MILWAUKEE — Despite the triple-digit temperatures, a number of protests and rallies took place before the GOP debate in Milwaukee.
A few hours before the debate, Deer District was filled with mostly media members, save for a group of a dozen or so Donald Trump fans and Georgia Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene.
“I’m not really surprised,” Greene said. “President Trump is not here so it’s kind of boring. That’s the comment I’ve heard over and over again.”
Taylor Greene’s support is obvious, but she said she’s excited to hear policy debates from the other candidates. If one of them is chosen as the nominee for the GOP and then elected president, she’ll have to be ready to work with them.
“The district I represent and the type of things I care about is, for decades, Washington D.C. has sold out those workers,” Greene said. “They’ve sent our jobs overseas, factors have shut down and eroded and degraded small town American. Not just in my district, but across the country.”
“My state has been Republican-led for a while now and quite frankly, I haven’t seen those benefits of a working-class party running the state,” Jaysin Saxton said.
Saxton lives in Greene’s home state of Georgia. He says he even has family members who live in her district and are suffering right now because of Republican lawmakers. He’s in Milwaukee to support the Services Employees International Union in their protest against the GOP debate.
“It’s hard out here for me,” Saxton said. “I work two jobs and I still barely make ends meet. It’s very important, this issue.”
Dozens of people with the SEIU marched to Fiserv Forum Wednesday afternoon, with hopes of sharing their message of candidates prioritizing working people as part of their platform. The group feels the slate of GOP candidates don’t share their values. It’s something echoed by Saxton.
“It’s very important that whoever runs for president or whoever wants to be president understands that and understands what that looks like,” Saxton said. “It would be smart for the Republican candidates to hear our voices. Do I think they will? Not necessarily.”
The day wasn’t filled with opposition. Moms for Liberty, a conservative political organization, has spent the last two days in Milwaukee, meeting with candidates and organizing efforts to make an impact during this election cycle. Ozaukee County Chapter Co-Chair Amber Schroeder is excited for the year ahead.
“It’s exciting that the Republican Party has so many great candidates right now,” She said.
Schroeder feels this is the kickoff to a busy year for her group to make an impact on Wisconsin.
“I hope so,” Schroeder said. “We’re engaging parents like never before. We’re going to band together, come together, moms on a mission. We’re going to change what happens here in Wisconsin.”
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