MILWAUKEE, WI — Multiple Republican lawmakers and candidates are set to speak throughout Wednesday evening, including former President Donald Trump’s pick for Vice President, J.D. Vance.
Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania Dave McCormick, delivered a prime-time speech Tuesday evening on the convention floor. We caught up with McCormick briefly on the floor following his speech, and then again, earlier today to discuss his race against Senator Bob Casey (D- PA).
“This is a race between strength and weakness. This is a race between the future and the past. And I think people feel optimistic about it,” said McCormick.
McCormick said his race is also about the economy, unleashing PA’s energy sector, crime and public safety as well as immigration.
“We need economic policy that makes it easier to have working families be able to prosper. We need to make it easier to have businesses, deregulation,” said McCormick. “We need to have permit reform that allows much more easy drilling, that allows much more pipeline capability. Ideally, I’d like to see an offshore LNG port that can export our natural gas around the world. That makes manufacturing more cost effective, that creates enormously attractive jobs for our young people,” McCormick added. “We can do this in a way that protects our environment.”
Toning back on political rhetoric and attacks is not an easy task in such a contentious election cycle up and down the ballot. It’s been a common topic this week following Saturday’s assassination attempt.
“We should embrace the fact that we have a huge conflict in ideas. I’m running because I think the country’s going in a disastrous direction. I’m running because I think the policies of President Biden and Bob Casey have been disastrous. I think we need a dramatic shift in change,” said McCormick, who added that either side shouldn’t dehumanize an opponent because they disagree. “We have to stop dehumanizing people. We have to stop making it so personal. We have to fight our battles through elections, we have to fight our battles through civil, tough-minded discourse,” McCormick added. “We can’t create an environment where it becomes unsafe to be a public official.”
Energy and excitement are two common themes expressed by attendees and rally goers. Congressman Nick Langworthy (R- NY) landed in Milwaukee Wednesday afternoon and spoke with our team in Milwaukee.
“You could feel a real buzz and a real energy here,” said Langworthy, who expressed excitement about Trump’s VP pick, J.D. Vance.
“He’s going to bring a voice to rural and Rust Belt America that has not been on the national stage for far too many years,” said Langworthy. “I’m excited to have him serving alongside President Trump to help get this country back on track.”
Langworthy says he is looking ahead to getting back to Washington to find answers to questions surrounding the assassination attempt on the former President on Saturday.
“This looks like a total breach of a code of conduct by the Secret Service. I happen to serve on the House Oversight Committee. We received our first briefing as all House members today. I have a lot more questions than answers,” said Langworthy. “This can never happen again. It’s going to be a full-throated investigation. It probably takes months, but most likely years to really have a total document as to what happened. But this is an epic failure and it’s unconscionable how this building was left unsecure,” he added.