At RNC, Wisconsin GOP leaders tell delegates to have a seat

With great power comes great responsibility. Sometimes, that means just taking a seat.

Republican delegates from Wisconsin — one of the nation’s premier swing states and host of the Republican National Convention — occupy prime real estate on the floor of the Fiserv Forum. Because of that, sometimes they get camera time, whether they want it or not.

On Tuesday, there were times when cameras captured open seats, for Wisconsin’s delegations and others. According to Wisconsin RNC committee member Tom Schreibel, former President Donald Trump’s people took notice.

“They were mad last night,” Schreibel told delegates at their daily delegation breakfast. “Because it just wasn’t us … it was a lot of delegations.”

Wisconsin has 41 Republican delegates. Former Wisconsin Republican Party Chair Paul Farrow said if any of them had to leave their seats for long, they could let one of 38 alternate delegates take their place. Republicans said that at one point, there were 23 open chairs.

“It’s our responsibility to be in the chairs,” Farrow said. “If you’re not there tonight, I’m not letting you have your delegation tag tomorrow.”

Schreibel said he was “wearing the mic” that goes directly to Trump’s people, which is how he heard about their concerns.

“This is a highly produced movie that we’re a part of. Very highly produced,” Schreibel said. “This is for the nation. For us to shine. So we have to be in our seats to have this movie pulled off.”

The stakes are higher on the last two nights of the convention. On Wednesday evening, Ohio U.S. Sen. JD Vance is scheduled to give his first address since being named Trump’s vice presidential nominee. Trump will give his address to the convention Thursday.