“Do you know what today feels like? A baseball game. Everybody’s rooting for America.” —Lou Valentino
All Trump rallies have a similar feel to them—always fun and full of positive energy and love for America. But something more significant occurred at the latest Trump rally in the Bronx, as Trump took a break from the blatantly politicized trial against him in New York
to do a rally in one of the bluest areas of the country. You’d have to go back to 1980 for the last time a Republican presidential candidate visited the Bronx when Ronald Reagan paid a visit during the disastrous presidency of Jimmy Carter.
“There’s a lot of people coming out here. It just looks so diverse…it’s just defeating every narrative there is. And Democrats are about to have a hard time in November because now New Yorkers are probably going to wake up and ask who are the politicians representing me? This is not about Trump; it is about Trump’s strategy of coming here and putting pressure on them. And Democrats, they’ve been getting our vote for so long…what has changed?”
That is a quote from Lou Valentino, a Puerto Rican American from the Bronx who attended the Trump rally last Thursday.
Contrast that with the following quote from New York Governor Kathy Holchul.
I’ll tell you what won’t make a difference at all…that is for Donald Trump to be a ringleader and invite all his clowns to a place like the Bronx.”
That sounds like a desperate comment from someone who is not only out of touch but is worried that Democrats are losing support from a typically reliable segment of voters. It’s another “deplorables” moment, revealing what Democrats really think of Americans who don’t pledge total allegiance to their party.
Democrats come across as dismissive of the plight of those in the inner cities. They proclaim things are better than they really are, or they try to convince minorities that if they just give Democrats more time and more power, they will finally improve things for their families and communities. But who has been in power in most major cities for decades? Who has been largely dictating policies at the federal level for the last 3 1/2 years as things have dramatically deteriorated?
Minorities are experiencing high inflation, increasingly unsafe neighborhoods, and the effects of the illegal immigration crisis. They are connecting the dots—all of these problems have developed under Biden and Democrat policies.
The only good thing about how badly things are deteriorating in America right now is that it’s causing people to wake up. More Americans, including minorities, are growing tired of empty promises from a ruling class who make glowing speeches (or bumbling in Biden’s case) while delivering miserable results. Democrats are losing control of their narrative, and the Trump rally in the Bronx is one of several indications of that. Republicans must not squander the opportunity to reach out to these discontented life-long Democrat voters who are open to a change.
And they are definitely open. According to a Hispanic man who lives in the Bronx, “All my life, I’ve been a Democrat. But Democrats have used us and abused us, and they think that they own us.”
Referring to AOC, one rally attendee expressed her frustration, saying, “Have her come to the Bronx and come among us people that struggle. She doesn’t even know what struggle is.”
They feel taken for granted. They no longer believe Democrats care. And some don’t know yet if Republicans do, so it’s up to us to convince them not only do we care, but we have better solutions. Trump’s message seems to be resonating. According to a recent poll, Trump has doubled his support among black voters from 2020 and is now polling at 23%. Hispanic support for Trump versus Biden is virtually tied. No wonder Kathy Holchul belittled Trump’s visit to the Bronx.
In Wisconsin, we have the opportunity to persuade voters who feel left behind by the Democrat Party. At the May 1st rally in Waukesha, President Trump brought up on stage Shana Gray, a black business owner who owns Gray Jett Cafe in Milwaukee. She voted for Biden in 2020 but expressed the need to change course and be done with the current administration. There are more people like her out there who are open to changing who they support.
As Lou Valentino said before the Trump rally in the Bronx, “I’d like to see Republicans step it up. You know, invest in the RNC here. Start reaching out, making a difference.” I couldn’t agree more. We have a great opportunity to make inroads in places like the Bronx and Milwaukee.
In Wisconsin, 68.6% of Black voters and 34.3% of Hispanic voters live in Milwaukee County. The biggest opportunities to reach those communities lie there.
To that end, the Republican Party of Wisconsin has a presence in Milwaukee with a field office on the north side, where they are working to engage more voters in the community who are underwhelmed by what Democrats are offering.
They have a full-time staffer focused on keeping the office open, attending community events, and recruiting and training volunteers to canvas. The Milwaukee County Republican Party is involved in outreach in the community as well.
With the RNC convention in July taking place in the heart of Milwaukee, it will be a great opportunity to get our message out to not only Milwaukee but every city across America. Republicans have a positive and unifying message to tell—we can deliver results for ALL Americans. And we’ve already experienced that under Republican leadership and a Trump administration.
What happened in the Bronx a week ago sent a message to Democrats across the country. Every city is the Bronx, and they aren’t necessarily going to buy what the Democrats are selling anymore. Lou Valentino isn’t buying, and as he expressed at the rally, he’s rooting for all Americans. “Do you know what today feels like? A baseball game. Everybody’s rooting for America.”
Getting support from people like Lou is what it’s going to take to win in November, and the
opportunity is there for Republicans. Maybe a great awakening is happening, and that is a large part of what it’s going to take for America to be saved.
