2024-07-17 02:55:02
Welcome to Day 2 of the 2024 Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.
Tuesday is another busy day after the RNC’s first day included former President Donald Trump officially winning the nomination and choosing Sen. JD Vance of Ohio as his running mate.
Trump appeared at the convention’s night session with his ear bandaged after the assassination attempt against him Saturday, but he didn’t speak to the Fiserv Forum crowd.
Overshadowing Tuesday’s events was a Columbus, Ohio, police officer shooting and killing a person early Tuesday afternoon, just under a mile from the RNC’s security perimeter.
The Journal Sentinel is providing live coverage so you can follow along here for updates throughout the day. Be sure to refresh your browser often for the latest info.
A Columbus, Ohio, police officer shot and killed an individual early Tuesday afternoon near the RNC in downtown Milwaukee, said two Milwaukee law enforcement sources.
The shooting occurred near North 14th and West Vliet Streets just under a mile from the security perimeter for the Republican National Convention, according to Milwaukee law enforcement sources, who asked not to be named publicly because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the ongoing investigation.
(3:30 p.m.)
— John Diedrich
During Moms for Liberty’s “Giving Americans a Voice” Town Hall on Tuesday afternoon, Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson pushed for school choice vouchers and called to move past large schools. He brought up the point in relation to the recent assassination attempt against Trump.
“The initial interviews,” Johnson said, showed the shooter was “in probably a large school, being bullied all the time. I’m hoping if there’s one result from Moms for Liberty, and this is actually going to all be tied together here, is we start moving away from these massive, large schools.”
The shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, attended Bethel Park High School, which had 1,338 students enrolled during the 2023-2023 school year. That makes the school larger than the nationwide school enrollment average of 854 students and Pennsylvania’s average school size of 889 students.
“During COVID-19, parents were looking over the shoulder of their kids and they’re seeing that these large schools, these large bureaucracies, are getting completely out of control and unaccountable,” Johnson continued during the speech.
Asked after the event if he was insinuating large schools were partially to blame for the shooting, Johnson said “there’s so much we don’t know” but that the kid was “alienated” and “bullied,” which he said “we’ve seen too many times in the past.”
Johnson said Trump will speak about unity at the RNC as a result of the assassination attempt, which he said is a good thing.
“We have to unify and heal this nation,” Johnson told reporters. Asked if he blames rhetoric on the left for the shooting, Johnson told reporters “he blames the shooter” but said “vitriol on the left is not helpful.”
(4 p.m.)
— Rachel Hale
Ryan Cooke, director of operations at the Milwaukee Brat House, 1013 N. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr., said that the first day of the RNC brought his business logistical challenges, especially when it came to employees getting into work.
“We’re a Milwaukee bar, tied to our cars a lot of the time, so we have staff biking, scootering, however they can get here,” Cooke said.
The business struggled to fulfill meal deliveries and trash pickup due to convention-related road closures and security parameters.
However, by Tuesday afternoon, Cooke said the Milwaukee Brat House was working through rough spots and picking up customers. After a busy July spent preparing for convention week, he hopes they’ll see some financial benefits from the event.
“You know the first day, there’s gonna be miscommunication and challenges, but they’re starting to be remedied now,” he said. “The funny thing is it’s gonna all be figured out by Thursday. Then, it’s gonna be done.”
(3:35 p.m.)
— Tamia Fowlkes
(3:15 p.m.)
— Hannah Kirby
At 600 East Cafe, 600 E. Wisconsin Ave., owner Jill Ruffing extended business hours to accommodate RNC traffic. The cafe is usually open from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. but will stay open until 5 p.m. during the convention.
However, business has been slower than expected.
“We did the same volume yesterday that we would do in our normal 8 to 2 hours” despite the extended hours, Ruffing said.
“I planned for double, triple, four times my business. I had to stock up on a lot of food because a lot of my suppliers are not coming into the city this week,” she said.
Before the convention, the RNC Milwaukee Host Committee offered 600 East Cafe a spot at the Convention Fest but Ruffing declined because she didn’t have the capacity to run a booth and the cafe itself. However, Ruffing made sure to register the cafe with the RNC vendor directory.
A delegate from Pennsylvania called Ruffing to place an order of 150 box lunches, which she said was a “dream” for her business. But, the delegate then said that, if 600 East Cafe isn’t part of Convention Fest, it can’t cater lunch inside the perimeter.
Ruffing said she had no idea of this rule when she declined the position at Convention Fest.
“It’s kind of still vague, but we were never really told (the rules),” she said. “Yesterday, I was feeling a little bummed because now I can’t do catering and there’s no people on this side of town.”
Adam Siegel, the owner of Lupi & Iris, 777 N. Van Buren St., also said communication from the Host Committee has been “not great.”
In 2023, Siegel said the Host Committee led them to have high expectations for RNC business.
“We thought we were gonna see people booking our private party rooms. We thought that we were going to see elevated business numbers because of us being very close proximity to Fiserv but outside of the security zone (with) plenty of parking above us,” he said.
That has not been the case. If Monday’s trend continues, Siegel said Lupi and Iris could be down well over 50 percent during the convention.
“I think that there’s a few companies out there that are getting the majority of the business and they have a stronger affiliation maybe with Visit Milwaukee and the Host Committee, from what we hear,” Siegel said.
At Andiamo Coffee and Tea, which is next to Lupi & Iris, manager Joshua Huff said traffic has mostly been tenants who live in the apartment building above the coffee shop.
As Andiamo is situated near the Northwestern Mutual and U.S. Bank offices, Huff said most of its regulars are commuters. This week, those regulars are “gone.”
(2:50 p.m.)
— Kathryn Muchnick
Business activity in the Historic Third Ward has been lighter than usual this week.
“It’s very quiet. And this neighborhood is very rarely quiet,” said Karen Bell, owner of Bavette La Boucherie, a restaurant and butcher shop at 217 N. Broadway.
That includes a Tuesday lunch business that was about 25% of a normal weekday lunch, she said.
Also seeing slower than normal traffic this week is The Wicked Hop tavern and restaurant, 345 N. Broadway, said morning manager Lily Nieves.
It’s been quieter than usual at Pink Moon Bay, a woman’s clothing boutique at 317 N. Broadway, said Callie Mangan, assistant manager.
But the store got a bit of a bump Monday from convention attendees buying sun dresses — an apparent reaction to that day’s 90-degree temperatures, Mangan said.
Also, the new Ben & Jerry’s Scoop Shop, which had its first full day Monday, is doing a great business, much of its from neighborhood residents, said co-owner Tricia Rasmussen. It’s at 203 N. Broadway.
But perhaps the Third Ward’s best bellwether is The Milwaukee Public Market, 400 N. Water St., home to around 20 restaurants, taverns and shops.
The market had less business than usual Monday, said Paul Schwartz, executive director.
He attributed that in part to the market’s proximity to security checkpoints for motorists heading west across the nearby Milwaukee River to the RNC, which tied up traffic. Tuesday has seen an uptick in business, Schwartz said.
Another factor that could be slowing down Third Ward activity: several parking spots in the 200 block of North Broadway were blocked off Monday and Tuesday.
That was apparently tied to security concerns centering on a private event scheduled for Tuesday night at The Kimpton Journeyman Hotel, at East Chicago Street and North Broadway, neighborhood business owners said.
(2:40 p.m.)
— Tom Daykin
The Haymarket Square demonstration zone a couple blocks away from Fiserv Forum remained quiet Tuesday.Two speakers spoke to an audience of about 13 event staffers and a few reporters until about 11:35 a.m. Other speakers had booked slots but hadn’t shown up since then, with bookings slated until 6 p.m., according to one staffer.To pass the time, some event staffers began some push-up competitions.
(2:35 p.m.)
— Jolan Kruse and Piet Levy
For Kristen Welker, moderator of “Meet the Press” on NBC News, what’s stuck out most about Milwaukee is how “every single person who I encountered feels really proud” to live in a swing state that’s hosting a major political event.
“We are honored to be here,” Welker told the Journal Sentinel in an interview at Good City Brewing, where NBC News has set up operations for the week. “You can feel the responsibility and the weight that the people here in Milwaukee feel about hosting this convention. And in talking to people, people are buzzing about this race.”
Welker called Wisconsin “ground zero” for who wins the election. After winning the state in 2016 and losing it to President Joe Biden in 2020, Trump “wants to win it back. That’s why he’s here.”
“He is making a statement that these voters, that Wisconsin matters to the Republican Party,” Welker said. “I think you are going to see both candidates make an incredibly forceful play to try to win over the voters here in Wisconsin.”
(2:10 p.m.)
— Hope Karnopp
On a typical weekday in Milwaukee, Jay Brown and Ireland Jones set up their mobile hot dog stand, IJ’s Quick Eats, on Third and Wells streets.
Roadblocks and the RNC perimeter had kept them from getting to their normal spot, Jones said, so they set up shop on the southeast corner of Red Arrow Park.
“This was the only spot,” he said, adding that an individual with the RNC welcomed the duo to sell their hotdogs, brats and chips there for the afternoon.
The traffic and parking challenges are “inconvenient,” Jones said, but he’s hopeful for business.
Jones and Brown said they’ll serve hot dogs and brats until 6 or 7 p.m. Tuesday and open back up Wednesday.
As Jones and Brown attended to a customer, chants on a loudspeaker from about 10 individuals holding signs with anti-LGBTQ+ messages stood on the roof above the coffee shop that looks over the park.
Otherwise, Tuesday afternoon at the park was quiet in contrast to the hundreds of protestors who gathered there Monday.
Jones had a message for anyone visiting Milwaukee for the first time.
“It’s a safe place to visit,” he said. “No matter what you see on the news, no matter what you hear, you just got to come here and enjoy (the) city for yourself.
“I hope everybody who comes here from out of town, you have a great experience. And get some food.”
(2:05 p.m.)
— Bridget Fogarty, Caitlin Looby and La Risa Lynch
The designated protest zones remained quiet throughout much of Tuesday morning and early afternoon. Instead, small groups of protestors have congregated outside the entrance areas to the hard security area.
For example, about 10 protestors were outside the entrance near the Baird Center near Wisconsin Avenue and Dr. Martin Luther King Drive in the early afternoon. Many said they wanted to be near the action and felt like their voices would be better heard there.
Sean Keefe, an evangelist from North Carolina, said he was there because the protest zones and other entrance points were “dead.”
“It’s a battle for ideas,” Keefe said. “So, we’re just going where the people are.”
(2 p.m.)
— Caitlin Looby and Bridget Fogarty
RNC week is off to a slow start for the vendors at 3rd St. Market Hall, 275 W. Wisconsin Ave. Most stalls struggled to reach their normal sale numbers Monday, despite expecting a rush of visitors from Fiserv Forum.
Business owners were told by market hall managers to expect 1,200 to 1,300 customers. Instead, there were barely 300 people, said Ken Hughes of DawgCity Hot Dog.
The business owners said RNC event-goers were given pre-purchased gift cards that can be used at any stall. How each stall will be compensated for these gift-card purchases remain unclear for stall owners. Many of them are asking: What happens when these gift-card users don’t show up?
The huge difference in the expected and actual number of customers have already led to monetary loss. Hughes said he had hired extra hands in preparation for the RNC; Monday, he had to send two of the workers home.
Hughes said he saw stall owners handing out leftover food for free Monday.
According to Edgar Aispuro, owner of Criollo, hall managers misjudged not only the size of the crowd but the time of its arrival.
“First, they told us the food should’ve been ready at 1, so we were ready at 1. Nobody showed up,” Aispuro said. “They were like, ‘Oh, it’s gonna be 5:30.’ Still, nobody showed up. We ended up being open to 10. Still, nobody showed up.”
Aispuro said he hopes business will pick up. In the first few hours Tuesday, the store has made more profit than Monday.
(1:45 p.m.)
— Jane Park
In a joint bulletin issued to law enforcement agencies across the country Monday, the FBI and Department of Homeland Security warned that extremist individuals or groups may instigate “follow-on or retaliatory” attacks related to the 2024 presidential election over the next several months.
The warning was issued on the first day of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee and in the wake of a shooting at a Trump rally in Pennsylvania that left one attendee and the gunman dead, and two others critically injured. The shooting is being investigated as an assassination attempt against former Trump, who was wounded at the rally.
While the warning was issued Monday, there’s no clear connection to Milwaukee or the RNC.
(1:40 p.m.)
— Maya Homan, USA TODAY
The RNC has released its Tuesday night speaker list and schedule.
Eric Hovde, who is running for U.S. Senate against Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, will speak in the 6 p.m. hour, according to a source familiar with the schedule.
Reince Priebus, chairman of the Host Committee, will also speak.
Here’s the schedule of speakers:
5-5:30 p.m.
5:30-6 p.m.
6-6:30 p.m.
6:30-7 p.m.
7-7:30 p.m.
7:30-8 p.m.
8-8:30 p.m.
8:30-9 p.m.
9-9:30 p.m.
9:30-10 p.m.
Here’s more on the speakers Tuesday night at the RNC
(1 p.m.)
— Hope Karnopp
Cubanitas and Brunch It Up, both in the 700 block of North Milwaukee Street, have seen mixed results.
Business from downtown workers and other regular customers is off. But the restaurants are seeing an influx of new customers visiting for the RNC.
“It’s not going to be a big moneymaking week but it’s going to be steady,” Cubanitas owner Marta Bianchini said.
The Cuban restaurant is extending its hours during the RNC, with a breakfast menu as well as a limited late-night menu.
Brunch It Up’s sales goal for Monday was $1,800, said Allison Moseley, general manager. It finished the day with less than $1,000 in revenue.
“Sales were a little slower than usual,” she said.
Both Moseley and Bianchini lamented the lack of street parking.
The block’s metered parking spaces are temporarily closed, with Milwaukee Street serving as a busy bus corridor for RNC attendees.
Also, the block is just west of the Pfister Hotel, where Trump is staying. That means heavy security and nearby street closures.
(12:55 p.m.)
— Tom Daykin
As Day 2 of the RNC started Tuesday — a day with weather much more forgiving than Monday’s extreme heat — one of two designated protest zones at Zeidler Union Square was quiet.
About a dozen event safety staffers stood in the park.
Groups are signed up to speak Tuesday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. So far, three groups that signed up to speak in the protest zone haven’t show up, according to the safety staff.
Staff members also said that about 85% of Monday‘s speakers who signed up to talk at Zeidler Union Square didn’t show.
Five men who said they’re with the group Official Street Preachers came to the park to speak but were turned away by event staff since they weren’t signed up to protest. The street preachers wore shirts with messaging against abortion, queer relationships and Bible verses.
“Our plan was to preach but there’s no one to preach to,” said Rich Penkoski of Stillwater, Oklahoma.
Penkoski has faced legal action in Oklahoma over inflammatory and threatening online posts about a gay couple, the Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise reported.
The safety staff members said they expect it’ll be even quieter Tuesday than Monday.
(12:50 p.m.)
— Bridget Fogarty, La Risa Lynch and Caitlin Looby
Some east side downtown businesses are closed for the RNC.
They include two eateries in the lower level of an office building at 770 N. Jefferson St.: Shah Jee, a Pakistani restaurant, and Midwest Sad, which includes breakfast items and desserts on its menu.
Last week, Midwest SAD owner Sam Sandrin told the Journal Sentinel that she was worried about how her still-new business would do during the RNC.
She had put out a call on the Milwaukee subreddit to encourage people to try their best to support local restaurants and small businesses during the convention.
(12:45 p.m.)
— Tom Daykin
Standing on the same street corner near the 3rd Street Market Hall, protesters engage in discourse, face-to-face. Their long conversations occasionally attract the attention of other passerby, who stop to listen or take photos.
In addition to protesting in large groups Monday, individuals such as Nadine Seiler are deciding to stand alone or in pairs to protest near the perimeter. Some hold banners that declare “JESUS 2024: The Only Hope.” Others hold signs that read, “A World Without Fascism Is Possible.”
According to Seiler, whose sign says, “A Racist Rapist Seditionist Frauder & Felon Walks into his Convention,” protesting alone can be a vulnerable experience, particularly as a Black woman. Earlier Tuesday, a passing man responded to her chants of “Trump’s a loser!” and slapped her finger.
Despite that, she said she’ll continue protesting Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
(12:30 p.m.)
— Jane Park
Through Friday, the U.S. Coast Guard will be monitoring security on the Milwaukee River from Cherry Street to Michigan Street.
No commercial or recreational vessel traffic will be permitted along the stretch of the river, called “Maritime Zone 3,” although privately owned vessels docked at their registered locations may move along the river — as long as their boats don’t require road bridges to be raised. Road bridges will remain in the closed position for the week.
The Journal Sentinel first reported in February that the Milwaukee River would likely close down for the RNC.
In May, members of the U.S. Coast Guard received RNC maritime security training on Lake Michigan. It was part of a comprehensive security training that involved agencies including the Milwaukee Police Department, Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, U.S. Capitol Police, U.S. Secret Service and U.S. Customs & Border Protection.
All privately owned vessels moving within the maritime security zone are subject to screening before re-entry. Docked vessels can remain stationary.
(12:25 p.m.)
— Natalie Eilbert
Eric Toney, the Fond du Lac County district attorney and a Wisconsin RNC delegate, said that, after Saturday’s assassination attempt, there’s been a marked shift in how people are talking at the convention.
“The rhetoric we’re seeing appears to be changing and being toned down from some of the speeches that we saw last night, and it seems like that’s probably going to continue throughout,” he said. “I think President Trump has an incredible opportunity as a leader to continue to help change the tone and make sure we’re dialed in on the issues, because that’s what we’re seeing voters really care about.”
Toney, who spoke to reporters on the Wisconsin Media Row, said people have been so siloed when it comes to political parties in recent years, important conversations about how to change things haven’t been happening.
“We might not agree, but we need to have those discussions, because that’s what makes America so wonderful, that we can express those views,” he said. “I think we have to be more open to that moving forward because we can’t continue to see this political violence.”
On the floor of the convention, Toney said, things have been a bit hectic for delegates, with long hours and plenty of heat outside. But getting to see former Trump was a great experience Monday night, even if he didn’t speak to the crowd.
“You could just feel the energy in the room, and what really felt like one of those moments in history,” he said.
(12:20 p.m.)
— Laura Schulte
Haymarket Square in the north protest zone was largely empty around 11 a.m. Monday, with one speaker, 82-year-old Florida resident Bob Kunst of Shalom International, monologuing on a microphone to a couple of reporters and about 13 event staffers, including one staffer sitting on a gray barricade, nodding off.
“Why am I the only one here?” asked Kunst, sitting and wearing a baseball cap and shirt in support of Israel.
A registered Democrat, Kunst largely shared criticisms of President Joe Biden’s policies and the mainstream media, and called for more grassroots protest movements to gather and voice their concerns.
“If we don’t fight for our liberty, we’re not going to make it,” he said.
He was followed after about 25 minutes by Lisa Bingenheimer, a speaker from local volunteer group Wisconsin 2A Team, which supports candidates who support the Second Amendment.
Bingenheimer said she was demonstrating Tuesday to promote freedom from government involvement, thanking the “nine people” within earshot who heard her speak for about 10 minutes, including her husband off to the side, who offered a round of applause.
By noon, the speakers were gone, leaving some staffers sitting around an empty stage.
(12:15 p.m.)
— Jolan Kruse and Piet Levy
Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley said Day 1 of the RNC went smoothly and has been a great learning experience for the county, as well as an economic boost.
“I’m glad that so far all the vendors who are organizing the convention and convention-goers are enjoying themselves,” he said. “I know that traffic has been a little bit crazy for many of our residential folks and folks coming in to volunteer, but it’s been a great opportunity to showcase and spotlight Milwaukee.”
Crowley said that, as a Democrat, he’s been listening to what Republicans have to say.
“It gives me an opportunity to hear the message and what they’re going to be bringing to the table as it relates to policies,” he said. “I want to see what that stark contrast looks like moving forward, because I truly believe that Democrats not only have a vision to share, but we have a story to tell.”
He also offered some advice to first-time visitors to Milwaukee.
“Well, first and foremost, you have to go to a beer garden. … You have to go down and visit Bradford Beach,” he said. “I know everyone knows us for our cheese curds and beer, but I think we’re a pretty big foodie community and we have restaurants all over the city, in the county that everyone should absolutely go out to.”
(11:55 a.m.)
— Laura Schulte
Vance was photographed walking through downtown Milwaukee near Water Street and Wisconsin Avenue on Tuesday morning with his family.
(11:20 a.m.)
— Alex Groth
It’s an almost subtle sign against the more flashy red, white and blue in downtown Milwaukee, but it certainly stands out: “Project Funded by President Joe Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.”
The sign was sponsored by the City of Milwaukee, the U.S. Department of Transportation and Investing in America, the latter of which is a White House agenda that aims to mobilize “historic levels of private sector investments in the United States,” according to the White House.
As of March, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has put $6.6 billion funds in Wisconsin, with more than 510 specific projects identified for funding, according to a White House press release.
Milwaukee received about $85 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation and $2.5 million from the Environmental Protection Agency. A portion of that funding has gone into the Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport Project, which aims to replace obsolete flat roof areas on airport buildings, making the buildings more resilient to weather and energy efficient.
The lion’s share of the Department of Transportation’s funding, at $80 million, will go to replacing the existing Interstate 39, 90 and 94 Wisconsin River bridge with two new bridge spans to improve the flow of traffic. Although this funding was awarded to Columbia County, north of Dane County, the route links Madison, Milwaukee and Chicago, serving as a key connector for these cities.
The Biden administration put another $36 million toward Milwaukee’s 6th Street Complete Streets Project, which will reconnect communities along the more than 2½ miles of the 6th Street corridor.
According to a White House fact sheet from March, the project provides wider sidewalks for children walking to school, safe bike lanes for residents and visitors, dedicated bus lines for faster transit, new trees and green infrastructure to prevent sewage run-off into the Milwaukee River and Lake Michigan.
(10:40 a.m.)
— Natalie Eilbert
Former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson likened a photo of former President Donald Trump raising his fist after an assassination attempt Saturday to the iconic 1945 photo of Marines hoisting an American flag on top of Iwo Jima’s Mount Suribachi, and said that image alone will win Trump the election.
“Nothing is going to derail the campaign,” Thompson told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on the floor of the RNC on Monday.
(10:20 a.m.)
— Jessie Opoien
The Democratic National Committee is ramping up its campaign, this time with “Dark Brandon” billboards, a riff on the popular MAGA phrase “Let’s Go Brandon!”
The satirical persona, which depicts a grinning President Joe Biden with red beams shooting from his eyes — think Cyclops from X-Men — can be seen at eight locations across Milwaukee:
The billboards come out simultaneously to the DNC’s first anti-Trump-Vance billboards since the former president announced his running mate Monday.
The Dark Brandon billboards play on some of the same hot-button issues as the Trump-Vance billboards: abortion, Social Security cuts, democracy and health care.
Abhi Rahman, DNC deputy communications director, said in a press release Tuesday morning that Trump, Vance and MAGA Republicans “kicked off their Project 2025 convention by highlighting unpopular and extreme policies that would rip fundamental rights away from women and leave working families behind.”
Trump has made a point of disavowing Project 2025, a presidential transition project with conservative policy proposals written by the DC-based think-tank Heritage Foundation. Trump has repeatedly said he knows nothing about the plan.
“The DNC is highlighting Joe Biden’s winning platform and policies that are delivering for the American people,” Rahman said in the Tuesday press release. “We’re making sure voters know it by bringing Dark Brandon to Milwaukee to outline a bold second term agenda that sharply contrasts with what Wisconsinites are seeing on the RNC stage this week — restoring Roe, lowering costs, protecting Social Security, and safeguarding our democracy.”
(9:45 a.m.)
— Natalie Eilbert
Sean O’Brien, president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, on Monday night said it was an “honor” to be the first president in the union’s history to address a Republican National Convention.
“Today, the Teamsters are here to say we are not beholden to anyone or any party,” O’Brien said. “I don’t care about getting criticized. It’s an honor to be the first Teamster in our 121-year history to address the Republican National Convention.”
O’Brien said he reached out to both the Republican National Convention and Democratic National Convention to speak. He thanked Trump for inviting him to speak at the convention. While he didn’t offer an endorsement, O’Brien underscored that the union has supported GOP presidential candidates in the past, including Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, and George H.W. Bush.
(9:30 a.m.)
— Rebecca Morin, USA TODAY
Late night television took a few swipes at Milwaukee and more than a few at the RNC speakers Monday night.
Wisconsin and Milwaukee got the most airtime on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” which dedicated a live monologue to the opening day of the RNC. Right away, Milwaukee and its nicknames got Colbert’s first jabs, after he kindly described it as a “beautiful” place.
“Also known as Brew City, Beer City and ‘All of the other Cities are Worried about you’ City,” he said.
Colbert seemed to have genuine respect for some of the other names around the city, too, especially one in the RNC’s soft security zone.
“If you’re in Milwaukee, and you can’t get into the convention, there is an official convention watch party at a local pub called — and this is true — Drink Wisconsibly,” he said. “Lovely, bravo. Truly one of the best state- and warning-label-themed bars in the country.”
Colbert also made fun of the state law that doesn’t allow for guns to be banned in the RNC’s soft zone, but things like tennis balls are banned. He also poked at U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson’s remarks on Wisconsin’s very kind people as a reason to not be concerned about safety.
“Yes, Wisconsin only produces the nicest people like Tony Shalhoub, Chris Farley and Jeffrey Dahmer,” he said.
The last Wisconsin person to get teased was none other than Rev. James A. Roemke of Messiah Lutheran Church in Kenosha. Roemke gave his best impression of Trump, saying that everyone was “going to be so blessed” and waved his hands in a Trump-esque way.
“Oh my lord. It is a miracle,” Colbert said. “Someone has a worse Trump impression than me.”
(9:15 a.m.)
— David Clarey
The Democratic National Committee wasted no time responding to Trump selecting Vance as his running mate.
Sixteen billboards and a mobile billboard in the Milwaukee area sprouted overnight, in time for the RNC’s second day. It’s the first paid media campaign that takes shots at the Trump-Vance ticket.
The billboards strike a grim tone, veering on doomsday for democracy. The DNC took aim at the Trump-Vance stance on abortion, tax breaks for the wealthy and the Affordable Care Act.
Each billboard also references Project 2025, a proposed presidential transition project by the Heritage Foundation, a DC-based think tank. One billboard echoed the fear that Trump would use the election to transform the United States into a dictatorship: “Dictator on ‘Day One,'” alluding to the nearly 900-page document.
Trump has attempted to distance himself from Project 2025.
Vance has taken a hardline stance on abortion, which he opposes even in cases of incest and rape. It’s one of the key issues likely to dominate the campaign trail. When he ran for the Senate in 2022, his campaign website said simply “Ban Abortion” on the issues page. The DNC’s billboard played up his two-word stance, with “Ban Abortion, Punish Women.”
Despite his rags-to-riches story that his bestselling memoir, “Hillbilly Elegies,” encapsulates, the DNC billboard said a Trump-Vance ticket means “Tax breaks for billionaires, higher costs for you,” according to another billboard.
The other billboard says that a Trump-Vance ticket will destroy the Affordable Care Act and Social Security: “Terminate the ACA, Gut Social Security.”
(9 a.m.)
— Natalie Eilbert
Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson on Tuesday sought to reassure local businesses that saw less traffic than normal on the first day of the Republican National Convention.
Restaurants in the Third Ward reported normal or lower-than-normal diner levels Monday.
Johnson said he heard announcements within Fiserv Forum that Trump would be making an appearance in the convention hall. Then, Johnson said, Trump’s appearance was repeatedly delayed, which he thought prompted people not to leave the area to avoid missing Trump’s first public appearance since an assassination attempt on Saturday in Pennsylvania.
Instead of leaving the credentials-only “hard” perimeter, he thought convention attendees went to Convention Fest, a vendor fair at the RNC showcasing local Milwaukee businesses for RNC attendees.
Johnson expected business outside the hard perimeter to pick up Tuesday.
“From what I understand, that was probably more of an anomaly just because folks had to wait. They chose to wait,” Johnson said.
His comments were also political. Johnson, a Democrat and a vocal supporter of Biden’s re-election campaign, urged people to vote in November’s presidential election.
He was also critical of Trump and his choice of Vance to be his vice presidential running mate.
“There are a lot of questions and certainly a lot of concern,” Johnson said. “We now have a Republican candidate on the vice presidential side without any executive experience and a Republican presidential candidate whose executive experience we’ve already endured over the course of a term.”
Johnson called Trump’s response to the COVID-19 “botched” and credited Biden’s policies for helping turn around city crime during the pandemic.
Johnson pointed to the pairing of local policies and the American Rescue Plan Act as helping Milwaukee abate crime that had spiked during the pandemic. Recent crime data shows that, halfway through 2024, crime is above 2019 levels but made improvements from prior years.
“Working with President Biden’s administration and our policies around accountability and prevention, for the last two years, all under President Biden’s leadership we’ve seen crime trend down year over year in Milwaukee,” Johnson said. “I don’t think there’s really much to touch in terms of public safety when you compare the policies.”
(8:15 a.m.)
— Alison Dirr and David Clarey
Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson said three people were arrested near the Republican National Convention on Monday but lauded it as a “peaceful” start to the week.
Of the three arrests, one involved a repeat offender. That person attempted — for the second time — to climb a fence into a restricted area, Johnson said. A second arrest occurred when someone blocked traffic in the evening and didn’t follow police orders to move.
Johnson said the third arrest occurred at the end of the Coalition to March on the RNC demonstration. The person was arrested for disorderly conduct, the mayor said.
The Journal Sentinel previously reported that online video showed a man wearing a Chicago Bears shirt was seen in handcuffs following the parade. Authorities said the man took signs from protesters and attempted to knock over a booth, causing a disturbance to protesters who just finished a march that ended at Red Arrow Park, at 920 N. Water St., around 3:20 p.m.
Overall, Johnson said the march and day went peacefully, without major incident. No one was hurt and there wasn’t significant property damage involved with the march.
“By most important measures, things are going pretty well,” he said. “Overall, it was a calm day, it was a peaceful day.”
(8 a.m.)
— David Clarey
Though plenty of MAGA hats are sure to be spotted at the convention, one is set to stand out.
A 24K gold-plated bronze replica of the MAGA hat will be on display today through Thursday at the convention. Artist XVALA — a contemporary artist known for using controversial celebrity images and artifacts of the internet age in his work — will be showcasing the gold hat.
In a press release, XVALA said the hat aims to represent the legacy of Make America Great Again.
“Trump will usher in a new golden age for America. MAGA is the gold ticket to success for America,” the release said.
The hat is a 3D-printed replica of a real MAGA hat, signed by Trump. On his website, XVALA wrote that the hat is intended as a response to Maurizio Cattelan’s “America,” a fully functioning toilet made from 18-karat solid gold.
“XVALA’s MAGA hat, while impractical for everyday use, remains technically functional as it is a 1:1 replica of the original,” the website read. “But unlike Cattelan, the hat exhorts us to make America great, not to disparage it as a waste receptacle.”
After the convention, the hat will be auctioned off at the Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey, on Friday. The hat is listed for $15,000 on XVALA’s website.
(7:45 a.m.)
— Kathryn Muchnick
New York-based artist and political activist Norm Magnusson has created augmented reality art that shows historical markers on the plaza of Fiserv Forum with pointed statements.
The works aren’t visible — they can only be seen through the Scavengar – easy AR mobile app.
The blue and gold markers include political messages about Project 2025 class inequality, former presidents’ roles and more.
One of the piece’s messages reads: “On this site stood every single U.S. President since 1980. Each oversaw the continued redistribution of wealth from lower and middle classes to the richest 1%.”
The plaques are similar to others Magnusson made in the early 2000s and fit in the vein of his other work. On his artist website, he breaks down work critical of former President George W. Bush and his administration and other political topics.
Magnusson’s work has appeared in The Museum of Modern Art, the Museum of the City of New York and others. He’s known for his funism artwork, a style described as fun to look at and think about, while being intellectually engaging without being elitist.
He’s from Illinois, according to a story on his work from The Villager, a New York publication.
(7:30 a.m.)
— David Clarey
After overnight rains, Monday’s hot temperatures should cool off.
Milwaukee is expected to see a high of 82, according to the National Weather Service. Though the humidity shouldn’t be as extreme as yesterday, it might still feel “a touch muggy” as a cold front continues to move through the area, meteorologist Andrew Quigley said.
Overnight, Milwaukee received .17 inches of rain, with a thunder shower over downtown between 4:30 and 5 a.m.
Southern Wisconsin had more severe weather overnight, with reports of damaging winds and large hail along the state line with Illinois. The NWS has received reports of tree damage affiliated with straight-line winds.
No additional severe weather is forecasted for Tuesday, though Quigley said there’s potential for an isolated shower in the afternoon.
Drier and less humid air is expected for the rest of the RNC, with temperatures in the mid-70s from Wednesday to Friday.
“Improvement is on the way,” Quigley said.
(7:15 a.m.)
— Kathryn Muchnick
The official session of the convention starts at 5 p.m. and runs until 10 p.m.
Other events begin as early as 8 a.m., such as state delegation breakfasts. Other events include discussion panels, screenings of “Reagan,” the 2024 Dennis Quaid-led biopic of the former president, and the BBQ Bikes & Blues Western States event at the Harley Davidson Museum.
Many events require tickets or registration and more information can be found here.
The convention isn’t open to the general public, but according to an RNC spokesperson, you can stream it on YouTube, X, Facebook Live, Rumble, Amazon Prime, Twitch and Direct TV. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel will also be streaming RNC events, as will the City Channel.
The official convention watch party takes place each day at the Drink Wisconsinbly Pub, 320 W. Highland Ave., across from Fiserv Forum.
(7 a.m.)
— Kelly Meyerhofer
OK, let’s talk about the band, because everyone else seemed to be Monday.
The Nashville band Sixwire was in the spotlight during the RNC’s first day at Fiserv Forum. And when the teleprompter experienced a malfunction, it got to show off more of its set.
But that was OK for many, since people were loving the country music band, which played songs from the Foo Fighters, Cheap Trick, the Doobie Brothers and more.
(6:45 a.m.)
— Christopher Kuhagen
Numerous downtown Milwaukee streets will be closed in downtown Milwaukee in and around the security perimeter until Friday at about 1 a.m.:
Also, the westbound I-794 ramp to the northbound I-43 ramp will have intermittent closures as needed for bus traffic.
Widespread street parking restrictions will also be in effect until Sunday.
(6:30 a.m.)
— Claire Reid
The convention runs through Thursday, July 18.
(6:15 a.m.)
The convention venues are closed to all but delegates, politicians, media members and volunteers. However, there are plenty of ways to watch the RNC. Numerous platforms will stream the convention, including the Journal Sentinel. Fox News Media will also have coverage across all of its platforms.
— Hope Karnopp
(6 a.m.)
Here’s the master schedule of events for the Republican National Convention.
The convention is closed to all but delegates, politicians, media members and volunteers.
Throughout the week, guests are invited to attend official sessions at the convention venues; affinity group receptions; lectures and presentations; and film screenings.
Many events require tickets or registration; be sure to consult the master calendar for information on how to register.
The official convention watch party takes place each day at the Drink Wisconsinbly Pub, 320 W. Highland Ave., across from Fiserv Forum.
(5:45 a.m.)
— Claire Reid
Fiserv Forum, home of the Milwaukee Bucks, is the main venue for the RNC. That’s also where the first Republican debate was held in August. Thousands of delegates will gather there to hear the big speeches.
The nearby University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Panther Arena and the Baird Center will also be used as spaces for the event.
Here’s more about each venue:
(5:30 a.m.)
— Hope Karnopp
Unless you’re a delegate, politician, media member or volunteer, you won’t be able to attend the RNC. Those attendees already have credentials to get inside the convention venues.
In other words, you can’t buy a ticket to get into the convention if you’re a member of the public.
But there are other RNC-related events that are open to the public. And, there are plenty of ways to watch the RNC. Numerous platforms will stream the convention, including the Journal Sentinel. Fox News Media will also have coverage across all of its platforms.
(5:15 a.m.)
— Hope Karnopp
The Democratic National Convention will be held in Chicago — less than 100 miles south of the RNC — from Aug. 19 to Aug. 22.
(5 a.m.)
— Hope Karnopp
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