12 key moments from the RNC in Milwaukee on Wednesday

Here are key moments from Wednesday's RNC in Milwaukee — just a selection of the live updates Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reporters brought to our readers throughout the day.

Milwaukee mayor acknowledges RNC money isn’t flowing everywhere

Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson said he had heard “some concerns” that business isn’t booming outside the immediate area of the RNC.

“Some have said their expectations have not been met,” he said at a morning press conference outside Milwaukee City Hall. “While it’s absolutely true that millions and millions of dollars will be spent in connection with the convention, that money is not necessarily flowing through … every single corner of the economy.”

Johnson said he has been encouraging convention attendees to explore, shop and eat in the city.

DA says man arrested near Fiserv Forum on Monday was carrying AK-47

A 21-year-old man arrested blocks from the RNC on Monday was carrying an AK-47 pistol, the Milwaukee County District Attorney's office said Wednesday.

The man was walking away from an RNC security checkpoint, when a Homeland Security Investigations special agent and a U.S. Capitol Police officer patrolling the area noticed him. The officers stopped him and searched his backpack, finding a fully loaded magazine containing 7.62X39-caliber rifle ammunition, a "Scream" movie mask, flashlight, two sets of black gloves with rubber fingertips, sunglasses, an Allied Universal Security uniform shirt, two cans of spray paint and multiple empty marijuana bags, according to court documents. The man didn’t have a concealed-carry permit for his weapon, police said.

Wisconsin delegate's dog popular for selfies

Dogs have stolen the show at the Republican National Convention — including Lambeau, a 7-year-old purebred English Labrador retriever service dog.

Lambeau's human, Wisconsin delegate Terrence Wall, said the dog has had his photo taken at least 250 to 300 times a day.

"I'm just his agent," joked Wall, a real estate developer and former U.S. Senate candidate.

Teen charged with stealing Trump campaign team SUV

A 17-year-old was charged with stealing a Chevy Tahoe belonging to former President Donald Trump's campaign advance team from the Pfister Hotel on Saturday.

According to the criminal complaint, the teen broke into a valet lockbox at the hotel, on East Wisconsin Avenue, the day before Trump arrived in Milwaukee. He drove the car through the parking gate at the Mason Street exit and to the Walmart at 6300 W. Brown Deer Road. Police tracked the car through GPS and arrested the teen inside the store.

Senate candidate Hovde wins beer-chugging contest

U.S. Senate candidate Eric Hovde won a beer-chugging challenge during a live taping of the "Ruthless Podcast" outside Fiserv Forum. A video posted to X, formerly Twitter, showed Hovde finished his beer in about five seconds.

Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson is also known for a beer-chugging video from 2022, in which he thanked the Tavern League of Wisconsin for endorsing him. He chugged a slightly larger beer than Hovde did, finishing in 3.79 seconds.

MPD changes rules on out-of-town officers during RNC

After Tuesday’s fatal police shooting a mile from the security zone of the Republican National Convention, everyone from elected officials to activists and reporters had the same question:

Why were officers from Columbus, Ohio, in King Park — unaccompanied by Milwaukee police — when officials had said non-Milwaukee officers would not be in “forward-facing” roles, and would have at least one MPD officer on most assignments?

On Wednesday, Milwaukee police said they did not consider the Columbus bicycle unit to be a forward-facing unit, since it was a specialty unit primarily tasked with traffic control and responding to potential demonstrations.

The department has now made changes. For the last days of the convention, all bicycle units will have representation from Milwaukee police.

Trump poetry for sale

Among the MAGA and Trump merch for sale at the Republican National Convention, attendees can also buy "The Collected Poems of Donald J. Trump."

The nearly 400-page book features a Trump tweet (from before the platform was renamed X) on each page. The tweets are divided into sections, including "loathings," "realities" and "portraits."

Compiled by friends Gregory Woodman from Portland, Oregon, and Ian Pratt from Nashville, Tennessee, the book is available to those at the RNC inside the Baird Center.

"I'm just a fan of great poetry and great art, and it's been a fun project to work on," Woodman said.

They sold out Tuesday, but attendees can order a copy and have it shipped to their home.

Are the two legit or trolling Republicans at the convention? You decide — here's the a line from the publisher's note:

"Combining the measured contentiousness of Thoreau, the terse poignancy of Hemingway, and the inclusive social commentary of Ta-Nehisi Coates and Toni Morrison, Donald J. Trump has emerged as one of the leading poets of his generation."

Democrats launch billboards on Vance abortion comments

Democrats launched nine new billboards in both English and Spanish criticizing JD Vance's comments on a national abortion ban.

According to reporting from CNN, Vance in 2022 said he wanted to see abortion banned nationally, because people seeking abortions would travel from states where it’s banned to those with liberal abortion laws. Without federal action, he said, abortion couldn't be completely stopped.

Vance earlier this week said he planned to adhere to Trump's view on abortion as a state issue, though.

The new ads, which feature a photo of Vance, will appear along I-94 and I-43.

Attendees wear ear bandages in solidarity

In the sea of RNC attendees, one particular accessory stood out: ear bandages.

Some attendees came to the day’s events sporting bandages on their right ears. It may not be a TikTok beauty trend any time soon, but it’s a strong display of solidarity with former President Donald Trump, who survived an attempted assassination Saturday and has been wearing a large bandage over his wounded ear throughout the RNC.

Senators press Secret Service for answers

A group of senators confronted Secret Service head Kimberly Cheatle at the convention, according to a post on X by Tennessee Sen. Marsha Blackburn.

“You owe the people answers,” Blackburn can be heard saying in the video.

Lawmakers have raised questions and concerns in the wake of the assassination attempt against Trump about potential gaps in security.

99-year-old Wisconsin veteran says he'd re-enlist under Trump

Sgt. William “Bill” Pekrul, a Milwaukee native and World War II veteran, told the RNC crowd that “America is still worth fighting for” during his evening speech in downtown Milwaukee.

The hometown hero's entrance on stage drew a thunderous applause and chants of "U.S.A." And it didn't end there — almost every line he delivered garnered the same applause and patriotic chants.

The highlight of the speech for RNC delegates came when Pekrul, 99, said if former President Donald Trump became president again "I would go back to re-enlist today."

"I would storm whatever beach ... my country needs me to."

JD Vance accepts VP nomination, shouts out Wisconsin factory workers

JD Vance formally accepted his nomination as the GOP Republican vice-presidential candidate. In his speech, the conservative Ohio senator said the moment is “about all of us,” including those in the key swing states Republicans are hoping Vance will help attract as VP pick.

“It’s about the auto worker in Michigan, wondering why out of touch politicians are destroying their jobs,” Vance said. “It’s about the factory worker in Wisconsin, who makes things with their hands and is proud of American craftsmanship.”

“It’s about the energy worker in Pennsylvania and Ohio,” he continued, “who doesn’t understand why Joe Biden is willing to buy energy from tinpot dictators across the world when he could buy it from his own citizens right here in our own country.”

Compiled from reporting by Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reporters David Clarey, Alison Dirr, Natalie Eilbert, Tristan Hernandez, Zoe Jaeger, Hope Karnopp, Caitlin Looby, Ashley Luthern, Maia Pandey, Laura Schulte and Mary Spicuzza; and Savannah Kuchar from USA Today.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: RNC in Milwaukee on Wednesday, July 17: Key moments