Donald Trump officially nominated by Republicans to run against Joe Biden in US presidential election

The Republican Party has formally nominated US President Donald Trump for a second term in the White House.

In order to minimise the spread of coronavirus, the nomination was one of the first acts of a Republican convention that has been dramatically scaled down.

Mr Trump has tried to minimise the impact of the pandemic, although its toll was clear as proceedings started in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Just 336 delegates participated in a roll call vote from a Charlotte Convention Centre ballroom, instead of the thousands of people who would typically descend on the city for the week-long event.

Earlier, the convention renominated vice president Mike Pence, and he thanked the delegates in person.

Mr Pence said: “The choice in this election has never been clearer and the stakes have never been higher. We’re going to make American great again. Again.”

Party chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said as she began the proceedings: “We are obviously disappointed we could not hold this event in the same way we had originally planned.”

But she thanked the city for allowing the convention to move forward in its truncated form.

Each state had the customary designated sign and gift bags, although the chairs on the ballroom floor were arranged with space between them to account for social distancing, and guests were told to wear face masks - although not everyone adhered to the rule.

Stringent safety measures have been put in place, guided by a 42-page health and safety plan, with attendees tested onsite and asked to maintain a 6ft distance from each other.

The event was in obvious contrast to the that of the Democrats, who avoided a large-scale gathering via virtual convention.

Currently Mr Trump is not leading the national and battleground state polls, and is under immense pressure to turn the race around.

Aides hope the convention will give them a chance to recast the story of Mr Trump’s presidency and shift the campaign’s thrust from a referendum on him to a choice between his vision for America’s future and the one presented by Democratic nominee Joe Biden.

Ms McDaniel worked to highlight that contrast, accusing Mr Biden of embracing a radical left agenda and pushing back on Democrats’ efforts to demonstrate Mr Biden’s empathy and kindness.

She said: “The truth is there’s only one person who has empathised with everyday Americans and actually been fighting for them every single day over the past four years, and that’s President Donald J Trump."

Ms McDaniel added that the convention would aim to present “an aspirational, forward-looking vision” for the future.

However, the event had been met with protests, and police have made several arrests.

After starting in Charlotte, most of the convention will take place in Washington, DC, at and around the White House, as well as by video.

It will feature remarks from a long list of well-known supporters of Mr Trump, including members of the Trump family, conservative firebrands and everyday Americans who campaign officials say have been helped by Mr Trump’s policies.

First lady Melania Trump will speak on Tuesday from the Rose Garden and vice president Mike Pence will appear from Fort McHenry in Baltimore on Wednesday.

Mr Trump will deliver his marquee acceptance speech on Thursday from the South Lawn before a crowd of supporters, once again blurring the lines between governing and campaigning.

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