‘Everybody’s very excited’: Local delegate shares thoughts on GOP convention
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - After President Donald Trump arrived in Milwaukee on Monday for the Republican National Convention.
Several local delegates are attending the convention including the former chair of the Republican Party of Columbia County.
We spoke to Debbie McCord about the convention and the new vice-presidential nominee.
Republican delegates arrived in Wisconsin expecting a pep rally but said it was more of a celebration of unity.
With high energy and delegates dressed head to toe in red, white and blue, Republicans say it is the sound of a family ready for business.
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“Everybody’s very excited. Going through the roll call states, when Florida put Trump over the top for the nomination the place just went ballistic. You know, everybody was jumping up and down and screaming,” said McCord.
As an Evans native, McCord is one of the 56 alternates Georgia sent to the RNC.
McCord says the news of Saturday’s shooting was hard to comprehend.
“I was actually already in Wisconsin when that happened. And we had sat down at dinner, and all of a sudden, I felt like I started getting phone calls. And I’m like oh no, I don’t want to talk. I was just like, decline, decline. And then they started texting me. And I went, ‘Oh, my God,’” she said.
As for security, delegates say this is one of the safest places they could be.
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“The security profile has really started beefing up. We’ve got two layers of steel fencing in the outer perimeter, and then you’ve got the inner perimeter, and then you still got to go through the ball check and the metal detector and everything else. We have security riding on the buses back and forth to our hotels,” said McCord.
And now, the shock of Trump’s close call is turning into excitement.
“People were upset that it happened but nobody’s depressed or down about it because Trump will just keep fighting. Keep fighting for it,” said McCord.
She says the delegates roared even louder with the news that JD Vance would the former president on the ticket.
“His nomination to be vice president was done very quickly because his had to be done by acclamation since he was the only candidate. And, again, a very electric atmosphere. Everybody’s very excited. Very much looking forward to winning in November,” she said.
But before they skip ahead to November, they’re looking forward to more in Milwaukee this week, including speeches from Nikki Haley, JD Vance, and Trump accepting his party’s nomination.
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