this is a Civic Media News special report.
Everything you need to know live from the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.
Now your hosts Todd Alba and Civic Media News Director Terry Bell.
Good evening and welcome to Civic Media special coverage of the Republican National Convention
Live from downtown Milwaukee. Over the next hour we'll give you the facts and the flavor of what
happened at the convention on day three advisor form. We'll also have perspective from our
analysts a bit later in the show. The first we welcome my co-host a few walks away at Wisconsin
Media Row in Panther Arena. The host of the Todd Alba show is Todd Alba. Hey Todd.
Hey Terry, good evening everybody. Welcome back to our coverage here in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
I'm just a few blocks from Terry Bell at our broadcast studios in downtown Milwaukee.
I am here in Panther Arena, home of the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee men's women's basketball
team. Also the admirals hockey team here at Wisconsin Media Row, which is right adjacent to
Pfizer form. And Terry, another busy day here. Lots of folks come by our table, but also a lot
of the other tables as well. We had an opportunity earlier today on my show.
Do you want to talk to sitting US Congressman from Wisconsin? Glenn Grossman, who at times can be
a bit controversial. I guess we'll put it mildly, but we want to thank him. He had the the courtesy
to sit down, had a good honest chat today. And so I talked a little bit to Congressman Grossman
of Wisconsin. I'll also see him walking through a Congressman Brian style. We've offered a
chance to stop by and chat, but he hasn't taken us up on that quite yet. And Derek Van Orden,
as I want to see him walk you by and through the building a little bit as well. So lawmakers continue
to go through here at Panther Arena. And of course a lot of media things kind of gined up
on the media side. It seemed like a lot more foreign press over here today. Lots of delegates
coming by. And of course the RNC just like we'll see in a month of the DNC in Chicago. They'd like
to shop their delegates so that it's not just seems coming from party bosses or law makers. They
want to kind of pedal the quote unquote average person to us here in the media and let them tell
the story of the RNC. So that was kind of the flavor of the day here. Of course temperatures
have cooled down a bit Milwaukee. Beautiful day breeze off Lake Michigan. Couldn't ask for
an answer day here in Southeast Wisconsin. It sure is a nice day Todd. Probably the biggest
story of the day, the biggest political story of the day did not happen in Milwaukee happened
in fact in Las Vegas, or President Biden tested positive for COVID-19. His press secretary
earlier today said the president would plan to fly home to his home in Delaware where he'll
self isolate and continue to carry out all his duties during that time. The news was first shared
by Unitos U.S. Presidents and CEO Janet Margula. He was supposed to speak to that group this afternoon,
but she had to tell guests that that the president had his regrets and could not appear.
The president's personal physician says in a note that the president was presented this afternoon
with upper respiratory symptoms, including a runny nose, cough and general malaise. After the COVID-19
test, Biden was described the anti viral drug packed with it and had taken in his first dose.
So there is one story we're sure to be hearing more about today and tomorrow. Also,
today there was a hearing law enforcement officials investigating the assassination attempt on
former president Trump last Saturday told lawmakers in an unclassified briefing that 20 minutes,
a full 20 minutes had passed between the time secret service snipers first spotted shooting
suspect Thomas Crookes and when shots were fired. Crookes fired his first shots at 612 and was
killed by secret service agents 26 seconds later. Why he went without being confronted by law enforcement
for so long the time is going to be a key issue of questions as investigators move forward and
Homeland Security reviews what happened. And the other big story happening today is former White
House official former Trump White House official Peter Navarro, who was released from prison earlier
today will speak at the Republican National Convention tonight. He says he's going to have a
message of unity, although much of what he had to say reports today was about how he felt he
was wrong in the way he was treated in the entire January 6th investigation. So those were some of
the things happening in politics and in our government away from Milwaukee today.
Yeah, Terry, I like to say maybe some of the biggest news was made outside of Pfizer for him today.
And of course, President Biden will be diagnosed or they're saying he's diagnosed with COVID-19.
As you said, going home to Delaware and self-isolate for people,
Politico is like myself and you and other people who kind of watch these things. It was interesting.
We'll simply leave it at that, the Politico.com tweeted out this tweet saying that the President
had told or the reports that he had told people, hey, if there was a health issue that came up,
maybe I would reconsider whether I should step down as a Democratic nominee and then literally
like four hours later, the headline from Politico is Biden has COVID. Make of that as you will,
but it was just rather interesting for those of us to watch these things. Also out in California,
reports been confirmed that California House of Representatives Congressman Adam Schiff,
now the Democratic nominee for US Senate in California, has called officially on President
Biden down as the Democratic nominee. Trick Wilson of Lincoln Project will join us here at this
table a little bit later, but he and I were talking about earlier on on my show that, you know,
the Democrats in his opinion was saying that they really need to kind of just make a decision.
Either go with Biden and stick with it and just fight hard or else, you know,
pick somebody else, but this ongoing thing, will he won't he? Will he won't he?
It's not good if you're a Democrat or if you're a Democratic strategist indeed.
And then as you mentioned, Terry, you know, Peter Navarro literally started the day in jail. He'll
end it on the day is in front of a national international audience and the Republican National Convention
24 hours after the theme of this convention was safety and putting criminals behind bars and
being tough on crime. And yet here, once again, we'll remind people now the official nominee
of the Republican Party for President Donald J. Trump is a 34-time convicted felon.
There will be another felon tonight on the on the day is hypocritical seems to be an understatement.
I think that's that's that may be fair to say. I think it's going to be interesting to hear
what he has to say. Earlier today, as I mentioned a moment ago, he said he was going to have a
message of unity tonight. Of course, that was what we understand was going to be Senator Ron Johnson's
message that got changed. And so it really I would be eager to wait and see what Mr. Navarro actually
has to say once he gets started. Yeah, well, it'll be interesting indeed. And again,
you know, the last night we saw this theme again, anti-immigrant,
dividing people along ethnicity and racial lines does not seem to be a message of unity.
I'll also say this Terry Bell is a long time Republican who left the party in 2011,
predominantly over voter suppression bills. But it's been a lot of time, not national conventions,
but state Republican conventions. And I'll simply say, not necessarily your poster child of
the perfect Christian, but a person, a person of faith. I had a bit of a Orwellian moment today.
Turkey also, after our show, we stepped outside the perimeter. We thought we're in Milwaukee.
Let's go to a Milwaukee iconic restaurant, Mators, right outside of the of the safety zone here
for a brought. And we would like a beer, but we were kind of still in the clock. So we had a
brought to Coke with a hot pretzel bun. It was delicious, by the way, with a little mustard,
no ketchup and true German form. But as we were walking, Terry, you had on the corner a guy
played a guitar amplified and playing a Christian praise song like you would find in any non-denominational,
kind of contemporary church across Wisconsin. And right a half a block away where you could still
hear this guy saying Christian, Christian songs was a t-shirt table that said, I support Trump
and Jesus. And for someone who takes their faith seriously to look at the dichotomy here,
just the weirdness of this all, for people professing that they want to be led by their faith
and nominated somebody like Donald Trump. Here's the thing. When George W. Bush was the nominee
in 2000, a lot of the line was, look, we need morality and character back in the White House.
This is after Bill Clinton. And now, you know, receiving oral sex in the White House and the
Oval Office seems like a novel charge, right? But that was the charge back then that he had had
sex with an intern in the Oval Office with Monica Linsky. And we needed to get the Republican
message was, we need to bring morality back to the White House. And George W. Bush was a guy
who drank and could party by his own self-emission and then found religion. And by all accounts,
his life truly changed. And he lived what he believed. You could disagree with this policy.
You could disagree with what he did after 9-11 in terms of foreign affairs. But it's hard to
argue that the man is a person lived the life that he believed. You try to apply that then to Donald
Trump. And here's a guy that his wife won't even show up here in Milwaukee because she apparently
can't stand him. Here's a guy who has had three wives. Here's a guy who has been found guilty
or liable, at least, of sexual assault, rape and illegal terms. The list goes on and on.
Most of our viewers and listeners know it, but it was surreal for me as a former Republican
and a person of faith to be here in Milwaukee and seem kind of like iconic things like
Mater's Restaurant in Abroad and a guy singing religious songs and teachers that say, I love
Jesus and Trump and thinking, what is up? It's odd to say the least. I hope I painted the picture
for our audience of this. It just doesn't match up. It's like two magnets. A magnet has a positive
and a negative. And if you put them on the negative and the positive, they will attract together.
A positive and positive. They keep pushing each other apart. That's what it feels like for me here.
If you like two magnets, it just, it doesn't make sense. It doesn't match up.
Would it make sense to the extent that this is the candidates and some of the voters that you
had just mentioned would say if you really press them, that yes, this is a very flawed person,
but he's delivered on what they wanted. Namely, just to name the one, the most prominent one,
the Supreme Court justices that overturned Roe v. Wade. This is something that many of these
voters I'm sure you described have been working for since the early 1970s.
Yeah, Terry Bell, you just nailed it. You nailed it. I mean, I can't tell you how many state
Republican party conventions in Wisconsin I went to where the Holy Grail was, could we overturn
Roe v. Wade? I think a lot of Republicans for years thought it was a pipe dream. It would never
happen. And then along came Donald Trump. And to your point, he appointed these three Supreme Court
justices that did what even a lot of Republicans thought was unthinkable. And you're absolutely
right. They're willing to look past this entirely flawed person who doesn't match up on what they
believe because they got the overturning of Roe v. Wade. There's still much more to come. We'll
recap some of the day's key moments here in Milwaukee. And a bit later, our panel of analysts
join us to sort through what it means. Your listening, special coverage of the Republican
National Convention in Milwaukee on Civic Media.
You're listening to a Civic Media News special report. Everything you need to know
live from the Republican National Convention. Once again, here's Todd Alba and Terry Bell.
Welcome back to Civic Media's special coverage of the Republican National Convention
in Milwaukee with the helicopters flying overhead as you probably heard.
I'm Terry Bell at a broadcast center near Pfizer. Forum Todd Alba is at Wisconsin Media Roe in
Panther Arena. The next few minutes, here's a recap of some of the highlights of day three of the RNC.
Milwaukee's police chief is defending five officers from Columbus, Ohio, who shot and killed
a homeless man outside the convention perimeter yesterday. Jeffrey Norman says Samuel Sharp Jr.
is threatening and other homeless man with a knife. Some of his life was in danger. These officers
who are not from this area took upon themselves to act to save some of his life.
Homeless advocates demanded investigation. Charges filed today against the man who was arrested
a few blocks from the convention on Monday carrying an AK-47 pistol. The null tinsley of Milwaukee is
21 years old. Police say he was wearing a ski mask and carrying a large tactical backpack.
He faces a misdemeanor charge of carrying a concealed weapon.
Congressman Derek Van Orden is making news again for getting into a confrontation,
buried a sheet and Republican accuses an anti-war protestor of assaulting him in downtown Milwaukee
yesterday. Members of Code Pink say Van Orden started it. He tried to shove past an activist.
Milwaukee police say they're looking into it. Wisconsin, U.S. Senate candidate Eric Huddies,
going after President Biden and Senator Tammy Baldwin on foreign policy, immigration,
high cost of living, and crime. Biden and Baldwin have failed.
President Trump and I will get the job done of the delivered a prime time speech
convention last night. There's more at stake in Wisconsin than just the top of the ticket.
With new legislative maps, Republican strategist Keith Gilks says it will take high quality local
candidates to win. It's about getting back to our roots of finding good candidates,
much like what the Democratic side is going to do. People from the community know their community,
have connections to their community, and know how to go out there and win races.
Down ballot races in Wisconsin will be one on bread and butter issues, especially with new
more competitive maps. So says Democratic strategist Melissa Baldoff.
They're hearing child care is incredibly expensive. We need some help on that.
They're hearing about, can we drink the water from our well? Is this safe? We need to know
that someone is listening to us, that they're fighting for us, and they're doing the right thing
for our families. Baldoff spoke to the luncheon yesterday put on by Whisp politics in the Marquette
Law School. Wisconsin Republican Party Chair Brian Shimming is urging GOP voters to use
standalone absentee ballot drop boxes, which are more popular with Democrats. Shimming tells
Wisconsin delegates that puts Republicans at a disadvantage on election day.
The word unity is being used a lot at the convention this week, even if much of the rhetoric
appeals strictly to the Republican base. Farther away from the convention, voters speak of a
national divide. Mary Anderson is from Arbor Vider. There's no compromise. No one can talk to one
another. It's just so polarized and it's getting worse. I don't see it ever getting any better.
Mindy Romero is with the Center for Inclusive Democracy at the University of Southern California.
She says it wasn't always this way. We're at a state right now that even the word democracy
means different things clearly, right, to different sets of Americans.
Romero says politicians take cues from voters who have yet to fully show they're ready to move on
from the current environment. The highlights from today's Republican National Convention and
the world around Wisconsin. Another story that's been happening this week and it's not
necessarily political. But when a convention like this is brought to a city, there are a lot of
promises made about what a bonus would be to bars, restaurants, shops and other establishments,
especially in the area around the venue. We're getting multiple reports this week that businesses
near the convention aren't seeing that kind of business. Dan Schaeffer of the Recombobulation
area joins us now. He wrote one of the first stories about some of these concerns a couple of
weeks ago. Dan, first welcome to the program. Thanks for having me. Happy to be here.
Right. So you were one of the first to report on the fact that perhaps some venues,
I think it was actually venues for live entertainment or meetings that were first speaking up and saying,
you know, we're not getting what we were promised. Yeah. So the story I reported a few weeks ago now
was kind of the highlight of it in many ways was an interview that I had with Gary Witt. Gary Witt
is the president and CEO of the PAPS Theater Group, which oversees the Riverside Theater PAPS Theater,
Turner Hall Ballroom and a couple other smaller venues in and around Milwaukee. And you know,
Gary and the PAPS Theater were part of the pitch to the R&C Search Committee about where
they would have this convention. And I think they toured the Riverside Theater for that. And
just, you know, lo and behold, things materialize here. And that interest in booking the Riverside
Theater never never really happens. The Riverside Theater is going to be empty for the duration of
the week here as well as PAPS Theater. So I think, you know, having those two iconic downtown venues
sit empty during this, during this convention really sends a message about the type of activity
that has been happening. And I think, you know, some of the, many of the stories that we're seeing this
week and I've seen a whole lot of this in my reporting around town as well. Just is that the
expectation does not meet the reality when it comes to what is happening for nearby bars,
nearby restaurants, things like that. I think a lot of the, you know, a lot of the folks who are
attending this convention are staying within the convention grounds. And then at the end of the
evening, instead of, you know, going out and exploring in Milwaukee or whatever it might be,
just getting on these many, many buses that line up at the end of the night to bring these
delegates and attendees back to their hotel. So, you know, I talked to a whole bunch of different
restaurant owners yesterday and today around town. And I think it's just, you know, there's a lot
of places that not only are not getting the level of activity that they were hoping for when,
you know, in the weeks and months prior to this convention, but they're also seeing an impact from
that, you know, their regulars are not coming downtown this week to, to, to experience, to,
you know, go to their favorite spots and maybe just take a week off or get into the town. So,
I think there's, you know, there's been a lot of frustration at the local level about, you know,
things, the over-promise and under the, under-deliver aspect. Dan, is there, is there some places
that are doing well? Like, we went, we went to Mators for lunch. It seemed like they're doing pretty
well, a white-tail bar where we did our debate a year ago from downtown, a white-tailed great place.
They seem to be booked with something going on there. So, there are some places doing all right.
Yeah, there are some places doing well. I talked to somebody yesterday overseas, a couple of
different bars, the Harp and Trinity and Vagabond Taco bar. And I think there are a few places that,
yes, they're getting a lot of activity, but it's just don't think it's matching the expectations.
You know, Milwaukee, this is a new experience for Milwaukee, to be hosting a convention on this
scale. And I think a lot of people, you know, we have a lot of other big events in the summer that
will kind of take over the city. I'm thinking of like the way, you know, when Harley has a big
event, like every, you know, bar around town has a row of like 10 Harleys in front of it. I think
the expectation for this week was that, you know, there would be, you know, every bar would have like
people with the Red Mega hats pouring out of it all the time too, but just hasn't been the case.
Kerry Bell? Sit. Yes, Todd, civic media coverage of the Republican National Convention
and continues. Stay with us.
You're listening to a civic media news special report. Everything you need to know,
live from the Republican National Convention. Once again, here's Todd Alba and Terry Bell.
Live from Milwaukee, we are welcoming now our panel Dan Schaeffer of the Recombobulation Area
and Trick the Olson Senior Advisor at the Lincoln Project. Gentlemen, welcome to the show.
Thanks for having us. Happy to be here. Of course. Absolutely. So tonight, we hear from JD Vance,
Donald Trump's running mates this time around and this is not a person who is a mystery,
but I think a lot of people tuning in tonight, maybe hearing him speak at length for the very
first time tonight. What do you think they can expect to hear? Yeah, I think, you know, it's going to
be a really interesting introduction for Senator Vance to see, you know, to be on this stage. I think,
you know, he's, you know, only been a senator for what, like 18 months, something like that.
So I think it's, you know, for a broader audience that might be tuning in to see him at this
convention. I think it's going to be the first time for a lot of people, you know, and I think,
you know, the selection of Vance, I think, by Donald Trump is just a surely a sign that,
you know, this is, this is a mega party now. This is not, you know, some sort of, I think,
Doug Bergram or some of the other folks that were discussed as potential VP nominees could have
been signifiers that you're trying to keep some of that older Republican coalition together.
I think this is a sign that, you know, that, that is over and that things are, you know,
going in a different direction with JD Vance as the running mate.
Trigvy also joins us now at the table, a senior advisor with Lincoln Project as well.
Trigvy, you tweeted out about 20 minutes ago, quote, tonight, we are going to witness a whole
new level of crazy, unquote, explain.
Well, so they're already handing out signs that say, and the war in Ukraine and a bunch of
other stuff. You have Paul Manafort wandering the floor of the convention. You got Peter Navarro
straight from a prison cell to the convention. I mean, we're already seeing a whole different
level of crazy on some level. The Republican Party of Ronald Reagan, wherever he is, he's
flipping over in his grave. It is dead. And J.D. Vance, earlier, and J.D. Vance, we're not talking
about Dick Cheney or, you know, Dan Whale for that matter, George H. W. Bush or lots of people
who've served as vice presidents or nominees for vice president Paul Ryan.
Or how about Mike Pence. I think it's been an interesting part of this.
It's just like, nobody's really talking about, hmm, why is this job available? Why is this job?
The other guy got hung up or almost. But, you know, it is a complete capitulation.
When you see Mitch McConnell have to go up on stage and get booed by the audience, Peter Navarro
gets a standing ovation. It tells you that where the Republican Party is. And there is a, I think,
a little bit of a normalization of all of this. I think, yeah, that's the scary part. And I think,
you know, the media is shell-shocked about being accused of both sides of them. And because of
that, isn't necessarily calling a spade a spade, you know, or a hard, a hard, or whatever it is.
And, and you've seen this, Trevor. You worked on John McCain's campaign. You worked on
Mitt Romney's campaign. You've been to a lot of these things. You've been to national Republican
conventions. And this one, this one ain't normal. No, it's not. And I can tell you when we're
standing in line to get through security with the demos. I was wishing it was Mitt Romney's
convention, Todd, because we wouldn't have to stand in that line. We'd been like, you know,
campaign manager for Trump, who went breezing by with three people, trying to have the
the the the the largest credentials in the room. Yeah. Yeah. Now he has to stand. I stole the
Mike Ellis line to describe that to a bunch of people. And it was pretty funny. But um,
the end, which I can't say on the air. And I want the FCC coming after me. But this is going to,
this, this is transformational, not just from a Republican Party standpoint. But if you look back,
it really is, is the ending in many ways. If it hadn't already ended, it is the cementing of
the end of the post Cold War sort of consensus that existed on certain things within the two major
political parties. And yes, you had fringes, the isolationist fringe on the Republican side,
the peaceneck fringe on the on the Democratic sky. But that we now have one party that is,
you know, saying they're not going to defend Taiwan. It is got to candidate who wants to
pandered a G who wants to pander to Vladimir Putin. And for those who are listening who think that
the rules based order that the world has been sort of governed by through American leadership
is not so great. Wait till you get back to great power rivalry. What that's going to look like.
You can follow Dr. V. Olsen on Twitter, other spaces as well. I forest land by Bayfield because
that might be one place it's safe. Although it still will glow. The other person at the panel
table here is Dan Sheaver. You can follow him at recapibulationarea.news, right? That's right.
Do it today. It's a great place. No one's written better, Dan Sheaver, than you about Wisconsin.
We heard earlier in Terry's piece there from Triggy Olsen's fantasy football league buddy Keith
Jilkes. That's not cool. But we know this guy. He's talking about what it's going to take in
in Wisconsin politics in terms of winning the assembly. What Triggy just said, having an unprecedented
extremist candidate at the top of the ticket for Republicans, how is that going to work down
the legislature? Yeah, I think it's going to be a real factor because I think there seems to be
to a certain extent a divide between the mega Republicans and the maybe traditional Republicans
or just the Wisconsin Republicans. They've been trying to recall Robin Voss for the better
part of the last year here. I think we're seeing, especially in the wake of the assassination
attempt last Saturday, that there is a lot of unity here at the convention. But I think once you
get out of the bubble here, I think it's going to be a little bit of a challenge for some of these
candidates to build that type of coalition that can reach across the aisle. And so I think,
as you could point to any number of policies that we've seen on display over the course of the
week here. And I think the Vance selection certainly is going to send a certain message to women,
to people who are pro-choice. I think that's going to be a huge issue in this. And Vance has
talked about wanting a national abortion ban. And I think, to whatever extent, Trump is trying
to moderate on that. We've seen some anti-abortion protesters greeting many of the security
entrances here at the RNC. So I think that is certainly a rift there within the Republican
Party. And I think with Vance on the ticket too, I think it's just going to send a message that
they're not moderating on anything. No, they aren't. No, I think they're doubling down in some
ways. I think the other thing, though, quite frankly, that we're not getting at. I mean,
and I mean, I was thinking to Terry, actually, as you guys were talking, I was sitting over there.
Terry, I mean, you've been at this a long time. I've been at it a long time. I hate to admit
that, that we're not the old guys, but here's the thing. I can't think of a day
in my lifetime where you've had this much news, or even a week where you've had this much news.
I mean, we haven't even scratched the surface on Chuck Schumer that Ruthless originally reported,
as non-vent collaborated by all the major networks, that Chuck Schumer went to see Joe Biden,
and it appears, said, you need to think about not running. That's sort of a gold water nix
and S-moment. So you have a massive amount of uncertainty, and I will tell you,
one of the things that I learned from my work around the world is, you know,
autocratic actors, and when you're in this game that we're in between democracy and
autocracy, they want chaos, and they want rapid speed of things that create fear in people to be
happening. And we're seeing that it's really important for people to take a deep breath and say,
I'm not going to let this scare me. I'm going to look at this rationally and with steely eyes.
And I think we did see some of that as we talked to people at the northern Wisconsin State Fair,
and River Falls and places like that, at least in Wisconsin. I think the Republicans are going to
be the dog that caught the bus in the sense that switching, no matter who it's to, if that's
ultimately the way the Democrats go, you know, I know how Chris Osabito runs campaigns,
I've run campaigns with him, I've run campaigns. Like, uncertainty is your enemy, and they're
about to be the dog that caught the bus. Terry Bell, you all your news talk experience has
triggered me. I said, I mean, have you seen the news move this rapidly before? You've been around
for a while. Well, you know, the old saying, may you live in interesting times. This is a bit of a
backhanded thing to say, but we certainly are. And it has been a strange concerning time to be
covering the news because of all that uncertainty. In the past, I mean, I used to be drawn to
political coverage because it seemed like, you know, people who disagreed, at least had different
ideals on how to get to the same good place. And, you know, we see with things like Project, you
know, 2025, and I don't think we've even scratched the service of that this week either, you know,
that the stage is being set for that. Yeah, I absolutely. And, you know, that's something
intriguing. I've talked about our show about this. Dan, you've seen this particularly in Wisconsin
because here's, I know whether it's, I mean, all of our great hosts, I mean, from a Pat
Crite, little Earl Ingram, Maggie Dawn, you know, Jane Matt Nair, all of them have talked about
at some way level, a former level of Project 2025. And what we hear, I think, is host
listeners and textures. There's still a lot of people that either aren't aware of it or simply say
this is fantasy. What have you heard and seen in your reporting? Yeah, it's interesting. You're
right. This week has been an absolute news avalanche in every direction. So I must say, frankly,
a little bit discombobulating with how everything has been going. But yeah, I think it's, you know,
I think we came in on Monday at this convention in the immediate wake of the assassination attempt.
And I think a lot of people were talking about a moment for unity, for, you know, kind of bringing
the country together, rallying around the flag, that type of sense. I feel like there was a certain
level of that on Monday. I don't feel like that has continued on Tuesday and Wednesday at the
convention here. I think it has just gone right back to the same type of Republican party that we've
come to, come to expect in these trump years. And I think, you know, whether it's Project 2025,
whether it's, you know, some of the other policies, like I saw signs going around in the convention
that said, mass deportations now. And, you know, that some of the policies on Ukraine,
you know, it is, this is pretty fringe stuff altogether. And I think that's, but that's part of
the, part of the calculus of this election, too, because this is an eminently beatable candidate
in the platform that I don't think the majority of Americans are in support of. So I think that
is, is, is surely a factor here. And I think the more emboldened Trump is, it seems like he's just
kind of spiking the football right now with where he is. And I think it's, it's, you know, we're
not done yet. We still have four months or so. Dan Schaefer uses something important. It's
very fringe. But Triggy Olsen, again, you and I, Ben, you wore so that I around a lot of Republican
conventions, it's no longer the fringe. What Dan just said, that's the mainstream. It is the
mainstream. I think, you know, the interesting thing is, so Dan, you were looting something about
state legislative races. So we, the Lincoln Project, through our C4, commissioned a pretty big
study after 2022. And one of the things that we discovered is, with the conservatives, Republicans
and former Republicans who were, who were putting democracy ahead of partisan self-interest,
wherever they crossed over on the ballot, back to voting how their normal partisan
inclinations were, they never came back. And one of the things that is really important in
the state like Wisconsin, I think, for Democrats, not that, you know, maybe they don't want my advice
since I'm a old McConnell guy, but I'll give it to him anyway. The, the thing that's fascinating
about it is, if you look at the top of the ticket, right, like a lot of those people are very
weary of Biden because of the age thing. That made change, right? Then you got Tammy Baldwin,
who quite frankly, they have the best political team. She has the best political team and the best
political skills of anyone in Wisconsin since Tommy Thompson. She's probably not that good, but she's
really good, and that team is respected by, by those who were in Tommy World, for their skill.
The question becomes, down ballot, like I saw Derek Van Orten today, I saw a style,
where are these people going to cross back? And some of the stuff that's in here, like the Ukraine
stuff, I think that, you know, the abortion stuff of Vance will matter with those conservatives.
I think the interesting thing is the deportation now in whatever may bring back the base.
Gary, you're listening to civic media coverage of the Republican National Convention from
downtown Milwaukee. There's more to come. Keep it right here.
You're listening to a civic media news special report. Everything you need to know
live from the Republican National Convention. Once again, here's Todd Alba and Terry Bell.
Welcome back to downtown Milwaukee and civic media's live coverage of the Republican National
Convention. We are joined by Dan Schaefer and Trigby Olsen. And Dan and Trigby, I just was
curious to know, we've been here all week. What we see is a party that is very much rallying around
Donald Trump. On the other hand, we have a Democratic party right now that's having a lot of
discussions about their nominee and Republicans would seem to have the momentum right now.
So, you know, the ball is now in the Democrats' court after this week. What's, how do they respond?
Yeah, I think, you know, so I attended an event early in the week that Tammy Baldwin held a
round table with Senator Cory Booker just north of the security perimeter here in Milwaukee.
It was a round table with local youth talking about arts and education and civic engagement and
things like that. And they also had a chance to speak to the press as well. But what I'm seeing from
Democrats right now is that they're so desperate to have the policy argument because I think there
is such a clear policy contrast that can be drawn with this version of the Republican party.
And I think they so badly want to get to that. But just all of the noise about Biden and everything
post-debate has made it so difficult to get that message through. So what is going to take to get
to that? You know, are we just still in this, you know, these these last three weeks of news,
have so much has changed in three weeks. I mean, maybe looking in other three weeks ahead,
could how much could change in that time, right? So it's really hard to say what is going to be
able to break through. But I think once Democrats can get back to talking about policy, talking about
the growth of the economy right now, talking about the clear contrast on abortion rights,
on democracy issues, on so many of other things. And I think, you know, I think as we kind of
talked about after the assassination attempt on Saturday, you know, just to keep a civil discourse
and lower the temperature. And I think Democrats want to do that because they want to have
the policy argument. I think they win on policy in this election.
Tricky Olson, you've said on our show and you talk about in the Lincoln project,
Democrats are great at building policy. Republicans are great at building narrative. To Dan's point,
can Democrats do both? Can they use these issues of January 6th and women's health care to build
a narrative while still talking about policy that's going to win in November?
Well, so it isn't just that they talk about policy. It's like they want to find a policy for each
of the various constituencies that comprise the Democratic Party, which is a little different than
than talking about policy. They need to build a narrative and the narrative they need to build
really has to focus around. Do you want? And then, you know, obviously it's going to be crafted
to some degree depending on the audience, but like, do you want government to siding all of these
things? Right? Like, I'm a guy who likes my shotguns. I'm a guy who loves my daughters. I don't
want government telling me what kind of shotguns I can on. And I certainly don't want some
theocrat like Scott Walker or some other JD vans telling my daughters what the can and can't
do with their body. That's an narrative. That's not, you know, oh, we're going to give you,
you know, abortion on demand because I don't want my daughter to come and talk to me about that.
I want it to be if she were either of them or ever in that decision. I would hope that they've
been raised that they make the decision with their doctor and as a family. And I don't want
government making those decisions. But they've got to put it in context that people get and they've
got to, they've got to drive that home because that, if you watch what the Republicans are doing
here, they are building a narrative. It's a warped perverted narrative of government intrusion
into people's life, which really is antithetical to what the Republican party used to be.
But it is a narrative. Dan Schaefer, Trinkley has also said at our show, you know, that
Democrats like to fall in love and Republicans like to fall in line. You know, I mean, can
Democrats fall in line a little bit here like like my former party, which I mean, again,
it blows my mind that I'm here witnessing this. It is or well into me that a party that talks
about family values is has nominated now. I got like Donald Trump, which is the antithesis of
that. But yet they can fall in line behind them. Can Democrats unify between now and November
both nationally and at the state level to win these races? Yeah, I think that's, you know, the
Democratic party is the big tent party as much as Republicans are trying to advance this as a
narrative that they are becoming that. It's very much the case for Democrats. So I think it is
a challenge to to get all on the same page. And I think, you know, I think the main issue that
voters will often look to in these types of elections is the economy. So I think and I think
there's a challenge for Democrats with the economic message and it can be difficult to say,
you know, we've turned things around, things are headed on the right track, but people are still
struggling, people are still finding challenges within their own economic situations and whatever
it might be. So it can be difficult to sell that as a narrative and just like as the status quo.
I think I think the Democratic party still needs to be the party of change, you know, I'm hope
he changed the millennial Democrat here. And so I still think they need to get back to that
kind of Obama style message of reform, of change, of wanting to bring a new energy to Washington.
But he built Dan Schaver. Can the Democrats do that with Joe Biden as the standard bearer?
That's the challenge right now. That's for sure. And I think just any time you have an incumbent,
you can't really run on change the same way as you might, you know, four years ago when Donald
Trump was the president. So I think that that certainly can make a real challenge and, you know,
lots happening right now. If I check my Twitter feed, because you could change from the with them
from 10 minutes ago when we had our last break. It's hard to say.
Trivielson, you're going to be traveling tomorrow. We so appreciate you being out here
alive and in person this week. You're not going to be with us tomorrow. But what should listeners
look for, watch for tomorrow when Donald Trump takes the stage? What should they, what context
lens should they watch it through? Well, I think the entire lens, and this kind of gets into
the narrative thing. The entire lens they should see through is what happened on January 6th,
from election day to January 6th. That is all that matters. And can you take anything that he says
out of his word? And quite frankly, they should be asking that with tonight. Where is Mike Pence?
Like, and at the end of the day, I think one of the things Democrats have to do a better job of
is personalizing this. I mean, imagine for people who are listening who are a parent of a daughter.
Your daughter is 26. She's married. She comes home and she's pregnant. She's having your first
grandchild. And she says, oh, you know, Joe was out in Las Vegas and he slept with a stripper,
but it's okay. Would you be proud? Would that be the kind of person that you would have wanted,
the integrity that you'd have wanted your daughter to end up with? Or how about if it's your son?
Who did that? You literally take Donald Trump's biography and apply it to people in your own life.
You would not want that. The number one value that people say in Wisconsin that they want to
teach their kids is integrity. Terry, we'll have to leave it there. We are running out of time.
Civic media, live coverage of the Republican National Convention. I want to thank Tric V. Olson
and Dan Schaefer for joining us tonight. Todd Abba, my co-host Chris Casper, Cory Hartman
and Aaron Zommers behind the scenes. Good night.
