SC delegates celebrate RNC best way they know how – by tailgating

The Elephant in the Room: Richland County GOP delegate Tyson Grinstead shares an inside look at the Republican National Convention. Grinstead, 30, is a senior manager of public policy at Sunrun, a solar energy company.

Day 2 at the RNC Convention was filled to the brim with excitement for South Carolina’s delegates. We started the day by meeting Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin and Fox News pollster Frank Luntz. Each mentioned how important South Carolinians are in our nominating process and to the overall success of the Republican Party.

Delegates then enjoyed a Southeast-style tailgate with other delegates from our neighboring states, albeit in cooler temperatures than Columbia or Clemson!

Our state was put on display as South Carolina Lt. Gov. Henry McMaster gave one of the three nominating speeches for Donald Trump. Our delegates waived South Carolina flags and applauded as McMaster gave his speech.

One of the most exciting moments of the convention so far was casting our state’s 50 bound delegates for Donald Trump. Donald Trump was officially nominated when his children cast New York’s votes and the convention hall exploded with applause. Several experienced delegates mentioned that the response seemed to be the most excited they’ve seen.

Last night’s speeches largely explained who Donald Trump is as a person and why Hillary Clinton is not the president America needs during this time. Donald Trump Jr. and Tiffany Trump both helped delegates and Americans watching home understand what type of leader their father would be in the White House.

The two speeches that delegates from South Carolina agreed were most powerful were Speaker Paul Ryan’s call for the party to unite and Chris Christie’s well-organized prosecution of Hillary Clinton’s record.

We can’t wait to see what happens on Day 3!