Watch the 2020 Republican National Convention live

The GOP convention is a crucial moment for Trump, who aims to recast the story of his presidency and present the election as a choice between his vision for America’s future and the one presented by Democratic nominee Joe Biden.

The Republican Party formally nominated President Donald Trump for a second term in the White House Monday, one of the first acts of a GOP convention that has been dramatically scaled down to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

Trump has sought to minimize the toll of the pandemic, but its impact was evident as proceedings began in Charlotte. Instead of the thousands of people who were expected to converge on this city for a week-long extravaganza, just 336 delegates participated in a roll-call vote from a Charlotte Convention Center ballroom.

Party Chair 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.

The GOP convention is a crucial moment for Trump, who is trailing in national and battleground state polls and under intense pressure to turn the race around.

Aides want the convention to recast the story of Trump’s presidency and present the election as a choice between his vision for America’s future and the one presented by Democratic nominee Joe Biden.

Monday’s speakers include Charlie Kirk, the founder of Turning Point USA, U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, former NFL player Herschel Walker, Nikki Haley, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, and President Trump’s oldest son, Donald Trump, Jr.