It’s time for the Republican National Convention 2016.

The RNC 2016 dates are July 18 (today) through July 21 (Thursday).

What time does the Republican National Convention start today and tonight?

The RNC 2016 starts and officially opens for business at noon central time and today’s theme is “Make America Safe Again.”

You can watch the Republican National Convention (RNC) Day 1 all day and evening tonight via live streaming below at the end of this post on our embeded vido.

TV channel coverage/primetime times:

C-SPAN is providing gavel-to-gavel coverage starting with the 1 p.m. EST (12 p.m. CST) business session on July 18.

Primetime TV channel coverage begins tonight at 8 p.m. central time on ABC and at 9 p.m. central time on CBS, NBC, Fox and others.

Monday RNC speakers:

Headliners: Trump’s wife, Melania; Lt. Gen. (ret.) Michael Flynn, U.S. Army; Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa; and Rep. Ryan Zinke, R-Mont.

Others: Willie Robertson, star of “Duck Dynasty”; former Texas Gov. Rick Perry; Marcus Luttrell, retired U.S. Navy SEAL;  and Scott Baio, actor among a dozen others.

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The latest update from The Associated Press on the Republican National Convention in Cleveland (EDT):

7:05 a.m.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie says he is disappointed but has “no discontent” over presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump’s decision to choose someone else as his running mate.

Christie told reporters Sunday night that he didn’t lobby for the position and was honored to be considered. Trump on Friday chose Indiana Gov. Mike Pence after a vetting process that also included New Jersey’s Republican governor.

Christie gave his first public comments since Trump’s decision after a private speech Sunday at a hotel near where Republicans are gathering for this week’s convention in Cleveland.

He says he has been friends with Trump for 15 years and this is “just another one of those steps along our friendship and a hard decision for him to make, and he made what he thought was the best decision.”

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3:25 a.m.

The Republican National Convention is set to kick off as the nation reels from another deadly shooting and dissident delegates stage a longshot, last-gasp effort to deny Donald Trump the GOP nomination for president.

It is Trump’s moment — a week that few could have imagined when the New York billionaire entered the race a year ago.

Yet the delegate rebellion is likely to underline how divisive Trump has been. Delegates vote on the rules that will govern the convention week, and insurgent delegates said they would try to force a state-by-state vote — a move that could disrupt floor proceedings even if they fail.

Trump’s opponents want to change a rule that requires delegates to vote for the candidate to whom they were committed after state primaries and caucuses.