Johnson County and Indiana Republicans pose for a photo at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, earlier this month.
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Johnson County Republicans who were able to attend this year’s Republican National Convention said the atmosphere was “electric” and the speeches stirred emotions.
From stories shared by everyday Americans to remarks from the biggest names in GOP politics, the mid-July convention filled local delegates with a sense of national pride ahead of the November election, they said.
The centerpiece of the celebration, of course, was selecting the Republican presidential nominee, former President Donald J. Trump, who took the stage with a bandaged ear just days after he was shot at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
The convention kicked off in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on July 15. Of the 2,429 national delages, there were 58 from Indiana in attendance — two of which were from Johnson County, said Beth Boyce, chair of the Johnson County GOP.
This year’s RNC was Beth Boyce’s third time attending. The atmosphere was unmatched, she said.
“I would say, overwhelmingly, the unity, the just love and support and the patriotism that was on display … way more than the last two I attended,” Beth Boyce said.
Boyce attended the convention with Maggie Boyce, her 18-year-old daughter. Maggie Boyce said being around younger people with similar beliefs was something she enjoyed.
Hearing “real-life Americans” speak at the convention alongside party leadership was particularly impactful, both Boyces said. It takes courage to get on a national stage, Beth Boyce said, especially when the content of the speech was emotional.
“There was one mom, in particular, a lady from New York City whose son served in the military. He came home and then he was brutally shot in the streets of New York City,” Beth Boyce said. “The person that was accused of these crimes was eventually let off on a reduced sentence, and she spoke about how, ‘I was a Democrat and I was supporting these policies, and then it affected [me]. My son is gone.’ She gave very emotional remarks.”
Another highlight for them was Ohio Sen. JD Vance’s vice presidential nomination, which Beth Boyce said was an “excellent choice” by Trump.
The convention also felt more consequential and more historical in comparison to past conventions — especially since their nominee was recovering from an assassination attempt. Maggie Boyce said Trump’s speech spoke to the moment and had the audience’s full attention.
“But I felt like when, especially when he was talking, because the first thing he talked about a successful speech was obviously the shooting and kind of just addressing everything about it,” Maggie said. “I thought it was really interesting because it was completely silent. Like everybody was hanging on to every single word he said.”
For State Rep. Michelle Davis, R-Whiteland, this year’s RNC was “electric.” This is the first RNC Davis has attended and she said it was a great experience to represent Indiana.
“I felt like it was an honor to be picked to be able to go,” Davis said. “Not very many people get to do that. So, it was an honor to represent Hoosiers at the RNC and be able to experience like a once-in-a-lifetime thing.”
Although she defines herself politically as a conservative before a Republican, Davis said she’s throwing her support behind Trump as the party’s nominee. The most impactful moments of the RNC came from the speakers — particularly a speech by Kai Trump, Donald Trump’s granddaughter, who shared a side of the nominee people don’t often see.
“I enjoyed all of them but listening to her and how she called him grandpa, and she talked about him in a way that we don’t ever really hear about. So it made him more human and more real,” Davis said. “She was a great speaker.”
Jeff Cardwell, a former state chairman for the Indiana Republican Party, was also among the Indiana delegation. This is his seventh convention, having attended the RNC since the 2000 election. Having plenty of experience supervising and assisting with election cycles on the national, state and local level, Cardwell said this convention was “extremely well done,” citing the “everyday American” speakers that also had an impact on his fellow delegates.
“The parents that were affected with the fentanyl crisis that’s happening in America, and listening to some of those stories, I think that was some of the most impactful parts of the entire convention,” Cardwell said. “I thought it was extremely well organized and put together. And it was very inspiring. I mean, [you] weren’t listening to a lot of different talking heads or professionals, you were hearing stories from the grassroots and I think that’s what really resonated for a lot of people across the country.”
Cardwell said that an assassination attempt on Trump made the event particularly emotional for everyone. Trump’s first remarks after the shooting were reassuring for everyone from the party faithful to people around the world, he said.
“When you have a world leader like that, an attempt on his life, I mean, that doesn’t just impact America but it impacts the entire free world,” Cardwell said. “People take notice and I think that made everybody step back and take a moment to pause and really think about the future for America and how this could have and how it has really changed the course of history.”
