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New Mexico's Republican convention delegates are fired up by VP pick, union head and rapper
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New Mexico鈥檚 Republican delegates are energized by the Republican National Convention, which began only a few days after the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump.
New Mexico Republican Party Chairman Steve Pearce said the assassination attempt was despicable and a failure of the Secret Service.
鈥淭he explanation given by the (Secret Service) director that the slope of the roof was too great. ... That was a ridiculous statement. She should resign because of that stupid statement, as much as the failure of the security,鈥� Pearce said from Milwaukee, site of the convention.
The GOP convention began Monday and will wrap up Thursday with a speech from Trump.
On Monday, Trump announced first-term Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance as his running mate. The 39-year-old was critical of Trump in the past, calling him 鈥渃ultural heroin鈥� in a 2016 essay, but warmed up to Trump by the time Vance ran for office in 2022. Trump endorsed Vance鈥檚 Senate campaign.
New Mexico delegate Drew Degner of Farmington thinks that Vance is a great pick.
鈥淚鈥檓 still learning about J.D. and what he stands for, but what little I do know from him, I think what he brings is a youthfulness to just the politics in general. ... I think we鈥檙e getting tired of old men running the nation, and I think he鈥檚 bringing up the next generation of U.S. politics,鈥� Degner said.
Vance is the 鈥減erfect candidate to win the Midwestern vote,鈥� Pearce said.
鈥淭he Midwest has been just devastated by jobs outsourced, factories leaving,鈥� Pearce said, and he believes that Vance鈥檚 selection plays to blue-collar voters in the Midwest.
An unprecedented speech from Teamster Union President Sean O鈥橞rien during the convention on Monday also plays to those working-class voters, Pearce said. The speech marks the first time that a union president has spoken at the RNC.
鈥淚t鈥檚 something that not every Republican would have acknowledged or gone along with, and Trump welcomed the union president,鈥� Pearce said.
The majority of major labor unions have endorsed President Joe Biden, the Democrat who is running for reelection.
Pearce also said he was on the edge of his seat listening to rapper Amber Rose speak.
鈥淭wo years ago, four, six, eight, 10 years ago, the Republican Party would never have had a rapper,鈥� Pearce said. 鈥淎nd I think it speaks to the courage of a rapper, who probably ... she鈥檚 going to suffer economic pain. There are going to be people, just like actors who come out and endorse Republicans, who have a backlash among their communities.鈥�
At the 2020 Republican National Convention, the party declined to vote on a platform. The 2024 centers around Donald Trump, in both style by mimicking the capitalizations Trump typically writes with, and in subject, calling him the 鈥渦napologetic Champion of the American People.鈥� The platform lists 鈥渟eal the border, and stop the migrant invasion,鈥� as its first of 20 鈥減romises,鈥� and carrying out 鈥渢he largest deportation operation in American history鈥� as promise No. 2.
New Mexico delegate Teresa Barncastle of Roswell said she is concerned about the U.S.-Mexico border and would like to see a closed border.
鈥淭here are ways to get citizenship, and so many, and especially in New Mexico, there are so many that have followed those laws, and a lot of times, they鈥檙e being bumped back because there鈥檚 not enough agents to handle the process,鈥� Barncastle said. 鈥淪o if they close the border, follow the law, then it will all be fine.鈥�
