{"id":2289803,"date":"2024-07-06T07:54:59","date_gmt":"2024-07-06T11:54:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/milwaukee-mayor-builds-national-profile-as-frenemy-of-gop-convention-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-07-06T07:59:39","modified_gmt":"2024-07-06T11:59:39","slug":"milwaukee-mayor-builds-national-profile-as-frenemy-of-gop-convention-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/milwaukee-mayor-builds-national-profile-as-frenemy-of-gop-convention-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"Milwaukee mayor builds national profile as \u2018frenemy\u2019 of GOP convention &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">26<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fmilwaukee-mayor-builds-national-profile-as-frenemy-of-gop-convention-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2289803&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>This article discusses Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier \u200dJohnson&#8217;s role in securing \u2064the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, a decision that \u200chas placed \u2063him \u200din \u2064the national spotlight. \u200bDespite being a Democrat, Johnson worked\u200b with officials to bring the convention to the city\u200c in hopes of\u2062 boosting the local economy and attracting business. However, Johnson must balance his loyalty to the Democratic \u200bParty while hosting \u2064a Republican convention, especially \u200das he begins to publicly criticize former\u200b President Donald Trump, who disparaged Milwaukee\u2063 in a private meeting.\u2064 Johnson&#8217;s role in the convention also highlights his political ambitions and his \u2062efforts to \u2063sell Milwaukee as a\u200b desirable place to live and invest. The article also touches on Johnson&#8217;s criticisms of \u2064both Trump and President Joe Biden, highlighting the political tensions\u2064 surrounding the upcoming convention and Johnson&#8217;s balancing act between\u200b pragmatism and party loyalty.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><br \/>\n<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC \"-\/\/W3C\/\/DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional\/\/EN\" \"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/TR\/REC-html40\/loose.dtd\"><br \/>\n<?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><html><body><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><a class=\"tdb-logo-a\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" title=\"Washington Examiner\"><span class=\"tdb-logo-img-wrap\"><\/span><span class=\"tdb-logo-text-wrap\"><span class=\"tdb-logo-text-title\">Washington Examiner<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\">\n<div class=\"tdb-search-form-inner\"><input class=\"tdb-head-search-form-input\" placeholder=\" \" type=\"text\" value name=\"s\" autocomplete=\"off\"><button class=\"wpb_button wpb_btn-inverse btn tdb-head-search-form-btn\" title=\"Search\" type=\"submit\"><span>Search<\/span><\/button><\/div>\n<\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><a class=\"tdb-logo-a\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" title=\"Washington Examiner\"><span class=\"tdb-logo-img-wrap\"><\/span><span class=\"tdb-logo-text-wrap\"><span class=\"tdb-logo-text-title\">Washington Examiner<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Milwaukee mayor builds national profile as \u2018frenemy\u2019 of Trump convention<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-author-name-wrap\"><span class=\"tdb-author-by\">By<\/span> <a class=\"tdb-author-name\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/author\/david-sivak\/\">David Sivak<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><time class=\"entry-date updated td-module-date\" datetime=\"2024-07-06T06:00:00-04:00\">July 6, 2024 6:00 am<\/time><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1694520\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>Mayor Cavalier Johnson, a Democrat, secured a national stage for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/milwaukee\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Milwaukee<\/a> when Republicans agreed to hold their presidential convention there later this month.<\/p>\n<p>Yet the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/wisconsin\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Wisconsin<\/a> confab is also pulling Johnson into the spotlight as he criticizes a coronation of former President <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Donald Trump<\/a> that he helped bring to his city.<\/p>\n<p>Johnson, in coordination with officials all the way up to Gov. Tony Evers (D-WI), convinced the Republican National Committee to choose Milwaukee by promising a \u201cwelcoming environment\u201d in a battleground that could decide the November election.<\/p>\n<p>His office holds weekly meetings with RNC officials to make sure the event, which will bring tens of thousands of visitors <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/2439613\/blue-milwaukee-places-economic-hopes-in-gop-convention-aimed-at-defeating-biden\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>and a large financial windfall<\/a>, goes smoothly.<\/p>\n<p>The close coordination underscores what\u2019s at stake for Johnson, a rising Democratic star elected to a second term as mayor in April. He has ambitious plans for the city, including growing the population to a million residents, and sees the convention as part of a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/sen-risch-wont-lift-hold-on-palestinian-aid-without-guarantee-taxpayer-money-is-kept-from-terrorists\/\" title=\"Sen. Risch Won\u2019t Lift Hold on Palestinian Aid Without Guarantee Taxpayer Money Is Kept From Terrorists\">longer-term project<\/a> to attract business.<\/p>\n<p>But Johnson\u2019s desire for a successful convention is running into a second imperative. He is a loyal Democrat hosting a Republican convention and must still be an effective messenger for President Joe Biden.<\/p>\n<p>When the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em> first sat down with Johnson in early December, weeks before Trump trounced his way to the GOP nomination, he struck a conciliatory tone that emphasized the economic opportunity the event promises to bring. Everyone, Republican or Democrat, supports the \u201cgreen party,\u201d Johnson joked when asked about the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/2627506\/republicans-go-all-in-on-wisconsin-with-trump-biden-rematch-looming\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>unorthodox relationship<\/a> he\u2019d forged with the RNC.<\/p>\n<p>But Johnson has begun to take his gloves off in the lead-up to the convention. He called Trump \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/presidential\/3045273\/milwaukee-mayor-slams-trump-as-unhinged-for-alleged-dig-at-city\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>unhinged<\/a>\u201d in a string of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=v1WfcUJS3bY\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>cable news appearances<\/a> and press gaggles last month after the former president reportedly disparaged Milwaukee as a \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/presidential\/3048964\/wisconsin-rally-trump-horrible-city\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>horrible city<\/a>\u201d in a private meeting on Capitol Hill.<\/p>\n<p>Johnson said as a Milwaukee native, the remarks, which Trump denies ever making, were personal.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI take offense when anybody comes in and says that my home is a horrible place,\u201d he said in a Wednesday phone interview.<\/p>\n<p>But the comments were also part of a rhetorical shift for Johnson, who plans to make himself available for Democratic counterprogramming when the convention kicks off on July 15.<\/p>\n<p>On the call, Johnson delivered his most scathing remarks on the former president to date, casting him as a threat to democracy whose policies would set back the rights of minority voters in Milwaukee.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe saw the blunder that was his first administration. I think this next time around, though, it potentially spells some really dark days for American democracy, and that is really, really troubling for me,\u201d Johnson said.<\/p>\n<p>The comments reflect the more overtly political role Johnson is stepping into. Until now, he has largely sought to prove his mettle as a steward of his city.<\/p>\n<p>He became the first black mayor elected in Milwaukee in 2022 at the age of 35 by addressing local concerns, including crime and reckless driving. The convention and other draws like it provide a chance to sell Milwaukee, a state suffering from a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/walter-lohman-china-can-afford-to-take-its-time-on-taiwan\/\" title=\"Walter Lohman: China Can Afford To Take Its Time On Taiwan\">long-term decline<\/a> in population, as a desirable place to live and invest.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe\u2019s a fabulous man. I think he\u2019s a rising star with a really tough job,\u201d Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) said of Johnson.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson, left, speaks with Cam Henderson, right, from the Republican National Committee, at the JW Marriott in Chicago ahead of Milwaukee\u2019s expected selection to host the 2024 Republican National Convention, Friday, Aug. 5, 2022. (Jovanny Hernandez\/Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel via AP)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Yet the convention is offering Johnson another avenue to elevate his political stock. He helped land Milwaukee as the host city but is now using his office as a bully pulpit.<\/p>\n<p>He, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2024\/06\/27\/us\/politics\/biden-trump-project-2025.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>similar to<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2024\/06\/27\/us\/politics\/biden-trump-project-2025.html\">  the Biden campaign<\/a>, attempted to tie Trump to Project 2025, a presidential blueprint put forward by the Heritage Foundation, calling its agenda part of a \u201cdarker, dystopian view and vision for the future of our country.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>On Friday, Trump disavowed the platform, pitched as a way to dislodge a \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.heritage.org\/conservatism\/commentary\/project-2025\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>permanent political class<\/a>\u201d that conservatives say is hostile to them. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cI have nothing to do with them,\u201d Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, the former president is relying on state officials to act as surrogates. Rep. Bryan Steil (R-WI), who represents parts of Milwaukee County in Congress, panned Biden\u2019s policies on the economy and border with an allusion to his poor debate performance last week.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe\u2019s incapable of defending the policies because the policies he has put forward are indefensible,\u201d he said in a press call ahead of Biden\u2019s visit to Madison on Friday.<\/p>\n<p>Johnson, for his part, chided Democrats who believe Biden should step aside over the debate, during which the president struggled to complete thoughts and, at times, challenge Trump. So far, four House Democrats have called for a new name atop the presidential ticket, with more waiting in the wings when Congress returns on Monday.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cUltimately, Joe Biden is going to be our nominee,\u201d Johnson told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>. \u201cUnless Joe Biden were to come forward and say, \u2018Hey, I\u2019m not going to do this,\u2019 then folks should rally around him.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>But Johnson reserved most of his criticism for Trump, suggesting racial animus on the part of the former president given his repeated depiction of American cities as corrupt, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-brings-lawsuit-against-ny-attorney-general-letitia-james-but-this-time-in-florida\/\" title=\"Trump Brings Lawsuit Against NY Attorney General Letitia James - But This Time in Florida\">crime-ridden places<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI mean, folks can read between the lines there about what Donald Trump thinks about places that have significant amounts of diversity,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>Trump has previously defended himself as the \u201cleast racist person on earth.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Johnson maintains that he has a good relationship with the RNC even as he faulted the party for returning to Trump despite his efforts to overturn the 2020 election.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s their candidate. It\u2019s the candidate that got the requisite amount of delegates that has posed to be the problem,\u201d Johnson said, noting Republicans were far less deferential to Trump when Wisconsin officials were vying to bring the convention to Milwaukee.<\/p>\n<p>Yet the tension between pragmatism and party loyalty for Johnson was there from the start.<\/p>\n<p>Milwaukee County is a liberal bastion that Biden won by 40 points in 2020, but if Republicans make even a dent in that support, it could swing a state decided by 20,000 votes in the last two presidential races into the GOP column.<\/p>\n<p>Republicans dismissed the idea that Trump was bad for black voters on Friday\u2019s press call, predicting the same concerns hobbling Biden\u2019s campaign nationally will hurt him with people of all ethnicities.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey\u2019re in trouble. They\u2019re in trouble for a reason, and if somebody needs a rescue plan with those voters, it\u2019s not Donald Trump, it\u2019s Joe Biden,\u201d Brian Schimming, chairman of the Wisconsin GOP, told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>Johnson emphasized the outreach the Biden campaign has done to the black community in Milwaukee while panning Trump\u2019s attempts to win their support. He suggested his debate reference to immigrants stealing lower-wage \u201cblack jobs\u201d would turn those voters off.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title><strong>CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>But Johnson also cast the race in economic terms, predicting Milwaukee, part of the Midwestern Rust Belt, will vote for Biden because of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politifact.com\/article\/2024\/mar\/04\/Biden-Trump-economy-who-did-better\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>manufacturing jobs<\/a> created in the last three years.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhoever wins the state of Wisconsin wins the White House, and I think that\u2019ll be Joe Biden,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1694520\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1694520\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><a class=\"tdb-logo-a\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" title=\"Washington Examiner\"><span class=\"tdb-logo-img-wrap\"><\/span><span class=\"tdb-logo-text-wrap\"><span class=\"tdb-logo-text-title\">Washington Examiner<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<p><\/body><\/html><\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson, a Democrat, gained national attention when Republicans chose his city to host their presidential convention. Despite his efforts to ensure a successful event, Johnson has also been vocal in criticizing the presence of former President Donald Trump at the convention. Johnson, who has ambitious plans for Milwaukee, is balancing his role as a host for the Republican convention with his loyalty to the Democratic party and President Joe Biden. He has been increasingly critical of Trump, calling him &#8220;unhinged&#8221; and a threat to democracy. Johnson&#8217;s comments reflect his growing political role as he seeks to elevate his profile and promote Milwaukee as a desirable place to live and invest. He has also criticized Trump&#8217;s policies and rhetoric, while defending Biden and the Democratic party. Johnson&#8217;s stance has put him at odds with some Republicans, but he remains committed to supporting Biden and the Democratic nominee for president<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2651,"featured_media":2289804,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/AP-cavalier-johnson-milwaukee-rnc-1024x591.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[4602,7674,34047],"class_list":["post-2289803","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-mayor","tag-milwaukee","tag-national-profile"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/AP-cavalier-johnson-milwaukee-rnc-1024x591.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2289803","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2651"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2289803"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2289803\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2289804"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2289803"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2289803"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2289803"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}