14 key moments from the RNC in Milwaukee on Monday
There was a lot happening the first day of the 2024 Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.
Here are key moments from Monday — just a selection of the hundreds of live RNC updates Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reporters brought to our readers throughout the day.
Cheese curd vendor brought over 360 pounds of cheese to RNC's Convention Fest
There's one vendor at Convention Fest that will undoubtedly be popular: Wisconsin Fried Cheese Curds, owned and operated by David and Sanita Hofer. They've been in business for 16 years, working about 60 fairs and festivals in the Milwaukee area each season.
"This is not our first rodeo," David Hofer said about introducing out-of-state visitors to cheese curds. He has a sign set up next to the tent that explains the process of making cheese curds.
Hofer, who was working the booth with his two daughters, was getting customers even before Convention Fest officially started at 2 p.m.
He estimated he brought 360 pounds of cheese for the curds to Convention Fest, plus 60 pounds of sliced cheese from Ellsworth and Plymouth, Wisconsin.
Protests mostly quiet
The first two groups scheduled to speak at the Haymarket Square Park protest zone Monday were no-shows.
That's according to Ashanti Hamilton, director of the city's Office of Community Wellness and Safety (formerly the Office of Violence Prevention). He was at the zone to coordinate the speaker's platform and event security staff, who are community organizers trained in de-escalation and mediation tactics, Hamilton said.
Zeidler Union Square, the city's other designated protest zone, was empty most of the day, except for a couple dozen security staff.
There were more dog-walkers than protesters at Zeidler, a security staffer said.
Hamilton said the Trump assassination attempt changed the potential protest landscape.
Across the river from the RNC venues, Red Arrow Park saw much more action.
About 500 gathered for a rally ahead of the noon march by the Coalition to March on the RNC.
Protesters made signs focusing on immigrant rights and LGBTQ rights; some had slogans like “We can no longer afford the rich” and “Free Palestine.”
Marchers met back at the park in the afternoon to rest — running up against Progressive Anti-Abortion Uprising, an anti-abortion group demonstrating in the park.
A person was shouting through a bullhorn at close range to the group, and members of the group shouted back. One member activated a siren sound on his bullhorn.
Coalition security guards formed a barrier around the group as members laid on the ground to demonstrate.
Later, a man wearing a Chicago Bears shirt was seen in handcuffs after being detained at the park by Milwaukee police officers, according to a video circulating online. The video, which was posted on social platform X, had more than 3,000 views.
One witness said the man in the video was intoxicated, but that there were no other incidents. A protester also told reporters there were some agitators, but that they were ushered out of the park without being detained.
Hundreds march against RNC
After weeks pressuring the city to allow protesters to march within "sight and sound" of main RNC event venue Fiserv Forum, the Coalition to March on the RNC 2024 went forward on its planned route without issue.
The Coalition considered it a victory that the hundreds of marchers were able to get as close to Fiserv as they did, passing unimpeded into the RNC's broader "soft" security zone. It had been unclear whether police might stop the group.
The soft security zone is governed by the city's extraordinary event ordinance, which established certain areas where protests are allowed, including a "parade" route for marches five blocks south of Fiserv. The Coalition, as planned, took a separate route as members were adamant about being within "sight and sound" of Fiserv.
Police officers from Milwaukee and several other agencies stood by but there were no confrontations between protesters and law enforcement. Officers along the route were seen being friendly, polite and helpful to marchers.
Marchers stayed outside the credentials-only “hard” security zone around the RNC and paused just outside a delegate entry point, when they were a block away from Fiserv Forum, to make themselves heard by convention-goers.
The Coalition consists of local and national organizations, including the Milwaukee Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, Reproductive Justice Action Milwaukee, and the Milwaukee Anti-War Committee.
Many organizers are also unsatisfied with the Democratic party and plan to protest the Democratic National Convention in August in Chicago.
Trump beats RNC to JD Vance VP announcement
A little over an hour before his vice presidential choice was set to be revealed at the RNC, Trump announced on Truth Social that he chose U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio to be his running mate.
Vance will be "strongly focused on the people he fought so brilliantly for, the American workers and farmers in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, Minnesota, and far beyond," Trump wrote.
U.S. Rep. Derrick Van Orden (WI-3) told the Journal Sentinel that Vance was an "exquisite" running mate pick for Trump's campaign.
Van Orden spoke of his shared experiences with Vance as a person who growing up in rural poverty to a single mother, joined the military, and pursued a position in Congress.
Republican Party of Wisconsin Chairman Brian Schimming praised Vance as someone with a “compelling personal story” and said Vance’s Midwest ties could help Wisconsin Republicans.
“As with most swing states, we’re looking for surrogates. We’re looking for people who can come in and identify with voters quickly,” Schimming said. “And he can do that."
“That’s why it makes a difference,” Schimming added. “He can roll into a state like Wisconsin and immediately click. So anytime he wants to come to Wisconsin, I will put him in the car and personally drive him around.”
Trump appears at convention after securing official nomination
Trump was officially nominated for president during the delegate roll call.
Eric Trump, Donald Trump's son, delivered the delegates that formally put the former president over the top.
“On behalf of our entire family and on behalf of the 125 delegates in the unbelievable state of Florida, we hereby nominate every single one of them for the greatest president that’s ever lived, and that’s Donald J. Trump, hereby declaring him the Republican nominee for president of the United States of America,” he said.
Later, the former president made his first public appearance since Saturday's shooting. Cameras in the convention hall filmed him walking into a luxury box, a large bandage over his right ear.
Trump waved as the crowd roared and the cover band played a version of "So Caught Up in You."
Singer Lee Greenwood then appeared on the stage to sing "God Bless The USA."
Trump is slated to speak Thursday.
Ripon’s Little White Schoolhouse gets attention
When Brian Schimming, chairman of the Republican Party of Wisconsin, welcomed convention-goers during the RNC roll call at Fiserv Forum, he gave a shoutout to the GOP’s Wisconsin roots.
“One hundred and seventy years ago, this great party was founded down the road in Ripon, Wisconsin, in a little white schoolhouse,” Schimming said, flanked by former Gov. Scott Walker and others.
A replica of the Little White Schoolhouse was also on display at the RNC's Convention Fest outside the Baird Center and Panther Arena.
The one-third scale replica of the schoolhouse was constructed by Ripon High School students for parades and city events.
The full-size schoolhouse was Ripon's first public school, built in 1853, and is now more popularly known as the Little White Schoolhouse, the birthplace of the Republican Party.
Russell Brand, Amber Rose among celebrities in Milwaukee
Before speaking at the RNC, model, influencer and former reality TV star Amber Rose was seen around town Milwaukee, including at Tupelo Honey Southern Kitchen & Bar on Sunday.
In her nighttime speech, Rose said she used to be critical of Donald Trump, but she changed her mind after talking about the former president's tenure with her father.
Actor and comedian Russell Brand was also spotted downtown Monday by social media users. In an Instagram Story, he shared that he's doing his Rumble show from the RNC this week. He also is doing two live standup comedy shows while in town.
Brand made headlines last September when multiple British media outlets reported that several women alleged that he sexually assaulted them between 2006 and 2013, according to a USA Today report.
Partisan controversy erupts over ... Spotted Cow?
Spotted Cow, the beer from the New Glarus Brewing Co. that's sold only in Wisconsin, prompted a discussion about the beer, its quality and its place in Wisconsin politics.
Politico correspondent Adam Wren reported on X that Sen. Ron Johnson told a passerby that Spotted Cow is pretty good, “but the owner is ultraliberal. Leinenkugel’s is the conservative one.”
Freelance journalist Robert Evans posted that Wisconsin should be proud of Spotted Cow.
“My primary takeaway from the Milwaukee RNC: Spotted Cow is an excellent beer, shocked by how good it is,” Evans said in an X post.
Journal Sentinel reporters talked to people around the RNC perimeter to get their perspectives on the popular local beer.
Kevin Prior of Connecticut, a bar patron at the 3rd Street Market Hall, said he was sold on the beer after he tried it based on the recommendation of a friend.
"A buddy of mine in Chicago loves it, told us you can only get it up here, and cracked a couple bottles for us in Chicago, and it was unbelievable, delicious," Prior said. "Love it."
Nathan Bartley, a bartender at Mo's ... A Place for Steaks, said the fact that New Glarus does not sell outside of Wisconsin speaks to the brewery's commitment to quality.
"They're refusing to send it across the rest of the Midwest, nationwide, overseas, so that they have a great product that is local to them and stays popular," Bartley said.
When asked on his opinion on people who don't like Spotted Cow beer, Bartley didn't mince his words.
"Well, they can go back to St. Louis and drink Bud Light products," he said.
Third Ward slow, Milwaukee Public Market nearly empty
Bobby Flowers, florist at Marius Bell Floral & Design, arrived at the Milwaukee Public Market around 11 a.m., and as of 5:30 p.m. said he's never seen it so empty on a Monday.
"It's been dead," he said. "There's usually a lot of tourist traffic here on Mondays, and it's just been so quiet today. It feels so strange."
As of 6 p.m., only eight patrons were seated in the market's upstairs dining area, with roughly 20 to 30 patrons shopping or dining on the main floor. Five open tables were available at St. Paul Fish Co. Outside at the St. Paul Palapa tiki bar, all bar stools were occupied.
Other businesses in the Third Ward neighborhood said they were hoping for a convention boost in business but it had yet to materialize.
At Cafe Benelux, an employee said the number of diners was “significantly” lower than a normal Monday evening. Dominic Reed, manager of the Wicked Hop, said business was “a lot” slower than normal.
Wisconsin pastor gave one heck of a Donald Trump impression
Before a Wisconsin pastor gave a benediction at the Republican National Convention, he delivered one heck of a Donald Trump impression — in front of the former president himself.
"It's a great pleasure to be here," Rev. James A. Roemke of Kenosha's Messiah Lutheran Church addressed the crowd from Fiserv Forum's stage. "A great pleasure to see President Donald Trump safe."
"If I may before the benediction, give you this promise," Roemke continued.
Then, the pastor switched into a Trump-sounding voice complete with Trump-like hand gestures and facial expressions.
"You're going to be so blessed," Roemke said. "You're going to be tired of being blessed. I guarantee it ... Believe me."
Was Trump amused? He flashed a big smile and applauded as the crowd cheered.
Anti-abortion activists at RNC angry over 'watered down' Republican Party platform
Delegates at the RNC officially approved the new party platform and language on abortion Monday.
The language states, in part: “We proudly stand for families and Life. We believe that the 14th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States guarantees that no person can be denied Life or Liberty without Due Process, and that the States are, therefore, free to pass Laws protecting those Rights.”
Previous RNC platforms stated that an "unborn child has a fundamental right to life which cannot be infringed," which anti-abortion advocates saw as a stronger stance.
About 50 anti-abortion protesters belonging to several different groups appeared around the RNC to call for a stronger approach.
Deacon Jim Matthias, who directs the Respect Life Ministry within the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, was at Haymarket Square Park and said he was disappointed in the "watered down pro-life platform" Republicans announced.
Progressive Anti-Abortion Uprising staged a "wedding" at Red Arrow Park between the “abortion industry” and the Republican Party. A woman in white dress spattered with fake blood “married” a man wearing a pool noodle on his nose to represent an elephant trunk.
Ron Johnson says teleprompter loaded wrong speech
Ron Johnson's moment in the spotlight at the Republican National Convention did not go completely to plan.
The Democratic Party, Johnson said as he welcomed Republican delegates to Wisconsin, are the party of “open borders, reckless spending, weaponized government and weakness on the world stage.”
After the speech, an aide to Sen. Ron Johnson told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that the speech Johnson read was not the final version he intended to deliver.
His final speech began with Johnson saying "we should all heed President Trump's call for unity, strength and determination," the aide said.
And Monday night he read a line that he did not want in the final version: "Today's Democrat agenda, their policies, are a clear and present danger to America, to our institutions, our values and our people."
Asked who was responsible for the error, Johnson's staff replied: "Not us."
Milwaukee Fire Department responds to heat-related calls
As thousands flocked to Milwaukee for the first day of the Republican National Convention, many didn’t expect the heat.
As of 6:30 p.m., fire and medical personnel had responded to a dozen heat-related calls within the RNC perimeter, according to Milwaukee Fire Department Lt. Carlos Velazquez Sanchez.
Temperatures peaked at 89 on Monday, with the high humidity bumping the heat index to about 92 degrees. The heat continued to affect people in the area as late as 6 p.m.
Monday's unexpected star: RNC house band Sixwire
A teleprompter malfunction when U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson was speaking temporarily paused the afternoon proceedings at the RNC inside Fiserv Forum.
But that was OK for many, since people were loving house band Sixwire, which played for 20 minutes to fill time — songs from the Foo Fighters, Cheap Trick, the Doobie Brothers and many (many) more.
Sixwire is a country music band based in Nashville, Tennessee. But some who posted on social media mistakenly thought the songs' originating bands were the ones playing. Those bands also began trending on Google Search as, presumably, attendees searched for lyrics and band names.
Compiled from reporting by Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reporters Lawrence Andrea, Sophie Carson, Gina Lee Castro, Quinn Clark, Adrienne Davis, Bridget Fogarty, Tamia Fowlkes, Tristan Hernandez, Hope Karnopp, Hannah Kirby, Christopher Kuhagen, Claudia Levens, Rory Linnane, Kelly Meyerhofer, Kathryn Muchnick, Rachel Seis, Mary Spicuzza and Angelika Ytuarte; and USA Today reporters David Jackson and Marina Pitofsky.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: 14 highlights from the RNC in Milwaukee on Monday
