GETTING BACK TO NORMAL.

NOW THAT THE DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION, THE CITY HOSTING IS OVER THE RACE FOR THE WHITE HOUSE.

JUST HEATING UP.

BOTH PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES ARE HITTING THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL HARD.

THE REPUBLICAN TICKET OF DONALD TRUMP AND RUNNING MATE.

JD VANCE SET TO VISIT SEVERAL SWING STATES THIS WEEK WHILE THE DEMOCRATIC TEAM OF KAMALA HARRIS AND TIM WALZ FOR GOING ON A BUS TOUR OF GEORGIA.

HERE TO TALK MORE ABOUT WHAT WE CAN EXPECT.

OUR KAREN FREEMAN WILSON, PRESIDENT AND CEO OF THE CHICAGO URBAN LEAGUE.

ALSO FORMER MAYOR OF GARY, INDIANA AND ALSO AARON DELMAR, THE CO-CHAIR OF THE ILLINOIS REPUBLICAN PARTY.

THANKS TO EACH OF YOU FOR JOINING.

AND ACTUALLY, AARON, BEGIN WITH YOU.

WE ARE FRESH OFF THAT BOTH CONVENTIONS REALLY, BUT THESE ARE BOTH EVENTS THAT ARE INSPIRED TO TELL THE PARTY'S STORY AND THEIR ASPIRATIONS TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.

LET'S FOCUS ON DNC IS IT IS THE MOST FRESH.

HOW DID DEMOCRATS DO?

WELL, I THOUGHT IT WAS YOU KNOW, A VERY MUCH A WINDOW DRESSING ABOUT.

THEY HAD A LOT OF RIVER OF THE PRODUCTION VALUE, EVEN AS REPUBLIC I GOTTA SAY WAS REALLY GREAT.

THE MUSIC, THE VIVE.

IT WAS COOL TO WATCH ON TELEVISION.

BUT I FELT WAS REALLY LIKE AN ACTUAL POLICY AND SHARING WITH A TRUE VISION THAT KAMALA HARRIS HE'S GOING TO HAVE IN THE NEXT 4 YEARS AND WHY IT WOULD BE DIFFERENT IN THE LAST 4 YEARS THAT WE HAD.

ALL RIGHT OVER TO YOU.

A TORCH.

YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT ALL CONVENTIONS, DNC, RNC ARE CONTEMPLATED TOO REALLY APPEAL TO THE BASE TO GET PEOPLE EXCITED.

BUT I THINK THERE WERE SOME CLEAR POLICY STATEMENTS, POLICY DIFFERENCE.

CERTAINLY REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE COMMON SENSE GUN VIOLENCE ISSUES RELATIVE TO MEDICAID, MEDICARE ALSO PRESCRIPTION DRUG COSTS.

ALL OF THOSE WERE FRONT AND CENTER AT THE CONVICTION.

AND THEN, OF COURSE, MORALITY TRUTH.

THE IMPORTANCE REALLY ACCEPTING ELECTION RESULTS.

ALL OF THOSE THINGS WERE RIGHT IN THE CONVENTION.

YOU SORT OF MADE A SOUND THERE.

WHEN KAREN SAID ACCEPTING ELECTION RESULTS MEAN YOU KNOW, LIKE I WAS THINK THAT THERE'S CERTAIN DEMOCRATIC TALKING POINTS AND THIS, YOU KNOW, INTERVIEWS NO DIFFERENT.

I THINK FOR US AS REPUBLICANS, WE CAME OUT OF MILWAUKEE 100% UNITED.

I THINK THAT THE AMERICAN PEOPLE KIND OF HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF A SHORT MEMORY WHEN THEY CAN FORGET THAT LESS THAN 2 AND A HALF MONTHS AGO, THERE WAS AN ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT DONALD TRUMP.

I THINK THAT PEOPLE DON'T LOOK AT WHATS BEEN HAPPENING AS FAR AS A VICE PRESIDENT, HARRIS, NOT HAVING ANY INTERVIEWS, NOT ANSWERING ANY TOUGH QUESTIONS OFF THE CUFF.

IT'S BEEN A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR HER TO SHOWCASE SOME OF HER STRENGTH, BUT SHE'S NOT HAD THE OPPORTUNITY BE SCRUTINIZED BY THE PRESS.

LIKE DONALD TRUMP HAS A JD VANCE HAS.

AND I THINK IT'S GOING TO SHOW A LOT MORE WHAT THE TRUE GRIT THAT SHE HAS WON THOSE QUESTIONS START GETTING ANSWERED TO WANT MORE TRANSPARENCY, MORE OPENNESS THERE.

AND THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT WOULD PERHAPS DO THAT WOULD BE A DEBATE.

AND THERE IS A DEBATE OVER WHETHER A DEBATE IS GOING TO HAPPEN.

MUCH BEING MADE OF THIS OVER WHETHER APPARENTLY A MICROPHONE WILL BE MUTED WHEN THE OTHER CANDIDATE IS SPEAKING.

SO, KAREN, FIRST, YOUR RESPONSE HERE, DO THEY NEED TO DEBATE?

AND IF SO, SHOULD THOSE MIKES THE UP THE WHOLE TIME ARE NOT?

ABSOLUTELY.

THEY NEED TO DEBATE.

AND I MEAN, YOU SEE THAT.

VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS IS CLEAR ON HER DESIRE AND WILLINGNESS TO DEBATE.

I THINK FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS BALL ON DEBATE AND THAT WOULD BE THE HALLMARK OF TRANSPARENCY TO HAVE A DEBATE TO HAVE QUESTIONS ASKED BY REPORTERS TO HAVE THE PARTIES ENGAGE IN A MEANINGFUL CONVERSATION ABOUT POLICY ISSUES.

AARON.

YEAH, I AGREE THAT THE DEBATE NEEDS TO HAPPEN.

I WOULD AGREE WITH KAREN ON THAT.

THEY NEED AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE TO COMPARE AND CONTRAST BOTH VISIONS.

AND I THINK THAT WHAT REALLY NEEDS TO BE ANSWERED IS IN THE LAST 4 YEARS IS YOUR LIFE BETTER THAN IT WAS 4 YEARS AGO?

AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE HAVING TROUBLE WITH THAT.

YOU KNOW, FOR HER COMING OUT WITHOUT HAVING BEING ELECTED DURING A REGULAR PRIMARY SEASON AND BASICALLY BEING ANOINTED, ALL THE POLLS ARE SHOWING WITHIN THE MARGIN OF ERROR.

SO OUR COUNTRY IS REALLY DIVIDED.

AND SO I THINK THE DEBATE WILL GIVE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE MAKE A DECISION BY THEMSELVES.

YOU KNOW, KENNEDY VERSUS CANDIDATES SIDE-BY-SIDE RELEASE THAT YOU'RE NOT A STRATEGIST FOR EITHER CAMPAIGN, BUT WHAT'S THE HOLDUP THAT YOU BOTH WANT TO DEBATE?

WHAT'S THE HOLDUP?

WELL, I THINK, YOU KNOW, AT LEAST FROM THE REPUBLICAN SIDE, WE JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE A VERY FAIR OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE OUR POINT ACROSS.

AND I THINK THE RULES AND HOW THIS DEBATE IS GOING TO HAPPEN ARE GOING TO PINNACLE.

AND I THINK IT WILL HAPPEN.

I THINK THERE MIGHT BE SOME POSTURING GOING ON RIGHT NOW, BUT I THINK IT WILL HAPPEN ON SEPTEMBER.

10TH.

THE LOOKING FORWARD TO SEPTEMBER 10 DEBATE.

I THINK THAT IT WILL BE VERY TELLING YOU KNOW, MUTED MIKES.

IS THAT REALLY THE ISSUE I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO EVIDENTLY SEPTEMBER 11TH DISCUSSING VERY ISSUE, WHATEVER.

HOWEVER, IT GOES ON PROGRAM.

IS AARON NOTE, IT IS SET TO BE A VERY TIGHT CONTEST NO MATTER HOW THIS PANS OUT AND CAN THE CHICAGO URBAN LEAGUE HAS 100 DAY PLAN TO HELP DRIVE UP VOTER EDUCATION AND REGISTRATION.

GET OUT THE VOTE.

WHAT DOES THAT ENTAIL?

WELL, FIRST, I WANT TO BE CLEAR THAT THE CHICAGO URBAN LEAGUE IS TOTALLY NON-PARTISAN.

AND SO WE BELIEVE THAT IT'S OUR DUTY TO PUT THE ISSUES FRONT AND CENTER OF ALL VOTERS AND TO GET THEM TO THE POLLS.

AND THAT'S REALLY WHAT I 100 DAY PLAN IS ABOUT.

DO YOU HAVE A PLAN TO VOTE?

DO YOU KNOW WHERE YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO VOTE?

WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU'RE NOT AVAILABLE ON ELECTION DAY, CAN YOU VOTE AHEAD OF TIME?

CAN YOU 17 VOTE AND WHY SHOULD YOU VOTE IN THE FIRST PLACE?

BECAUSE THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T THINK IT REALLY MATTERS TO THEM.

WHAT DO YOU SAY TO THEM?

WE SAY THAT EVERY ISSUE THAT YOU CARE ABOUT WEATHER IS HOW MUCH YOUR GROCERIES COST OR HOW MUCH YOUR MEDICINE COST, WHETHER OR NOT YOUR CHILDREN GET TO UNDERSTAND FULL COURSE OF HISTORY IN SCHOOL IS ON THAT BALLOT.

HOW ABOUT YOUR GET OUT?

THE VOTE PLAN IS THE ILLINOIS GOP AND THAT ALSO INVOLVES VOTER INTEGRITY EFFORTS.

CERTAINLY WE HAD A BIG EVENT EARLIER IN THE YEAR.

THAT WAS GOING TO BE BANKING THE VOTE.

SO WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING A BALLOT CHANGE PROGRAM THAT WE'RE GOING TO HEAR IT ON THE WAY.

I MEAN, REALLY, OUR CONCENTRATION IS GOING TO BE ON STATE REP RACES.

THERE'S ABOUT 6 OR 7 THAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED THAT WE FEEL THAT WE CAN PICK UP AND TRY TO MAKE ILLINOIS A 2 PARTY SYSTEM.

AGAIN, WE ARE IN THE SUPER MINORITY, BOTH IN THE SENATE AND THE HOUSE AND THAT'S KIND OF WHERE WE WANT TO START MOVING OUR DIRECTION.

WE KNOW THAT IT'S GOING TO BE A TOUGH LEFT TO WIN AT THE TOP OF THE TICKET IN THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION HERE IN ILLINOIS THAT, YOU KNOW, PROBABLY IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN, BUT WE'RE STILL TRYING TO MAKE INROADS AND TRYING FIND PLACES IN SUBURBAN COOK COUNTY, YOU KNOW, LAKE COUNTY AND OTHER AREAS WHERE WE FEEL THAT WE COULD HAVE SOME PICK UP SOME SEATS AND WE FEEL LIKE THERE MIGHT ONE CONGRESSIONAL SEAT.

A DRAWDOWN AGAINST ERIK SORENSON IS A PICKUP IN THE RURAL AREA OF WESTERN ILLINOIS.

AND THERE'S ONE SENTENCE HE WOULD THINK WE CAN IDENTIFY THAT WE CAN PICK AS WELL AND MAKE INCREMENTAL CHANGE.

HERE ON OUR SIDE, THE STATE SENATE SEAT.

MEAN, BY THE WAY, TEXAS, A AND HOW DO YOU RESPOND, THOUGH, WHEN YOU SEE SO MANY FORMER OR EVEN CURRENT REPUBLICANS, THEY CALL THEMSELVES SUCH AS FORMER ILLINOIS REPUBLICAN CONGRESSMAN ADAM KINZINGER, SEEING THAT YOU CANT BACK HARRIS ASKING AIR, IT CAN'T BE HAD BACKING HARRIS.

THAT IS SAYING THAT.

HOW DO YOU CLAIM TO BE A PARTY THAT IS PATRIOTIC?

IT QUOTE, IDOLIZES A MAN WHO TRIED TO OVERTHROW A FREE ELECTION FORMER CONGRESSMAN CONSIDER HAS HIS OWN AGENDA AND WHAT YOU WANT TO DO WITH THE NEW LEXUS HIMSELF ON LATE NIGHT TELEVISION, YOU KNOW, AND THOSE TYPES OF THINGS THAT COME BECOME BUSTED UP.

BUT I THINK IF YOU LOOK AT WE SEE TULSI GABBARD, FORMER DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSMAN FROM I FROM HAWAII HAS RECENTLY COME OUT ENDORSING TRUMP.

AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, IF YOU LOOK AT RFK JUNIOR COMING TAKING HIMSELF OUT OF THE SWING ELECTION FOR A PRESIDENTIAL OFFICE AND THEN GO IN AND DO SOME TRUMP.

HAVE A HISTORY OF THAT STRONG DEMOCRATIC FAMILY THAT BACK ON AND SEEING THEM KIND OF OUR SIDE OF THE AISLE.

I THINK THAT NEEDS RECOGNIZE AND ALL THAT SUDDENLY WITH AT LEAST 3 OR 4 POINTS WHEN DEPENDING ON THE STATE THAT ONE THING THAT YOU LOOK AT, OUR IS THAT THE SWING STATES, IT'S NOT GOING TO BE ILLINOIS.

THE DECIDES WHO WINS PRESIDENT.

THAT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN.

IT'S A 5 OR 6 SWING STATES WITH ALL WITHIN THE MARGIN OF ERROR.

THEY'RE GOING TO BE GOING BACK AND FORTH.

SO WHAT WE'RE TELLING OUR PEOPLE IS IF YOU WANT TO HELP US, LET'S GO UP TO WISCONSIN IT LET'S GO TO MICHIGAN.

START KNOCKING ON DOORS THERE.

A LOT OF DEMOCRATS DOING THAT IS WELL, I KNOW GOING TO THESE MORE BATTLEGROUND WHAT IMPACT DOES THIS RFK ENDORSING TRUMP IN THOSE STATES?

HAVE?

I THINK IT'S A NON ISSUE.

HIS OWN FAMILY HAS THIS ABOUT HIM.

AND AT THE END OF THE DAY.

PEOPLE WANT TO HEAR ABOUT.

WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO TO MAKE MY LIFE BETTER AND WHO'S WILLING TO PUT PEOPLE OVER A PARTY.

AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT YOU HEARD AT THE DNC THAT THIS HAS REALLY LITTLE TO DO WITH PARTY AND EVERYTHING TO DO WITH PEOPLE.

WELL, THANK YOU.

THAT