Wisconsin GOP chair previews RNC, bullish about Trump’s chances in November

The Wisconsin Republican Party chair said Thursday he is confident of his party’s chances in November as GOP activists from around the country gather in Milwaukee to officially make former President Donald Trump their party’s nominee. 

“A week from today, Republicans will be nominating Donald Trump to be the next president of the United States,” Brian Schimming told reporters at the Capitol Thursday. “Hosting the RNC will solidify the gains that we’re making here in Wisconsin.”

While the race remains close in Wisconsin, several recent polls have shown Trump opening a slight lead over President Joe Biden since their first debate.

Schimming said he would rather be in Trump’s position than Biden’s. 

Former President Trump “is leading in almost every single swing state, including Wisconsin, and that is a disaster for the Democrats,” Schimming said.

Schimming said the Trump campaign is putting Minnesota and New Hampshire onto their list of states they could possibly win. 

While organizers have said thousands of protestors are expected on the convention’s opening day, Schimming said he’s not concerned. The protest route will pass in front of the hotel that will house Republican Party officials. 

“Nothing like having a welcoming committee,” Schimming said. 

Schimming said the Republican National Committee has had a good relationship with the city, and he is counting on the Secret Service and dozens of local law enforcement to deal with any security issues.

“If we have some surprises, we are counting on local law enforcement to deal with it, and we expect that they will,” he said. 

The Democratic National Committee and the Biden campaign plan to hold daily press conferences in Milwaukee throughout the Republican convention. 

“The GOP is descending on Milwaukee next week to showcase the best that they have to offer the American people: a coup-attempting convicted felon,” DNC Communications Director Rosemary Boeglin said in a release. 

Democrats will have a “massive six-figure paid media campaign to blanket Milwaukee,” including 16 billboards, ads on 57 city buses and a mobile billboard that will circle the convention staging grounds.

Schimming was also asked Thursday about a decision by the state Supreme Court last week reinstating absentee ballot drop boxes. While he said the court made “the wrong decision,” he said the party will work within the state’s laws on campaigns and elections. 

“I think a lot of you are aware I was the first state chairman of the country to start pushing early vote, which has maybe not been a Republican tradition in the past,” he said.

“We want to have protections in place, whether it’s observations or tracking ballots, obviously, as both parties do and other parties do,” he continued. “I feel confident because of our internal election integrity unit and all the efforts that we have statewide, that we’ll be able to have confidence in the election results on election night.”