Here & Now

Johnson Reports From Republican Convention In Cleveland

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

WHAT DID WISCONSIN DELEGATES TO THE CONVENTION, DELEGATES WHO CAST MOST THEIR VOTES FOR TED CRUZ, MAKE OF THE WEEK THAT SAW DONALD TRUMP FORMALLY NOMINATED. WE TURN NOW TO WISCONSIN PUBLIC RADIO REPORTER SHAWN JOHNSON WHO’S COVERING THE PARTY CONVENTION. HE JOINS US FROM CLEVELAND. AND SHAWN, THANKS FOR DOING SO.

SHAWN JOHNSON:

THANKS FOR HAVING ME.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

HOW WAS DONALD TRUMP’S SPEECH RECEIVED IN THE CONVENTION HALL?

SHAWN JOHNSON:

IN THE CONVENTION HALL ITSELF IT GOT PRETTY LOUD FOR SOME OF HIS LINES. I THINK YOU HAVE TO SAY IT WAS WELL-RECEIVED IN THERE. TO THE HANDFUL OF REPUBLICANS I SPOKE WITH AFTER THE SPEECH, MOST OF THEM LIKED IT. GOVERNOR WALKER THOUGHT IT WAS EXACTLY WHAT TRUMP NEEDED TO DO. HE SAID TRUMP NEEDED TO LAY OUT A PLAN. HE THOUGHT THAT HE DID. I TALKED TO DON TAYLOR, A LONGTIME WAUKESHA COUNTY GOP ACTIVIST, THE PARTY CHAIR IN WAUKESHA COUNTY FOR 30 YEARS. HE SAID HE DIDN’T REALLY KNOW MUCH ABOUT DONALD TRUMP AT THE START OF THIS CAMPAIGN, BUT THE MORE HE KNOWS, THE MORE HE LIKES. AND THIS CONVENTION SEALED IT FOR HIM. I TALKED TO VAN MOBLEY, WHO A FEW MONTHS AGO WAS THE ONLY DONALD TRUMP SUPPORTER YOU COULD FIND IN WISCONSIN, ELECTED OFFICIAL. HE LIKED WHAT HE SAW. ONE PERSON I TALKED TO WHO DIDN’T CARE FOR IT WAS CHARLIE SYKES, CONSERVATIVE TALK SHOW RADIO HOST OUT OF MILWAUKEE AND AN OUTSPOKEN LEADER OF THE SO-CALLED NEVER TRUMP MOVEMENT. CHARLES SYKES WAS A LITTLE BIT DOWNTRODDEN AFTER THE SPEECH. HE CONCEDED THAT IT WAS WELL-RECEIVED IN THAT HALL, BUT HE FEELS LIKE IT’S KIND OF THE CAPITULATION OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY IN THE NAME OF TRUMP.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

SO EARLIER IN THE WEEK, WHAT DID DELEGATES YOU SPOKE TO MAKE OF TED CRUZ SO POINTEDLY NOT ENDORSING TRUMP? KIND OF A BIG BLOW-UP THERE AT THAT CONVENTION.

SHAWN JOHNSON:

YEAH. THAT WAS REALLY — UNTIL TRUMP’S SPEECH, THAT HAD THE RISK FOR REPUBLICANS OF BEING THE DEFINING MOMENT. BECAUSE, REMEMBER, THIS HAPPENED ON THE NIGHT WHEN THEY WERE SET TO NOMINATE MIKE PENCE AS THE VICE-PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE. NOBODY REALLY REMEMBERS PENCE’S SPEECH BECAUSE TED CRUZ GOT UP THERE AND SAID NOTHING ABOUT AN ENDORSEMENT. AND SAID VOTE YOUR CONSCIENCE. AND THERE WAS BOOING IN THE HALL. SO I THINK EVEN THOUGH WISCONSIN WAS A CRUZ STATE, WHAT YOU HEARD FROM AT LEAST THE DELEGATES WHO TALKED ABOUT WHAT CRUZ DID THAT NIGHT WAS THAT THEY DIDN’T REALLY CARE FOR IT. THEY THOUGHT THAT IT OVERSTEPPED ON BEHALF OF CRUZ. THEY THOUGHT THAT IT WENT AGAINST THE INTEREST OF THE PARTY. GOVERNOR WALKER, SOMEBODY WHO LIKE CRUZ, RAN FOR PRESIDENT AND LOST TO DONALD TRUMP, AND WALKER NOTED THAT THEY WERE BOTH ON A STAGE ABOUT A YEAR AGO IN CLEVELAND WHERE THEY TOOK AN OATH TO SUPPORT WHOMEVER EMERGED FROM THE REPUBLICAN PRIMARY. WALKER SAID THAT HE STANDS BY THAT BECAUSE HE THINKS THAT ANY OF THE CANDIDATES WHO RAN FOR PRESIDENT ON THE REPUBLICAN SIDE WERE BETTER THAN HILLARY CLINTON.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

AND SO THE GRASP ON THE GOP PARTY UNITY MIGHT HAVE BEEN MORE FRAGILE EARLIER IN THE WEEK, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE THE NOMINEE HAS KIND OF PULLED IT BACK TOGETHER, AT LEAST FROM WHAT YOU’RE HEARING FOLLOWING HIS LONG SPEECH.

SHAWN JOHNSON:

YEAH. IT WAS KIND OF REMARKABLE TO SEE IT PROGRESS THROUGHOUT THE WEEK. I MEAN, EARLY ON IN THE WEEK YOU HAD REPUBLICANS SPEAKING TO THE WISCONSIN GOP DELEGATION. AND IN THEIR SPEECHES, FOR EXAMPLE, PAUL RYAN DIDN’T EVEN MENTION DONALD TRUMP BY NAME. REBECCA KLEEFISCH, THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR, DID NOT MENTION DONALD TRUMP BY NAME. IN FACT, SHE RELINQUISHED HER DELEGATE STATUS. SO THERE ARE OBVIOUS SIGNS THERE THAT THE WISCONSIN REPUBLICAN PARTY IS STILL WARMING UP TO DONALD TRUMP. IT SEEMED LIKE EARLIER THIS YEAR THEY MIGHT NOT. BUT I THINK WHEN SOMEBODY LIKE GOVERNOR WALKER COMES ALONG — GOVERNOR WALKER WHO BY THE WAY, A FEW WEEKS AGO WOULDN’T EVEN MENTION DONALD TRUMP BY NAME HIMSELF. NOW WALKER’S ON BOARD. HE SPEAKS AT THE CONVENTION. HE’S TALKING NOT ONLY ABOUT WHY DONALD TRUMP IS A BETTER ALTERNATIVE THAN HILLARY CLINTON. BUT HE’S COMPLIMENTING DONALD TRUMP. HE’S SAYING NICE THINGS ABOUT DONALD TRUMP, WHICH WOULDN’T BE NOTEWORTHY IN A NORMAL ELECTION YEAR, BUT THIS YEAR IT IS. WALKER SETS THE TONE AND THE REST OF THE PARTY IS SLOWLY FOLLOWING.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

TED CRUZ SEEMS TO BE SETTING HIMSELF UP FOR A 2020 RUN IF TRUMP LOSES. WHAT ABOUT SCOTT WALKER?

SHAWN JOHNSON:

SCOTT WALKER MET WITH THE DELEGATIONS OF IOWA, SOUTH CAROLINA AND NEW HAMPSHIRE THIS WEEK. AND IF YOU’RE WONDERING WHY THOSE STATES, IT’S PRETTY OBVIOUS THOSE ARE THE STATES THAT HAVE THE EARLY PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARIES OR NOMINATING CONTESTS. SO WALKER’S DOWNPLAYING THAT, BUT THERE ARE A LOT OF OTHER DELEGATIONS HE COULD HAVE MET WITH. IT’S A PRETTY CLEAR SIGN THAT HE WANTS TO BE THOUGHT OF SHOULD DONALD TRUMP NOT WIN THIS YEAR IN 2020 OR IF DONALD TRUMP DOES WIN THIS YEAR, IN 2024 AND BEYOND. HE’S TAKING A MUCH DIFFERENT APPROACH THAN TED CRUZ. WALKER IS KIND OF PLAYING IT SAFE AND BACKING TRUMP IN THE NAME OF PARTY. CRUZ IS OUT THERE SAYING, I KNOW THIS IS UNPOPULAR RIGHT NOW, BUT I CAN’T DO THIS AND, YOU KNOW, WHEN 2020 COMES, IF IT’S AN OPEN SEAT AGAIN, HE’LL BE THE GUY THAT TOOK THAT STAND, WHEREAS THERE WILL BE A LOT OF REPUBLICANS LIKE SCOTT WALKER WHO DID NOT.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

ALL RIGHT. SHAWN JOHNSON, WE LEAVE IT THERE. WE WILL TOUCH IN WITH YOU NEXT WEEK FROM THE DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION. THANKS VERY MUCH FOR JOINING US FROM CLEVELAND.

SHAWN JOHNSON:

THANKS, FRED.