is expected to cast the vote with Florida's delegation, putting Trump over the top with enough delegates to formally become the nominee.