At the Republican National Convention next week, Republicans will rely on a roster of lesser-known speakers to reinforce ideas and storylines alongside elected officials and former President Donald Trump.
A handful of immigrants and Black Americans are among the more than two dozen “everyday American” speakers on the list that was sent to NBC News. This is part of Trump’s ongoing efforts to attract support from groups who have historically supported the opposition to Republicans. Many of the speakers will contend that the difficulties they have encountered—such as the effects of the fentanyl crisis, economic difficulty, and internal conflicts regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict—are Joe Biden’s fault.
A number of the speakers have previously run for municipal or state office and engaged in political engagement. A number of former Democrats, some of whom supported Biden in 2020, are also in the roster.
One speaker identified as a “lifelong Democrat” in a convention notice is Robert “Bobby” Bartles, Jr., the business manager of Steamfitters Local 638A. He was present when the former president visited construction workers in New York City recently.
Another speaker at the event will be Annette Albright, a former Charlotte, North Carolina school employee. a Facebook page with her name and image that was used to attack Trump, particularly following the melee at the Capitol on January 6, 2021, by his fans. It was described on the page as “an endeavor spearheaded by the US President to subjugate our democracy.”
Albright, however, disavowed her prior allegiance to the Democratic Party in April 2024 after her unsuccessful quest for her local school board in 2023 and instead wrote a message on her campaign Facebook page criticizing Democrats and what she called “the Liberal White females that have strong-armed” the organization. She gave a speech at a gathering hosted by the right-wing Moms for Liberty organization that same month.
Throughout the conference, immigration will be a major topic of discussion. One such address will be given by Michael Morin, the brother of Rachel Morin, who died last year while trekking. Last month, an illegal immigrant from El Salvador was taken into custody and accused of killing her. Trump has maintained contact with the family and used Morin’s account to criticize Biden’s immigration policies in speeches.
Other immigration-related speakers include Linda Fornos, a single mother residing in Las Vegas and a naturalized immigrant from Nicaragua. In November, she intends to cast her first vote for Trump. Jim Chilton, an Arizona rancher with a large tract of land along the border between the United States and Mexico, is also speaking. He has been an outspoken opponent of the immigration policies of the Biden administration.
Another speaker, David Bellavia, is an Army veteran who had stood unsuccessfully for Congress. In 2019, the former president awarded him the Medal of Honor.
A speaker will recount the narrative of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who initiated the case against Trump, following his conviction in his hush money trial in New York a few weeks ago. Following the death of her son, Army veteran Hason Correa, Madeline Brame, who has been a frequent witness before Congress regarding violent crime in Manhattan, sharply criticized Bragg’s handling of the matter.
Additionally, participants from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity, which is predominately Jewish, will speak after going viral for defending an American flag during a pro-Palestinian campus demonstration. There will also be a speech by Shabbos “Alexander” Kestenbaum. Kestenbaum and other plaintiffs sued the Harvard administration in January, claiming that the school had treated antisemitism with “deliberate indifference.” In a press release issued at the convention, Kestenbaum is referred to as “a lifelong Democrat who is casting her first presidential ballot this year for Donald Trump.” She also gave testimony before Congress in May.