On day of Biden visit, RNC has other things to say about Wisconsin

NEWS AND OPINION:

Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel has a thought or two about President Biden’s visit to Milwaukee on Wednesday, in which he talked up his administration’s support of Black-owned small businesses.

Mrs. McDaniel is having none of it — and reminds one and all that the Republican Party has chosen Milwaukee to host the upcoming Republican presidential convention.

That event could bring Milwaukee approximately $200 million in revenue and 45,000 visitors, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

“Democrats abandoned Milwaukee in 2020, but Republicans are delivering. As we bring historic economic investments ahead of our 2024 Convention and policy solutions from lowering costs to school choice, Wisconsinites aren’t interested in more lip service from Joe Biden,” she said in a written statement shared with Inside the Beltway.

Mrs. McDaniel added that Milwaukee’s host committee for the 2024 Republican National Convention deposited $100,000 on Nov. 28 at the city’s only minority-owned bank.

A REALITY CHECK

Fox News correspondent Bill Melugin is one of the truly “boots on the ground” journalists when it comes to the southern U.S. border. He goes there. He reports what he sees, and offers drone footage and live coverage to get his point across.

“Customs and Border Patrol sources tell Fox News that, since the month of December first began, there have already been over 190,000 migrant encounters at our Southern border. Just for perspective, that is equivalent to the population of Birmingham, Alabama, crossing our border in just 19 days,” Mr. Melugin said in a report on Wednesday from Lukeville, Arizona.

“Like clockwork, we had another mass illegal crossing overnight, well over 500 people, and hundreds of them still camped out here at the border wall waiting for Border Patrol to pick them up. There are just a couple of Border Patrol agents here, as the ratio continues to be horrible for these agents,” Mr. Melugin continued.

And the would-be migrants just keep arriving, he said.

“They continue coming in from all over the world, and a large number of adults are coming in from Africa. This Tucson, Arizona, sector had about 2,900 illegal crossings yesterday alone,” Mr. Melugin said, adding he had spoken with several who hailed from India and three African nations.

THE COLORADO HEADLINES

The Colorado Supreme Court’s ruling that removed Donald Trump from the state’s 2024 presidential primary ballot inspired a few choice headlines. Here are a few:

“Supreme Court takes center stage in the Trump legal battles” (NBC News); “Colorado voters share sense of unease after court disqualifies Trump” (The New York Times); “Colorado Supreme Court bars Donald Trump from the state’s ballot in 2024, ruling he’s disqualified by Jan. 6 actions” (Colorado Post); “GOP rallies around Trump after Colorado ballot ruling” (Politico); “Colorado nixing Trump ‘strikingly undemocratically’ unites experts as ex-Scalia clerk declares ‘lawfare’” (Fox News); and “Can Donald Trump still run for US president after Colorado court ruling?” (Al Jazeera).

COLORADO SUMMARIZED

“The Colorado Supreme Court’s nonsensical ruling only adds to the preexisting chaos of the 2024 election. The biggest ‘threat to democracy’ is to deny voters their choice. This ruling must be reviewed by the Supreme Court,” tweeted Sen. John Cornyn, Texas Republican, in response to the removal of former President Donald Trump from the state’s presidential primary ballot on March 5.

TUCKER TV

Former Fox News host Tucker Carlson recently founded TCN — the Tucker Carlson Network — a streaming platform that offers exclusive and new material. The host now appears to be in a holiday mood.

“You can give the gift of Tucker Carlson Network for Christmas so they can escape the grip of corporate media,” Mr. Carlson said in a new public outreach shared with Inside the Beltway.

The programming itself includes speeches, films, investigative reports, shorts and behind-the-scenes fare. There’s also a direct line to “Tucker’s personal inbox” for those with questions.

“Be the hero this Christmas by giving the gift your loved one is sure to use every day. Give the gift of TCN,” the outreach said.

Find the details at TuckerCarlson.com.

RINGING IN 2024

Fox News has revealed its programming lineup for New Year’s Eve which showcases a pair of one-hour specials airing from 10 p.m. to midnight Eastern time on Dec. 31.

They include “Who Can Forget 2023” hosted by such on-air talents as Bill Hemmer, Pete Hegseth, Jimmy Failla, Todd Piro, Janice Dean and Eric Shawn — along with Fox Business Network correspondents Gerri Willis and Madison Alworth.

At 11 p.m. Eastern, “Gutfeld” co-host, former professional wrestler and New York Times bestselling author Tyrus headlines his first New Year’s Eve special — with the help of Michele Tafoya, Sean Duffy, comedian Tyler Fischer and wrestler Ric Flair.

“Additionally, Zach Greig, a plant operator for the Australian Antarctic Division, will join the special to discuss the unique aspects of ringing in the new year from Antarctica,” Fox News said in its programming notes for the evening.

POLL DU JOUR

• 14% of U.S. adults find the December holidays “very stressful”; 16% of women and 12% of men agree.

• 35% say the holidays are “somewhat stressful”; 39% of women and 32% of men agree.

• 28% say the holidays are “not very stressful”; 26% of women and 30% of men agree.

• 19% say the holidays are “not at all stressful”; 15% of women and 23% of men agree.

• 4% are “not sure” about the issue; 4% of women and 4% of men agree.

SOURCE: A YouGov poll of 41,887 U.S. adults surveyed online on Dec. 18.

• Follow Jennifer Harper on X @HarperBulletin and on Facebook at HarperUniverse.