Republicans gather to watch Trump accept nomination

Wind and rain couldn’t keep Connecticut Republicans from gathering at a golf course in Waterbury Thursday to tune in to the final night of the Republican National Convention as they awaited the headliner: President Donald Trump, who would accept the nomination for a second term.

Throughout the week, the Republican National Convention featured speeches from Vice President Mike Pence, numerous family members including first lady Melania Trump, top administration officials, leading GOP lawmakers and speakers from swing states that Trump will fight to win in 2020.

No former presidents spoke in support of Trump, a contrast with the Democratic National Convention, which concluded last week and featured former presidents Barack Obama, Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton. George W. Bush is the only living former GOP president.

On Thursday night, Connecticut Republicans Leora Levy, of Greenwich; John Frey, of Ridgefield, and state Republican party Chairman J.R. Romano were set to watch Trump accept the Republican nomination in person at the White House. The three are members of the Republican National Committee. Levy and Frey represented Connecticut’s GOP delegates in Charlotte, N C., where the party held a proxy vote to nominate Trump on Monday, the first day of the convention.

“We’ve done a very good job making the case for re-electing President Trump,” Levy said. A Cuban immigrant, Levy praised the speech of a Cuban-American man on the first night of the convention who argued that Democrats would direct the country toward socialism and communism.

“A day or two before I left for Charlotte, I spoke to my father, who is 89,” Levy said. “We escaped from Cuba in 1960. We came here for freedom. We came here basically to save our lives and I had the exact same conversation with my father. He said, ‘If the United States goes communist where do we go next? There is nowhere else to go. We must prevent this from happening in America.’ ”

Conservative Peter Wolfgang, president of the Family Institute of Connecticut, praised the pro-life messages in the convention, noting that Trump has become the most pro-life president in recent history with his appointment of judges who oppose abortion and speech at the 2020 March for Life, among other actions.

“I was a hair’s breadth shy of being a Never Trumper in 2016. I voted for him in 2016 with great reluctance,” he said. “I’ve never been happier to have been so wrong.”

The convention has presented a case that Trump was the law-and-order candidate who would stand up for freedom of religion and school choice, oppose abortion, cut taxes and pull America from the economic devastation created by the pandemic. Trump issued a pardon and presided over a naturalization ceremony at the White House, blending official acts and the use of federal property in an unprecedented manner that controverted political norms and federal law.

The GOP convention also featured mid-sized live audiences at speeches at the White House and Fort McHenry in Baltimore — without masks or social distancing despite coronavirus regulations on gatherings.

Like many Americans, some Connecticut Republicans have not been glued to the convention. Some are making up their minds whether they will vote for Trump.

“I’ve always waited until toward the end to see how I’m going to vote,” said John McKinney, former Connecticut state Senate minority leader and Republican candidate for governor. “There are policies that I certainly agree with and I think that is the ultimate dilemma for a lot of people about Donald Trump … but the things that are said and done on Twitter are often times are cringeworthy if not worse.”

Others, like former U.S. Rep. Chris Shays, R-4, have decided to support Biden in 2020. Shays endorsed Biden Monday with more than 20 other former Republican members of Congress.

“I’d support Joe even if he wasn’t running against Donald Trump. From my view, his age is really a benefit,” Shays said. “He’s learned from his successes and he’s learned from his mistakes. I just consider him very wise. I re-read his speech and I would have been proud to give it.”

Many Republicans in the General Assembly did not return calls about their views on the convention and the Trump campaign, including the current House and Senate minority leaders, neither of whom are seeking re-election.

“It’s a huge challenge for Connecticut Republicans,” McKinney observed. “The Republican Party has become much more conservative and evangelical. Connecticut Republicans have always been a lot more socially moderate … That puts you at a very small table nationally.”

Trump “takes all of the oxygen in the room,” he added.