MAGA Republicans from across the country will soon descend on Milwaukee to fall in line with Donald Trump’s toxic plan to ban abortion nationwide, dismantle democracy, and destroy the economy for the middle class, but the RNC has already cast a shadow over the beautiful city Donald Trump called “horrible.” 

Here are just some of the headlines:

• Newsweek: “Water Bottles Banned From RNC Security Perimeter, AR-15s Allowed”
• CNN: “Top leader of RNC Platform Committee entertained idea of imprisoning women who get abortions, opposes exceptions”
• Semafor: “In a shift, the RNC will decide its platform behind closed doors”
• Associated Press: “Trump refers to Milwaukee as ‘horrible’ just before the city hosts the Republican convention”
• Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: “Republican National Convention website corrected after including photo of Ho Chi Minh City instead of Milwaukee”

As Republicans gear up for their national convention next week, they’ve already gone full steam ahead on making it one for the books: 

The RNC is allowing real guns into the convention but prohibiting *fake* guns.

Newsweek: “Water Bottles Banned From RNC Security Perimeter, AR-15s Allowed”

“‘We are prohibiting citizens from possessing tennis balls and water bottles while allowing them to carry fully loaded AR-15 assault rifles into the security perimeter of a major political event,’ Milwaukee Alderman Robert Bauman told Newsweek. ‘I find this utterly ridiculous.’

“‘Fake guns are prohibited, but real guns are allowed,’ he said. ‘Think about that.’”

Fox 6 Milwaukee: “RNC security: Guns OK, tennis balls banned within rough footprint”

And the RNC welcomed Trump’s handpicked MAGA extremists and Project 2025 architects to lead the planning and drafting of the party platform.

New York Times: “A Republican Platform That Could Read Like a Trump Rally”

“The co-opting of the platform committee by Mr. Trump’s campaign operation follows its hostile takeover of the Republican National Committee. The previous national chairwoman, Ronna McDaniel, was ousted on Feb. 26 and replaced days later with two close allies of Mr. Trump: Michael Whatley, the former state party chairman in North Carolina, and Lara Trump, the Fox News commentator and wife of Mr. Trump’s son Eric. The new leadership fired dozens of R.N.C. staff members. Some were rehired, but only after they gave satisfactory answers to questions, including whether they believed the 2020 election was stolen.

“Growing evidence suggests that the campaign intends to keep the platform committee on a similarly short leash.”

Rolling Stone: “Meanwhile, over at the Republican National Committee, at least seven of the individuals tasked with overhauling the party’s platform in anticipation of Trump’s second term in office have connections to Project 2025 — starting with Russell Vought, who was director of the Office of Management and Budget during Trump’s administration.

“The Project 2025 advisory board includes still more organizations helmed by former high-ranking Trump officials: Former Trump chief of staff Mark Meadows leads the Conservative Partnership Institute; Trump White House advisor Stephen Miller is the president of America First Legal.”

CNN: “Top leader of RNC Platform Committee entertained idea of imprisoning women who get abortions, opposes exceptions”

“[Ed] Martin has consistently espoused a hardline position on abortion, criticizing Republicans with a more moderate stance on the issue, and has even questioned the safety of birth control.”

NBC News: “RNC hires a prominent ‘Stop the Steal’ advocate to help craft its 2024 platform”

“Ed Martin, a former chair of the Missouri Republican Party, was a major proponent of former President Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss. He gave a speech to Trump supporters in Washington on the eve of the Capitol attack, calling on ‘die-hard true Americans’ to work until their ‘last breath’ to ‘stop the steal,’ according to video posted on social media.

“On the morning of Jan. 6, Martin attended Trump’s speech near the White House before joining the crowd in marching to the Capitol and posting about it on social media.”

ABC News: “Donald Trump will define 2024 RNC platform, committee members say”

MAGA Republicans can’t stop fighting each other since the RNC’s extreme MAGA Trump takeover.

Associated Press: “Lara Trump is taking the reins and reshaping the RNC in her father-in-law’s image”

“Party insiders and former RNC staffers, including those swept out in recent months, say the committee is lagging in building a county-by-county operation that helps turn out the vote. Former staffers said they worry the RNC is focusing too much on Trump’s race, putting down-ballot candidates in a tough spot.

“To help bolster turnout, she is embracing conservative groups that espouse fringe beliefs.”

Associated Press: “Trump’s team is slashing Republican National Committee staff amid takeover, AP sources say”

Politico: “Party feud breaks out ahead of RNC meeting in Las Vegas”

CNN: “Tensions between Trump and RNC grow as he steamrolls toward GOP nomination”

The RNC also decided to get rid of any transparency so voters don’t know who is pulling the strings creating the RNC’s new platform. 

Semafor: “In a shift, the RNC will decide its platform behind closed doors”

“In a break from decades-long precedent, reporters and spectators will not be allowed to watch next week’s party platform committee proceedings in Milwaukee. C-SPAN, which has previously broadcast the committee’s work, was never offered access this year, and told that the three-day meeting will be closed to the press. […]

“‘The lack of transparency is unwelcome,’ said Oscar Brock, an RNC committeeman from Tennessee. ‘When people operate behind closed doors, you always have to wonder what the outcome is going to be.’”

And the RNC team left small local businesses in the “horrible” city of Milwaukee high and dry by failing to deliver on their promise of an economic boom.

Dan Schafer: “SPECIAL REPORT: RNC bookings ‘underwhelming’ and a ‘failure,’ event venues and restaurants raise concerns”

“Gary Witt, president and CEO of the Pabst Theater Group, told The Recombobulation Area that the majority of the group’s venues will have no events booked for the RNC. […]

“‘It’s 100% a case of ‘overpromise, underdeliver,’ on all parts, by everybody,’ he said.”

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: “‘Top Chef’ finalist’s DanDan restaurant worries about losing business during RNC”

“‘We’ve gotten not a single inquiry,’ said chef Dan Jacobs, co-owner of DanDan in the Third Ward and a James Beard Award nominee. ‘(For) the DNC, we were getting nine, 10, 12 months out, we were getting inquiries, (potential) bookings. … Now, there isn’t a lot of action.’”

Spectrum News: “Some businesses are concerned about losing money during RNC”

Salon: “‘I’m sad for Milwaukee’: Local business owners complain that the upcoming RNC is already ‘a failure’”

“‘There are not as many inquiries as hoped, and in general terms, there is not a lot of excitement around the convention,’ a spokesperson from Lupi & Iris told The Recombobulation Arena.”

WISN: “RNC bookings for Milwaukee theaters haven’t materialized”

Associated Press: “Trump refers to Milwaukee as ‘horrible’ just before the city hosts the Republican convention”