THANKS FOR JOINING US ON CHICAGO TONIGHT FOR OUR SPECIAL COVERAGE OF THE REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION.

BRANDIS FRIEDMAN DELEGATES ARE IN PLACE IN MILWAUKEE WITH BIG NEWS ALREADY FROM THE CONVENTION.

AS WE KNOW, OHIO SENATOR JD VANCE WILL BE DONALD TRUMP'S RUNNING MATE ALSO WE MORE REACTION TO THIS WEEKEND'S ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT ON FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP.

NOW WE'LL HEAR FROM AMANDA INSIDE THE CONVENTION CENTER IN A FEW MOMENTS.

BUT FIRST, WE WANT TO START OUR TEAM COVERAGE WITH HEATHER SHARON COMING TO US LIVE FROM THE BAIRD CENTER IN MILWAUKEE.

A PART OF THE CONVENTION COMPLEX, THE FIRST NIGHT OF REPUBLICAN CONVENTION.

IT DID REACH A CRESCENDO TONIGHT, HEAD OVER THE FIRST APPEARANCE OF FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP SINCE HE SURVIVED THAT ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT ALONGSIDE HIS NEWLY MINTED RUNNING MATE, OHIO SENATOR JD WDW NEWS REPORTER HAD A SHARON WITH MORE.

HEATHER?

I'M A LITTLE MORE THAN 48 HOURS AGO PRESIDENT TRUMP WAS SHOT IN THE EAR BY A 20 YEAR-OLD PENNSYLVANIA MAN.

TELL US WHAT HAPPENED WHEN HE STEPPED ON THAT STAGE TONIGHT.

MILWAUKEE.

WELL, YOU COULD SEE THAT HE WAS WEARING A LARGE WHITE BANDAGE COVERING NEARLY ALL OF HIS RIGHT EAR AND INDICATION OF JUST HOW CLOSE HE CAME TO THE WOULD-BE ASSASSIN'S BULLET.

NOW HE FIRST APPEARED TO THE CONVENTION HALL ON THE BIG SCREEN AND THEN HE APPEARED TO TAKE A LONG, DELIBERATE WALK ONTO THE STAGE WHERE HE WAS GREETED WITH LOUD, LOUD CHEERS, WHICH AMANDA VINIK HE SAYS WERE DEAFENING INSIDE THE CONVENTION HALL.

IT WAS SOMEWHAT MORE MUTED ON TELEVISION, PERHAPS BECAUSE SO MANY OF THE DELEGATES WERE TRYING TO CAPTURE THIS MOMENT IN AMERICAN HISTORY WITH THEIR CELL PHONES FOR THEMSELVES.

THEN WALKED TO THE PRESIDENTIAL BOX AND HE CREATED HIS NEWLY MINTED RUNNING MATE, JD VANCE, SENATOR FROM OHIO.

AND HEATHER IN THE WAKE OF THE SHOOTING.

OF COURSE, THERE HAVE BEEN WIDESPREAD CALLS FOR EVERYONE TO SORT OF RATCHET DOWN THE RHETORIC AND TO UNITE AS AMERICANS.

DID WE HEAR ANY EVIDENCE OF THAT TONIGHT?

WELL, THERE IS CERTAINLY AN ATTEMPT BY SOME SPEAKERS TO TRY TO UP TO THE BETTER ANGELS OF AMERICANS.

NATURE.

IT DID NOT ALWAYS SEEM TO BE AN EASY FIT BECAUSE, OF COURSE, THIS IS A CAMPAIGN BY DONALD TRUMP KNOWN FOR HIS SLASH AND BURN POLITICS.

IN FACT, WISCONSIN SENATOR RON JOHNSON, OF COURSE, GREETING HIS HOMETOWN CROWD HERE IN MILWAUKEE.

HE CALLED THE DEMOCRAT CRADDICK AGENDA IN THEIR POLICY.

A CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER TO AMERICA, OF COURSE, INVOKING THE LEGAL STANDARD THAT SOMETIMES ALLOWS LAW ENFORCEMENT TO USE DEADLY FORCE.

AFTERWARDS, HE TOLD OUR FRIENDS OVER PBS NEWS HOUR THAT THAT WAS THE WRONG SPEECH THAT HE HAD NOT PLANNED TO SAY THAT THAT THE OLD SPEECH GOT LOT LOT LOADED INTO HIS TELEPROMPTER AND HE WASN'T SURE HOW TO PIVOT THAT.

I THINK IT TELLS YOU A LOT ABOUT JUST HOW MUCH THIS ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT HAS CHANGED THE WAY REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS ARE NOW APPROACHING THIS CAMPAIGN, COURSE, HEADED THAT.

HE IS, OF COURSE, GOING FEEL CLEAR WITH THAT EXPLAINING WHAT HAPPENED.

THIS IS ALSO VANCE'S FIRST PUBLIC APPEARANCE AS THE REPUBLICAN NOMINEE FOR VICE PRESIDENT.

WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT HIM?

WELL, VANCE IS A POLITICAL MEAL FIGHT ELECTED.

ONLY 2 YEARS AGO TO THE UNITED STATES SENATE.

BETTER KNOWN AS AN HILLBILLY ELEGY, OF COURSE, A MAJOR HIT AS PEOPLE SOUGHT TO UNDERSTAND EMERGING WORLD URBAN DIVIDE JUST A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, YOU MAY HAVE SEEN THE NETFLIX MOVIE STARRING AMY ADAMS AND GLEN CLOSE.

BUT NOW HE IS SET TO BE DONALD TRUMP'S RUNNING MATE, OF COURSE, REPLACING VICE PRESIDENT MIKE PENCE WHO BROKE WITH PRESIDENT TRUMP AFTER THE JANUARY 6 CAPITOL INSURRECTION AND LAUNCHED HIS OWN UNSUCCESSFUL BID FOR PRESIDENT THIS YEAR.

AND OF COURSE, HEATHER, THE FOCUS TONIGHT WAS ECONOMICS.

THE SO-CALLED BIDENOMICS AND PRESIDENT BIDEN'S ECONOMIC PLAN.

WHAT CASE DID THE REPUBLICANS MAKE AGAINST HIM?

WELL, A LONG SERIES OF SPEECH OR HAS TRIED TO MAKE THE CASE THAT PRESIDENT BIDEN HAD ESSENTIALLY PRESIDED OVER AN ECONOMIC CATASTROPHE WITH HIGH INFLATION HIGHER THAN NORMAL UNEMPLOYMENT AND REALLY JUST DEPICTING AN AMERICA IN DECLINE.

NOW, THAT WAS NOT ALWAYS TRUE.

FOR EXAMPLE, THERE WERE SEVERAL SPEAKERS WHO SAID THAT THERE JUST WAS SO MUCH INFLATION.

BUT AS WE'VE REPORTED, INFLATION HAS MODERATED AND IS NOW SORT OF BACK TO HISTORICALLY APPROPRIATE LEVELS, ACCORDING TO THE FEDERAL RESERVE.

THERE'S ALSO A LOT OF TALK ABOUT BUSINESS GROWTH.

IN FACT, THE NUMBER OF BUSINESSES CREATED UNDER PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN IS UP SIGNIFICANTLY SINCE HE TOOK OFFICE.

AND OF COURSE SENSE DONALD TRUMP LEFT OFFICE IN 2020 AT THE HEIGHT OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC.

SO THEY TRIED TO MAKE THEIR CASE.

IT REMAINS TO BE SEEN WHETHER SWING VOTERS IN STATES LIKE WISCONSIN.

WELL, BY THAT MESS, HEATHER, SOMETHING ELSE THAT THEY TALKED ABOUT A LOT TONIGHT.

YOU KNOW, OF COURSE THERE'S ECONOMICS, BUT WE ALSO HEARD A LOT ABOUT IMMIGRATION THIS EVENING.

WHAT KIND OF A PARALLELS?

HOW ARE THEY USING THEIR THAT IMMIGRATION IN THEIR ARGUMENT ABOUT ECONOMICS?

WELL, SO EVERY NIGHT HERE AT THE CONVENTION HAS ITS OWN THEME TONIGHT WAS VERY MUCH FOCUSED ON ECONOMICS.

BUT THERE WAS A LOT OF TALK OF SORT OF THINGS BEING OUT OF CONTROL.

AND ONE OF THE ISSUES THAT REPUBLICANS REACH FOR MOST QUICKLY IS IMMIGRATION.

THIS WHOLE NOTION THAT PERHAPS THERE ARE, YOU KNOW, ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS CROSSING THE BORDER WITHOUT PERMISSION COMING HERE AND TAKING PEOPLE'S JOBS.

WE HEARD THAT FROM A LOT OF SPEAKERS.

THAT WILL BE A THEME THAT THEY WILL RETURN TO IN THE DAYS AHEAD.

ALL RIGHT, HEATHER, THANK YOU SO MUCH.

WE'LL SEE YOU AGAIN LATER IN THE PROGRAM.

AND AS MENTIONED EARLIER, WE WILL HAVE A MANDATE THEN.

OKAY.

JOIN US LIVE FROM INSIDE THE CONVENTION HALL IN JUST A FEW MOMENTS AS WELL.

BUT FIRST, MORE ANALYSIS OF THIS EVENING'S FIRST NIGHT OF THE REPUBLICAN CONVENTION.

WE'RE JOINED AGAIN BY HEATHER HINDER SHOT, PROFESSOR OF COMMUNICATION STUDIES AT NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY.

HER MOST RECENT BOOK WHEN THE NEWS BROKE IS ABOUT THE 1968 CHICAGO DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION SHE TEACHES ABOUT AMONG OTHER THINGS, THE MEDIA AND AMERICAN POLITICS.

THANK YOU, HEATHER, FOR JOINING US AGAIN.

THANK YOU FOR HAVING SO LET'S START AGAIN.

LET'S TALK SOME MORE ABOUT THIS VERY DRAMATIC MOMENT WHEN A FORMER PRESIDENT SHOWED UP IN THE CONVENTION HALL TO A STANDING OVATION FROM SUPPORTERS.

HIS EAR CLEARLY BANDAGE FROM TAKING A BULLET ON SATURDAY.

HOW DO YOU THINK THIS MOMENT WILL PLAY FOR THE PARTY?

WELL, THEY KIND OF BUILT TO IT ALL NIGHT AS THE CLIMACTIC MOMENT AND THE WAY THAT THEY FRAMED IT WAS THAT THE ONE POINT SOMEONE SAID THE DEVIL DIDN'T SAY SATAN, BUT THEY SAID THAT THE DEVIL OR EVIL OR SOMETHING HAVE HAD UNDER 10 SKY, I BELIEVE HAD GUN AND GONE.

AND OF COURSE IT'S NOT A PRO GUN CONTROL RQ MINUTES IN NT DOUBLE ARGUMENT AND GOD HAD SORT OF STEPPED IN AND HELPED THE PRESIDENT.

FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP MOVE HIS HEAD EVER SO SLIGHTLY SO THAT HE WAS SAVED.

AND SO IT WAS REALLY SET UP AS A KIND OF.

RELIGIOUS MOMENT.

AND THEN HE SHOWS UP AS A KIND OF SAVIOR.

AND I DON'T MEAN TO OVERPLAYING SENT TO DRAMATIC.

BUT IT WAS A VERY IS HELD HIS FULL TO ME AND SORT OF MORE.

THERE'S ALWAYS A CLIMACTIC MOMENT WHEN YOUR CANDIDATE COMES IN, RIGHT?

THAT'S WHY THEY'RE THERE TO CELEBRATE THEIR CANDIDATE.

THAT WAS KIND OF AMPED UP TO A PRETTY HIGH LEVEL.

I YEAH.

AND SENATOR TIM SCOTT WAS NOT THE ONLY TO INVOKE RELIGION CHRISTIANITY THAT KIND OF SPIRITUAL IN AND, YOU KNOW, THANKING THE LORD IN AND TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW THAT'S WHAT PLAYS INTO THE REPUBLICAN PARTY'S METRICS THERE.

THE IDEA THAT THEIR THEIR MAN IS LIKE THE CHOSEN ONE, RIGHT, THE CHOSEN CANDIDATE.

AND IT'S SO INTERESTING TO ME THAT HE'S GOING JD VANCE GIVEN THAT HE HAD AN EVANGELICAL RUNNING MATE BEFORE.

RIGHT IN THE PAST TENSE.

AND I THINK YOU KIND OF CHECK THAT AWFUL.

I'VE GOT THE CHRISTIAN RIGHT ON MY SIDE NOW THAT WORK WITH PENN SPENCE DID NOT DELIVER FOR MEAN TERMS OF THE TOTAL LOYALTY THAT I WANTED OVERTHROWING THE ELECTIONS.

SO ON.

SO WE CAN MOVE ON TO SOMEONE WHO WE'LL BE OF SOME APPEAL TO THAT CHRISTIAN BASE BUT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE AS OVERT ABOUT IT BECAUSE HE'S ALREADY TAPPED IN TO THE CHRISTIANS AND THEY'RE BRINGING THAT LANGUAGE INTO THEIR SPEECHES.

I'M KATIE, I'M I'M SORRY.

CAN'T REMEBER LESS IN THE ALABAMA SENATOR.

YES.

AND IF TALKING SPEECH, YOU KNOW, AFTER THE STATE OF THE UNION, SHE WAS THERE IN A SIMILAR KIND OF POSE A REALLY INVOKING THE SPEECH THAT 4, EVEN THOUGH THAT WAS IN HER KITCHEN, RIGHT WITH ACROSS SHOWING AND SO ON.

SO WE'RE STILL FEELING A STRONG KIND OF CHRISTIAN RIGHT PRESENCE, EVEN WITH PENCE OFF THE TICKET AS WE REMEMBER THE CONVENTION WAS LARGELY VIRTUAL.

WE KNOW THAT THE REPUBLICANS HAVE A LOT MORE IN-PERSON SPEECHES ON AND AUDIENCES AND THE DEMOCRATS DID THAT YEAR.

BUT WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR THE PARTY TO BE ABLE TO GET BACK TOGETHER IN PERSON AND TO CREATE THIS KIND OF PRODUCTION?

IT'S HUGE FOR BOTH PARTIES AND IN A WAY, I MEAN, JUST TO GIVE SOME HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE ON IT, THE GOAL OF THE PARTIES IS ALWAYS BEEN WE WANT TO CONTROL THE SPECTACLE.

WE WANT TO CREATE A TV SHOW.

WE JUST WANT THE NETWORKS TO SHOW UP AND AND THE CABLE CHANNELS AND SHOW OUR SHOW RIGHT AND HAVE TOTAL CONTROL AND SOMETIMES BACKFIRES IN 1968, THEY DIDN'T CONTROL THE SITUATION.

RIGHT.

FOR THE DEMOCRATS LOOK VERY BAD IN CHICAGO.

IN 1964, THE REPUBLICANS HAVE PROBLEMS WITH THEIR CANDIDATE, BIG GARRY, BARRY GOLDWATER, WHO WASN'T, YOU KNOW, EXTREMIST.

SO 2020 IN SOME WAYS WAS LIKE THE DREAM COME TRUE NOT TO BE TOO FLIPPANT ABOUT THE CRISIS OF COVID.

BUT IN THIS LOCKDOWN SITUATION, YOU COULD COMPLETELY CONTROL THE SHOW OF WHAT YOUR PARTY WAS.

SO THAT THE DEMOCRATS SHOW DEMOCRACY IN ACTION THROUGH THEIR VISUALS, GOING STATE TO STATE HAVING PEOPLE SAY, YOU KNOW, THE GREAT STATE OF RHODE ISLAND, WE HAVE FRIED CALAMARI AND HOLD UP THE WE GIVE OUR DELEGATES DELEGATES.

YOU KNOW, CAN WE GET OUR VOTES TO BIDEN?

YOU KNOW, AND IT WAS KIND OF BEAUTIFUL SERIES OF IMAGES OUTSIDE AND THEN THE REPUBLICANS ARE IN THIS KIND OF HER MEDICS PACE SPEAKING TO THE CAMERA PAUSING CHEERING WHEN NOT EXIST, DOESN'T EXIST.

AND SO IT ENDED UP FEELING AUTHORITARIAN ARE ON THE HEAVY HANDED SIDE COMPARED THE DEMOCRATS WHO FELT VERY OPEN AND SO ON.

NOW WE'RE BACK TO NORMAL AS IT WERE THE REGULAR KIND OF CONVENTION HALL, A SITUATION AND IT'S THE FIRST TIME WE'VE SEEN TRUMP WITH HIS PARTY.

IN REGULAR CONVENTION.

TOTALLY UNITED BEHIND THINK BACK TO 2016, YOU STILL HAVE PEOPLE THERE WHO HAVE BEEN RALLYING FOR TED CRUZ OR MAYBE MARCO RUBIO WHATEVER.

AND HE WAS BRINGING PARTY TOGETHER AND THEN IS 16.

IT'S THIS WEIRD INDOORS COVID MOMENT AND NOW WE'RE BACK AND IT'S THE PARTY OF TRUMP, THE GOP THAT EXISTED BEFORE IS IS NO LONGER SITS, RIGHT?

IT'S PARTY OF TRUMP.

TONIGHT'S AS WE'VE MENTIONED, WAS MAKE AMERICA WEALTHY ONCE AGAIN.

AND I NOTICED, THOUGH, THE ONCE CREEPING INTO THE MEDICINES VERSUS MAKE AMERICA WEALTHY AGAIN, IT'S MAKE AMERICA WEALTHY ONCE CONVENTION, YOU KNOW, PLAYING CAMPAIGN ADS FEATURING EVERYDAY AMERICANS DISCUSSING THE COUNTRY'S CURRENT ECONOMIC STATE SINGLE WORKING MOTHER DELIVERED A SPEECH ON THE STAGE THIS EVENING WITH A SUCCESSFUL IN THEIR ECONOMIC MESSAGING.

TONIGHT.

WELL, THERE'S DEFINITELY SOME MISLEADING STATEMENTS ABOUT THE STATE THE ECONOMY AND SO ON AND THERE'S NO MENTION OF TAX BREAKS FOR THE WEALTHY AND A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT YOU KNOW HAPPENED IN THE LAST ADMINISTRATION, I WAS REALLY STRUCK AS A MEDIA STORY BY THAT MOMENT WHERE THE WOMAN SAID I'M A SINGLE MOTHER NIGHT.

I FLASH BACK TO DAN QUAYLE ATTACKING MURPHY.

BROWN'S WAS AGES AGO FOR BEING A SINGLE MOTHER ON TELEVISION AND HOW THE SHOW THE DECLINE OF AMERICA DECLINED OUR MORALITY.

AND SO ON IT WE CAME MAJOR REPUBLICAN TALKING POINT SOMEHOW MURPHY BROWN AROUND.

YEAH, RIGHT.

AND THEN THIS WOMAN SAYS, YOU KNOW, I'M A SINGLE MOTHER AND I THOUGHT.

THEY ACTUALLY SPEAKING OUT TO SINGLE MOTHERS RIGHT NOW AND THEN SHE GOT TO THIS POINT WHERE IT'S CLEAR HAS BEEN HAVE DIED BECAUSE OF THE OPIOID CRISIS.

AND IT WAS WE'RE KIND OF SHIFT LIKE WE'RE NOT FOR SINGLE MOTHERS IS JUST THIS WOMAN HAS ENJOYED THIS TRAGEDY AND SHE STARTED TO CRY A LITTLE BIT.

WAS HIGH MELODRAMA IN THE CROWD.

WHAT KIND WILD AND IT FELT I'M NOT TO IN ANY WAY DEMEAN HER.

STORY.

AND SO A NUDGE TO BE UNSYMPATHETIC TO HER STORY.

BUT IT FELT LIKE CLIMACTIC, HOW A VISUAL MOMENT OF MELODRAMA, YOU KNOW, YOU COULD BE WATCHING AN EPISODE OF THE WEST WING AND SEE THIS KIND DRAMA PLAY OUT IN FRONT OF YOU WRITE WRITE AN EMOTIONAL MOMENT, OBVIOUSLY AND VERY EMOTIONALLY PLAYING TO THE TO THE EMOTIONS OF THIS WOMAN, AS YOU SAID, WHO HAS HAS YOU KNOW, A TERRIBLE, A TERRIBLE TRAGEDY.

A COUPLE OF JABS AT PRESIDENT BIDEN'S PHYSICAL A NUMBER OF THEM, YOU KNOW, REFERRING TO, IS HE AWAKE AND REFERRING TO HIS NAPS AND HIS HIS WORK HOURS.

I THINK ONE OF THE SPEAKERS REFERRED TO THE ECONOMY AND PRESIDENT BIDEN BEING IN BLAMING HIS ADMINISTRATION FOR PROBLEMS LIKE HIGH INFLATION, HIGH INTEREST, HIGH TAXES THAT JABAL A VEGETABLE.

A VERY STRONG WORD.

YES, I'M GOING TO CALL FROM THE BOARD.

YEAH, I DID NOTE THAT, BUT I WAS A LITTLE SURPRISING.

THIS MAY CHANGE OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS.

THERE WASN'T MORE ENERGY SPENT ON BIDEN.

IT WAS MORE BOOSTING THEIR SIDE WERE SAYING BIDEN HAD FAILED BUT NOT LAYING INTO THE PERSONAL TRAITS.

KIND OF AS MUCH AS I THOUGHT AND I HEARD EARLIER TODAY, SOMEWHERE HER TO KAMALA HARRIS'S IMMIGRANTS, SOMETHING LIKE THAT THAT I FEEL LIKE THEY'RE LEANING A LITTLE BIT INTO KAMALA HARRIS WITH THE IDEA.

MAYBE SHE'S GOING TO BE THE NOMINEE.

AND SO THEY'RE KIND OF HOLDING BACK ON BIDEN IN CASE THEY NEED TO LAY INTO AN ATTACK ON ON HARRIS.

AND I'M NOT SURE THAT WE'RE GOING TO SEE ANY OF THAT RESULT OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS.

BUT MAYBE THEY'RE HEDGING THEIR BETS A LITTLE BIT RIGHT.

AND THAT WAS MY NEXT QUESTION BECAUSE I DID HEAR THEM USE HER NAME QUITE A IT MORE THAN EXPECT CERTAIN ON THE FIRST NIGHT AND LINKING THEM TOGETHER QUITE A BIT.

AND IT MADE ME KIND OF QUESTION WHETHER OR NOT THEY'RE DOING THAT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, JUST IN CASE THERE'S THE CHANCE THAT THAT SHE ENDS UP BEING THE NOMINEE.

I THINK THEY'RE LAYING THE GROUNDWORK A LITTLE BIT THERE.

KIND OF SETTING UP THE NARRATIVE THAT THAT THEY'LL GO ON THE ATTACK AGAINST HER POTENTIALLY FOR THE DEMOCRATS WHO THINK THAT MAKES IT CONFUSING BECAUSE IF YOU KNOW, BY WHATEVER CIRCUMSTANCE, YOU KNOW, PRESIDENT BIDEN SHOULD STEP DOWN.

AND IF VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS IS NOT THE THEY SPENT ALL THAT TIME WORKING VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS RIGHT WITHOUT ANY OF SOMEBODY ELSE.

BUT I DO ONLY THE FUTURE WILL WILL TELL WHAT HAPPENS NEXT.

YOU KNOW, WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT TONING DOWN THE RHETORIC EVERYONE HAS CALLED FOR IN THE LAST FEW DAYS IN THE WAKE OF THIS ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT ON FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP.

DID YOU HEARING ANY OF THAT?

DID YOU HEAR ANY TONE DOWN RHETORIC?

FEEL LIKE THE KIND OF TOOK THE MIDDLE GROUND.

YOU KNOW, THEY WEREN'T.

I CHARLIE KIRK UP THERE, RIGHT?

WHO IS ON THE MORE EXTREME POINT TURNED YEAH, RIGHT.

BUT THEY WEREN'T LEANING INTO THAT INCENDIARY.

KIND VIOLENT RHETORIC.

AND I THINK THERE THERE WERE SORT OF BOTH DURING THEIR OWN HERO LIGHT BOLSTERING TRUMP AND PREPARING FOR HIS PRESENCE IN THE SORT OF DRAMATIC MOMENT RATHER THAN AT THAT MOMENT LAYING INTO THE DEMOCRATS CAUSED THIS TO HAPPEN THROUGH.

AND WHAT I'VE BEEN SEEING IN THE MEDIA THE PAST FEW DAYS THAT THE TALKING POINTS, THE REPUBLICANS HAVE BEEN LIKE THAT THE DEMOCRAT, GLOBAL MEDIA IS TO BLAME FOR THIS, THAT THEY'RE TALKING SO MUCH AND IN JD VANCE HIMSELF.

AND THIS MAY BE WHY YOU GOT THE NOMINATION REALLY ULTIMATELY, HE SAID BASICALLY AND YOU MAY REMEMBER THE EXACT QUOTE BETTER THAN I DO.

BUT SOMETHING LIKE THAT BY CONSTANTLY SAYING THAT THAT TRUMP IS SOME KIND OF AUTHORITARIAN FASCIST.

THEY CRY.

THEY MADE THIS HAPPEN.

WHERE?

I THINK I COULD REMEMBER THE JD VANCE, QUOTE, I'M NOT QUITE SURE.

BUT JD VANCE USED TO BE A MEMBER AS A SORT OF A COMMENTATOR.

HE LIBERAL MEDIA AS WELL BY BEING A COMMENTATOR HAVE 100 SHOT.

WE'RE GOING TO COME BACK TO YOU IT WILL ACTUALLY WANT TO STICK AROUND BECAUSE I WANT TO BRING IN OUR FULL SPOTLIGHT POLITICS TEAM TO JOIN US RIGHT NOW ARE SOME OF OUR SPOTLIGHT POLITICS TEAM RIGHT NOW.

HEATHER SHARON AND NICK BLUMBERG THERE LIVE IN MILWAUKEE WITH US.

AND WE'VE STILL GOT NORTHERN NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY'S HEATHER HENDERSHOT TO TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE.

NICK, AS YOU KNOW, WE WRAP UP THIS FIRST DAY OF CONVENTION SPEECHES CHICAGO, THE NAME OF CHICAGO WAS INVOKED ONCE AGAIN.

TELL US ABOUT THAT.

WELL, BRANDON SAYS ANYONE WHO HAS WATCHED REPUBLICAN CONVENTIONS IN PAST YEARS KNOWS CHICAGO'S A PRETTY FREQUENT PUNCHING BAG FOR DONALD TRUMP AS WELL AS FOR PLENTY OF OTHER GOP POLITICIANS WHO SAY IF YOU WANT TO LOOK AT EVERYTHING THAT'S WRONG WITH CITIES UNDER THE CONTROL OF DEMOCRATIC POLITICIANS, LOOK NO FURTHER THAN CHICAGO.

SENATOR TIM SCOTT SET UP HIS REMARKS BY SAYING THAT LIBERAL ELITES HATE IT WHEN HE SAYS BUT THAT AMERICA IS NOT A RACIST NATION TO WHICH HE GOT A HUGE ROUND OF APPLAUSE.

HERE'S HOW HE FOLLOWED THAT UP.

LOOK ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF CHICAGO.

BLACK KIDS TRAPPED IN FAILING SCHOOLS.

SHOT EVERY SINGLE YEAR, INCLUDING ONE OF MY FORMER INTERN'S BIG ONE.

BUT THERE IS GOOD NEWS.

ITS CONSERVATIVE VALUES THAT RESTORES HOPE.

IT'S REPUBLICAN POLICIES THAT LIST PEOPLE NOW.

CERTAINLY A LOT OF DEMOCRATS AND, YOU KNOW, SCHOOL ADVOCATES WOULD SOME THINGS TO SAY ABOUT SCOTT'S COMMENTS WHEN IT COMES TO DEMOCRATIC EDUCATION POLICY IN CHICAGO AND OTHER CITIES.

YOU KNOW, TRUMP'S EDUCATION SECRETARY BETSY DEVOS WAS A LONGTIME ADVOCATE OF CHARTER SCHOOLS, WHICH PUBLIC SCHOOL SUPPORTERS SAY DRAINS MONEY FROM THOSE AS WELL AS A SCHOOL CHOICE VOUCHERS USING TAX DOLLARS TO, YOU KNOW, ALLOW PARENTS TO SEND THEIR STUDENTS TO PRIVATE SCHOOLS.

YOU KNOW, WHEN IT COMES TO THE ISSUE OF VIOLENCE, CERTAINLY CHICAGO IS ALWAYS GAMES FOR ITS RATE OF VIOLENT CRIME AND MURDERS.

BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT IT ON A PER CAPITA BASIS, THERE ARE OTHER CITIES THAT LESS POPULOUS THAN CHICAGO, BUT THAT HAVE HIGHER RATES OF VIOLENT CRIME IN RECENT YEARS.

THAT'S BEEN PLACES LIKE ST. LOUIS, BALTIMORE, DETROIT AND IN FACT, CHICAGO'S MURDER RATE HAS BEEN ON THE DECLINE.

THERE WAS AN 11 AND A HALF PERCENT DROP IN 2022.

AND A 13% DROP IN 2023.

SO CERTAINLY SOME CRUCIAL CONTEXT TO THOSE REMINDERS AND HEAD OF OWN WHEN IT COME BACK TO YOU IN JUST A SECOND BECAUSE I WANT TO I WANT TO BUILD ON SOMETHING WITH HEATHER HENDERSHOT ABOUT THAT.

TIM SCOTT SOUNDBITE THAT WE HEARD JUST A BIT AGO.

HE IS NOT THE FIRST PERSON ON THAT STAGE TONIGHT OF COLOR, PARTICULARLY A BLACK PERSON ON THAT STAGE TONIGHT WHO SAID THAT AMERICA IS NOT OR HAS NEVER BEEN A RACIST COUNTRY.

WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF OF HOW THEY ADDED STACK ALL THAT UP AND NUMBER OF BLACK SPEAKERS ALL IN A ROW AND I KIND OF FELT LIKE THEY WERE LIKE, LET'S JUST PUSH OUT THE BLACK SPEAKERS AND THEN WE'RE NOT REALLY GOING TO SEE THEM TOO MUCH MOVING FORWARD AND THEY CUT TO THE AUDIENCE'S REACTION SHOTS AND YOU'RE NOT SEEING BLACK PEOPLE IN THE AUDIENCE THERE WHICH I MEAN, I'VE WATCH.

DECADES AND DECADES OF TV COVERAGE OF CONVENTIONS, REPUBLICANS HAVE A PROBLEM FINDING BLACKS IN THE AUDIENCE TO HAVE THE CAMERAS CUT TO.

IT'S JUST, YOU KNOW, IT'S AN UNDERREPRESENTED CROWD THERE.

SO THIS IS A PATTERN THAT WE'VE SEEN OBVIOUSLY OVER TIME AND IT WASN'T SHOCKING TO SEE EACH BLACK SPEAKER MAKE A REFERENCE TO AMERICA NOT BEING A RACIST COUNTRY.

AND SOMETIMES IN THE CONTEXT OF, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THEM SAID I GREW UP IN THE JIM CROW SOUTH.

MY PARENTS MY PARENTS GREW UP.

HERE IS MY PARENTS GOT JIM CROW SOUTH IN.

THEY SPECIFICALLY TOLD AMERICANS THAT RAISES COUNTRY AND I THOUGHT.

WERE THEY ABLE VOTE.

AND BUT THEY TOLD YOU IT'S NOT RACIST THAT WE CAN VOTER.

THERE'S VOTER SUPPRESSION.

IT SEEMED LIKE THERE WAS PRETTY COMPLICATED BACK STORY THERE.

AND WE WERE GETTING A STRANGE SOUND BITE TO SORT OF TAKE AWAY FROM AND THEY ALL SAID SORT OF THE SAME THING WE'VE HEARD BEFORE, WHICH STRIKE SOME SORT SORT TALKING POINT, RIGHT, THAT THE PARTY LINE TALKING AND I SHOULD ALSO BUT WHAT WE'RE GOING BACK TO A HEAD SHARON IN MILWAUKEE BEEN A KEY.

WE'RE HAVING SOME PROBLEMS WITH THE SATELLITE THERE BECAUSE OF THE SEVERE WEATHER THAT'S HAPPENING TONIGHT.

SO THAT IS WHY WE'RE NOT HEARING FROM A AND OF IN A KEY RIGHT NOW.

BUT WE'RE GLAD THAT NICK AND HEATHER ARE VERY SAFE.

HEATHER, WOULD YOU CONSIDER THIS FIRST DAY OF SUCCESS FOR THE ILLINOIS REPUBLICAN PARTY?

WELL, YOU KNOW, THEY DID SORT OF WHAT THEY HAD HOPED TO DO, RIGHT?

THEY GOT TOGETHER.

THEY HAD BREAKFAST.

THEY SAYING A FEW VERSES OF KUMBAYA.

THERE IS A VERY PUBLIC SORT OF RAPPROCHEMENT BETWEEN DARREN BAILEY AND MIKE BOST BITTERLY IN THE REPUBLICAN PRIMARY TO GO TO CONGRESS.

NOW, DARREN BAILEY HAS SAID THAT HE MIGHT RUN AGAIN AGAINST MIKE BOST.

BUT YOU KNOW, FOR TODAY, AT LEAST THEY WERE ALL SINGING FROM THE SAME HYMNAL AND THAT HYMNAL GET JOE BIDEN DEFEATED IN NOVEMBER.

THERE'S A LOT THAT DIVIDES THE ILLINOIS REPUBLICAN PARTY AND BUT THEY ALL AGREE THAT THEY WANT JOE BIDEN TO BE A ONE TERM PRESIDENT AND THEY WANT DONALD TRUMP TO GET A SECOND TERM THAT AT LEAST FOR TODAY AND PERHAPS THROUGH THE END OF THE WEEK IS ENOUGH TO SORT GET THEM ON THE SAME PAGE.

IT'S TO BOTH OF YOU CAN HEAD OR GOVERNOR PRITZKER WAS SUPPOSED TO HAVE MADE A STOP IN MILWAUKEE THIS WEEK DURING THE RNC.

WHAT HAPPENED?

WELL, YOU KNOW, IT WAS THE ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT THAT IS REALLY ROILED EVERYTHING.

AND IT REALLY SORT OF MADE THE DEMOCRATS ARE TO THINK TWICE ABOUT.

HOW THEY WERE GOING TO CAMPAIGN IN THE AFTERMATH.

I THINK THAT WE WILL START TO SEE THAT STRATEGY COME IN A LITTLE BIT MORE FOCUSED BECAUSE NOW WE'VE SEEN FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP WITH OUR OWN EYES THROUGH MAGIC OF TELEVISION.

IF YOU WEREN'T IN THE CONVENTION HALL, WE CAN SEE THAT HE'S MOSTLY OKAY.

YES, HE'S BANNED AGE JUST HE WAS WOUNDED BUT KEEP DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE SERIOUSLY HARMED.

AND I THINK THAT WILL HELP ENCOURAGE THE DEMOCRATS WERE ALREADY HEARING CALLS FROM THEIR MOST STRIDENT SUPPORTERS TO GET BACK ON THE AND I EXPECT AS SOON AS TOMORROW WE'RE GOING TO SEE A RENEWED FOCUS ON WHAT IT WOULD MEAN FOR PRESIDENT TRUMP TO BE ELECTED TO A SECOND TERM AND WHAT THAT WOULD MEAN FOR THE DEMOCRATIC BLACK PEOPLE, LATINO PEOPLE, WOMEN AND IMMIGRANTS.

AND THAT I THINK WILL BE THE BUSINESS OF TOMORROW.

YEAH, I DON'T EXPECT THAT.

WE'RE GOING TO SEE GOVERNOR JB PRITZKER.

WE'VE HEARD THAT HE WON'T BE MAKING AN APPEARANCE HERE THIS WEEK HAS HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN PLAN, BUT CERTAINLY THE DEMOCRATS ARE FEELING MUCH MORE LIKE THEY CAN TAKE THE FIGHT TO REPUBLICANS HERE IN MILWAUKEE.

YOU KNOW, THEY'RE PLANNING TO HAVE AN EVENT TOMORROW WHERE THEY'RE GOING TO DISCUSS REPUBLICAN RECORDS ON ABORTION RIGHTS ON, YOU KNOW, UNIONS, ALL THESE THINGS THAT ARE REALLY RED MEAT FOR, YOU KNOW, THE DEMOCRATIC BASE OF VOTERS AND THINGS WHERE THEY SEE AN OPPORTUNITY TO PUT THEIR MESSAGE OUT THERE AND, YOU KNOW, CREATE SOME DIVISIONS BETWEEN TRUMP AND BIDEN REALLY TRY TO LAY OUT FOR VOTERS, ESPECIALLY THOSE KEY UNDECIDED SAYS, WELL, YOU KNOW, AND SAY, HEY, THIS IS WHAT'S AT STAKE IN NOVEMBER.

YOU KNOW, WE HEARD FROM TEAMSTERS PRESIDENT SEAN O'BRIEN, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, A PRETTY SURPRISING DEVELOPMENT TO SEE, YOU KNOW, A MAJOR LABOR UNION LEADERS SPEAKING AT THE RNC.

AND OF COURSE, HE HAS ASKED TO SPEAK AT THE DNC AS WELL.

HE SAID HE'S NOT GOING TO BE ENDORSING, BUT THAT IS A HUGE ISSUE FOR CERTAINLY VOTERS IN ILLINOIS, ALTHOUGH NO ONE PARTICULARLY EXPECTS TRUMP TO WIN BUT YES, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT AT STAKE HERE.

AND I THINK THE DEMOCRATS SEE THAT NOW THAT THE TEMPERATURE HAS COOLED A BIT THAT WE'VE SEEN THAT PRESIDENT TRUMP IS NO SAFE ABLE TO GET UP AND, YOU KNOW, GET AROUND THAT HE'S INJURED BUT RECOVERED, YOU KNOW, SIGNIFICANTLY THAT THEY CAN START TO GET A LITTLE MORE AGGRESSIVE WITH THEIR MESSAGING.

YEAH.

THANK YOU.

GO AHEAD.

STAFF FROM STAFF.

I WAS JUST GOING TO SAY THAT SPEECH FROM SEAN O'BRIEN.

I THINK THERE WAS A REAL MOMENT WHERE HE SORT DECRIED THE INFLUENCE OF THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, WHICH, OF COURSE, IS HISTORICALLY BEEN ALIGNED WITH THE REPUBLICAN PARTY AND SORT OF SAID THEY WERE BASICALLY INVOLVED GETTING WELFARE FOR BUSINESS THAT DID NOT GO OVER.

WELL, WE'LL HAVE TO SEE HOW IT PLAYS.

ALL RIGHT, NIC, YOU SAID THOSE 2 WORDS THAT I WAS GOING TO GET TO READ.

MEET HEATHER HENDERSHOT.

WE'VE GOT ABOUT 20 SECONDS LEFT.

DO YOU THINK WILL GET SOME MORE OF THAT?

THIS WEEK'S THAT SO-CALLED RED MEAT?

WE'RE GOING TO BE A LOT MORE AND I THINK YOU'RE RIGHT TO POINT OUT THAT THAT THE DEMOCRATS ARE GOING TO DIG INTO ABORTION ISSUES, WOMEN'S HEALTHCARE ISSUES AND TRY TO AMPLIFY THAT AND THE REPUBLICANS ARE GOING TO KEEP SORT OF SETTING THAT ASIDE AND NOT DIGGING INTO THAT, ALTHOUGH IT TONIGHT, TALKING THE BIDEN FORCING YOU KNOW, GIRLS TO PLANT SPORTS TEAMS ACCORDING TRANSGENDER, YOU KNOW, GREAT.

IT WAS NOT A STRONG TALKING POINT.

HOPE YOU HAD A RED THANKS TO HEATHER AND ARE HEATHER SHARON AND NICK BLUMBERG.

I DO KNOW ALL OF YOUR NAME'S BEEN A BIG WEEK AND IT'S ONLY MONDAY.

WE'RE BACK TO WRAP THINGS UP RIGHT AFTER THIS.

CHICAGO TONIGHT IS MADE POSSIBLE IN PART WHY THE ALEXANDRA AND JOHN NICHOLS FAMILY.

THE GYM AND K MAYBE FAMILY.

THE POPE BROTHERS FOUNDATION AND THE SUPPORT OF THESE DONORS.

AND THAT IS OUR SHOW TONIGHT.

BE SURE TO JOIN US TOMORROW AT 5, 30 10 FOR DAY 2 OF THE REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION AND BE SURE TO CHECK OUT OUR WEBSITE FOR THE VERY LATEST CONVENTION COVERAGE NOW FOR ALL OF US HERE AT CHICAGO TONIGHT.

I'M BRANDIS FRIEDMAN, THANK YOU FOR WATCHING.

STAY HEALTHY AND SAFE.

WE HAVE A GOOD NIGHT.

CLOSED CAPTIONING MADE POSSIBLE BY ROBERT A CLIFFORD PERSONAL INJURY, LAW FIRM,