The convention site was unanimously approved by RNC members during a closed-door vote Friday morning at the party’s annual summer meeting here. McDaniel joined former White House chief of staff and one-time RNC chairman Reince Priebus along with members of the party’s Wisconsin delegation for the announcement.
“Over the next two years, we look forward to working with the mayor and everyone in the community to make this an event that highlights not only our nominee … but the great city that is Milwaukee,” McDaniel said.
Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson, a Democrat, defended the decision to host the convention in his city, telling CNN that the move “doesn’t mean” Milwaukee is “signing on to the GOP platform.”
“My position, and I think most Democrats understand this, is that this is not a political decision, it’s a business decision,” Johnson said. “This will provide us with an opportunity to have a multi-million dollar economic impact … for us to fill our restaurants, our bars, our hotels and support our hospitality industry which has been hit by Covid, of course, in the last couple of years.” ”
Johnson joined McDaniel on Friday to formally introduce Milwaukee as the convention site choice, just days after Nashville dropped out of contention as a potential alternative. Milwaukee began its bid to host the convention nearly a year ago, and representatives from the city met with RNC officials in February as they toured the finalist cities, which at the time included Salt Lake City and Pittsburgh. Both cities were later removed from the race.
Later Friday, former President Donald Trump is scheduled to host a campaign rally in the Milwaukee suburb of Waukesha for Tim Michels, the GOP candidate for governor, ahead of the state’s primary election next week. Trump’s enduring popularity among the GOP base is likely to position him as the favorite in a crowded 2024 GOP primary if he launches a new presidential campaign as expected. Johnson, who has said he will actively campaign to re-elect President Joe Biden in 2024, dismissed security concerns about protests surrounding the convention in Milwaukee, including if Trump — one of the most polarizing figures in American politics — is the Republican nominee. .
“I think any time you host a large-scale event, there’s potential for that kind of activity. Our police department is well versed and I think they’re prepared for the convention,” Johnson said, noting that Milwaukee was originally slated to host the 2020 Democratic National Convention before going virtual amid the pandemic. coronavirus.
“Milwaukee police are already well prepared for this and will really be in an excellent position to execute what we were going to execute on the last go around,” Johnson said.
This story has been updated with additional reports on the selection.
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