What’s it like at the RNC? Three LA area delegates share their experience

The nation’s eyes are turned to the Republican National Convention this week where former president Donald Trump, proudly bearing a post-assassination attempt ear bandage, took to the stage following his party’s nomination.

While this image will stick in the minds of many Americans, it was especially poignant for the 2,500 or so delegates who had a firsthand view from inside the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, WI.

The delegates are responsible for casting votes to nominate and confirm the presidential ticket and adopt a comprehensive party platform. Between these momentous moments they get to have breakfast with governors, meet major conservative media figures and sample Milwaukee’s finest beer and pretzels.

California, the most populous of all states, has the largest delegation with 169 members. Here’s what three Angelenos have to say about their experience inside the four-day convention.

Timothy L. O’Reilly, chairman of the L.A. County Republican Party

For Timothy L. O’Reilly, chairman of the L.A. County Republican Party, attending the convention was a “bucket list item” and a deeply emotional experience. O’Reilly is an attorney based in Long Beach and longtime organizer with the GOP.

“There are times where just sitting on the floor as a delegate — looking at the pomp and circumstance, the red, white and blue, the Americana nature of it all — I started welling up,” he said, “no speeches going on, just looking around at what was happening and realizing I was part of what it means to be American.”

The first onstage appearance of Trump and recently selected candidate for vice president, JD Vance, stands out as a clear highlight in O’Reilly’s mind.

“Both of their faces were one of almost being overwhelmed, being humbled and touched by the amount of joy that was in the room,” he said. “It was a very moving experience.”

Being a delegate comes with a demanding schedule. The day kicks off with a 6 a.m. wake-up followed by breakfast with their fellow state delegates and special guests.

The California delegation has included Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin and Donald Trump’s son Eric Trump. Afterward they are whisked off in buses to the Fiserv Forum and pass through an extremely rigorous security process.

“The level of security is breathtaking. The entirety of downtown Milwaukee is basically shut down,” O’Reilly said. “I believe we counted four different checkpoints that we came through, manned by everything from the local state police, local state troopers, Highway Patrol, Secret Service and Homeland Security.”

Inside the convention there are speeches, meetings, expos, a festival atmosphere and plenty of networking and catching up with friends. Tuesday’s programming didn’t wrap until around 10 p.m., at which point participants had to complete the security process in reverse, and shuttle back to the hotel before arising again bright and early on Wednesday.

The mood inside the convention is one of happy exhaustion, he said.

Matthew Craffey, former president of Log Cabin Republicans of Los Angeles

Matthew Craffey is on the board of the Log Cabin Republicans of Los Angeles, the nation’s largest Republican organization dedicated to representing LGBT conservatives and allies. For him, one of the most powerful moments of the convention was seeing the party adopt a platform devoid of its previous stance against gay marriage.

Craffey grew up in a conservative family and was worried about how Republicans would react to him coming out. However, he said he’s been happily surprised by how party members have embraced him.

“I’ve felt very welcome and it’s not to say there aren’t some people that probably don’t agree with me being gay, but overall it’s been a really positive experience,” he said. “And it only seems to get better because of leadership from people like President Trump on that issue. He’s brought gays into his administration at the highest level.”

Another one of Craffey’s favorite moments was hearing Sean O’Brien, president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, deliver a speech.

While the union leader has not formerly endorsed Trump, he called him a “tough S.O.B.” and said when it comes time for the union to make an endorsement it will not be focused on political party, but on which candidate will do the most for American workers.

“I thought that was a real special moment to have somebody different like the head of the Teamsters there,” Craffey said. “It doesn’t mean everyone agreed with every single thing he said, but to have him invited, I think, shows the realignment of the Republican Party as being the party of the working-class, not of the crony capitalists.”

Lusine Kirakosyan, member of the California Young Republicans Federation

Lusine Kirakosyan described the convention as a “once in a lifetime experience” and essentially a “really big party of patriots coming together to celebrate our next nominee.”

Kirakosyan said she has long been a party member, but started to become more involved in politically organizing last year when a Pride-themed book reading was planned at her children’s elementary school in North Hollywood. The rally against the reading drew over a hundred protesters and counter-protesters to Saticoy Elementary School in June 2023.

For Kirakosyan, one of the highlights of the convention was the integration of spirituality and prayers.

“What caught my attention was the number of priests and prayers and Bible verses that I heard,” she said. “And it wasn’t just Christian, they had a Catholic priest, a representative from the Sikh community.”

She also said it was inspiring to be part of the largest delegation of any state.

“I think people underestimate the power that Republicans in California truly have and it was kind of eye-opening yesterday to see the (vote) counts and actually know that, hey, we matter,” she said, adding that it inspires her to become more involved in Republican campaigns in Los Angeles.

Like her fellow delegates, the moment that had the greatest impact for Kirakosyan was watching Trump appear on stage.

“It was very emotional for so many of us seeing the bandage, seeing what he went through two days ago, and then still having the courage and the bravery to come out and be with us,” Kirakosyan said. “It was a really touching moment.”