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Thank you speech generator after an event.
As they say, “no man is island.” In any given occasion, there will always be people who exerted so much effort for its success. An event cannot be successful without people who devote their time and resources just to make sure everything is perfect. At the same time, people who attend and gather for the event are still very much a big part of its success. You may also see presentation speech examples & samples.
You feel like words are not enough to express the gratitude you towards everyone responsible for the event, but to those concerned, sometimes it is more than enough. You acknowledge everyone’s hard work and say a couple of thank yous to everyone involved from the organizers, laborers, decoration in-charge, waiters, etc. You may also like how to start a speech .
In fact, it is only right to publicly express your gratitude and let everyone know the roles and responsibilities everyone partook just to make the event a success. And you as the coordinator, host or recipient must highlight the key everyone played just to make the event happen. You may also check out speech examples in doc .
In general, this type of speech is not spontaneous. You will have knowledge about this beforehand. You will be given ample amount of time to consider what to say and how to exactly say what you mean. You may also see
A thank you speech is very much suitable for any occasion. It can be a birthday party, retirement get together, induction event, etc. Although reasons for an event may vary, you can always start by saying, “Thank you for coming to my event; Thank you for the award; Thank you for all your presents…”
It is important to keep these three content areas in your speech:
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Like any form of writing you need the basic three parts in your speech. Here’s how to write each parts of the speech:
Typically, this is where you explain the reason as tho why there is an event as of the moment. Just like in any writing, your introduction opens up your whole speech. This also where you typically greet everyone. In addition, you explain why there is a need for you to thank everyone. You may also check out leadership speech examples & samples.
In the introduction, you can always narrate a small story leading to the day of the event. Short stories that relate to the event help people understand your experience better. Aside from its entertainment value, it helps people relate and empathize with you and your experiences.
In this part of the speech, you slowly make your way into thanking the people who has helped you. Start by thanking the people on top of your list and make your way down to the last one. Always allot as much time thanking them according to their importance for you. But generally, always make time in thanking everyone. You might be interested in introduction speech examples & samples.
You can also add and insert quotations that directly relate to you or reflect the relationship you have with these people. Not only are quotations great filler, they also add sentimental value to your speech. It may sound a bit old school but it is just another way of expressing gratefulness.
The conclusion basically wraps up your entire speech. This is where you summarize the entirety of your speech in the shortest possible way. You summarize the main points you have made during the speech and finish. You can also add some wise parting words and a compliment of you wanting to work with the same people again. Remember to always end your speech in a high note; reiterate how thankful you really are and wish everyone a good day or night. You may also see tribute speech examples & samples.
It is also very important to remember that generally thank you speeches are not as lengthy as you want it to be. It is best to not get carried away with your emotions and only include significant people in you list and then thank the rest as a group or as a whole.
Just like in awarding ceremonies like the Oscars, winning artists are only given a few minutes to receive, acknowledge and thank all the people for their award. Like what you see, artists usually bring a short list containing a list of people they want to publicly thank, so should you. You may also like motivational speech examples & samples.
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Although this type of speech is seldom spontaneous, you can have a couple of days even weeks to rehearse your speech; spontaneous speeches are more difficult. But sometimes even though you have rehearsed it, nerves always get in the way and get the best out of you. Here’s an easy guide how to flawlessly deliver your thank you speech:
Even though you do not expect to be given the chance to express you thanks say in awarding ceremonies where you expect not to win, always prepare a short speech, just in case. You can never know when or where you’ll be given a chance to thank the important people in you life especially in events where you are actually a part of. You may also see steps in speech composition .
In this sense, there is no point in not preparing when you already know you are tasked to do the thank you speech at the end of you event. Just because you are familiar with the people you’re about to recognize does not mean you should not prepare. In order to avoid blabbering, always prepare your speech beforehand and practice, practice, practice.
If you want to specifically thank and mention some people, make sure you do not forget the most important ones. Make a list to make sure you have all the right people to include in you message and that you have not forgotten anyone. Forgetting people like your assistant that has contributed and helped you so much, can cause offense and can be embarrassing in you end. Make sure you review and check you list. You may also like wedding speech examples & samples.
Although you already have a list of people you want to thank, you have to thank all the people present before anything else. Appreciate their presence and support in swift but sincere way. You can go like, “I appreciate all of you coming out, especially in this weather. I’m so grateful to have people in my life like you.” You may also check out how to conclude a speech .
In a scenario where you forgot to thank someone special, apologize and send them something after the event. It can be distasteful and can hurt the person’s emotions when they know they’ve helped you be where you are. Send them a card or any gift, not only because you forgot to thank them publicly but because they done a good job and has helped you along the way. You might be interested in dedication speech examples .
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Here are some tips to make your thank you speech effective and flawless:
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In conclusion, a thank you speech helps you publicly express the unending gratitude you feel for those who have supported and helped you. It expresses your thoughts as to how you cannot be where you are now if not for these important people. Sometimes, you can only have a single shot at doing this so better do it right and actually try to do it right. You may also see speech templates and examples .
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Trump’s surreal, subdued, and unfocused address gave Democrats an opening to turn the tide of this campaign.
Donald Trump arrives to speak during the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on Thursday, July 18, 2024.
M ilwaukee— There can be no doubt that Donald Trump united the GOP delegates, alternates, and hangers-on who gathered at the Republican National Convention here on Thursday night to witness his presidential nomination acceptance speech , the culmination of an evening that also featured Hulk Hogan, Kid Rock and Dana White, the CEO of the mixed martial arts promotion company Ultimate Fighting Championship. Even the bedraggled supporters of Nikki Haley—who famously dismissed the former president as “ unstable and unhinged ” and announced that “I do not need to kiss the ring” of her rival for the party’s nod—went along with the former United Nations ambassador in offering Trump a “strong,” if humiliating, endorsement.
But there was something off about the night that was supposed to signal Trump’s triumph.
Everyone else did their part. Speaker after speaker hailed Trump as “a hero,” “a tough guy,” “a champion,” “a gladiator” and an “American badass.” The Rev. Franklin Graham announced , “Last Saturday in Butler, Pennsylvania, President Trump had a near-death experience. No question. But God spared his life.” When Trump recalled last week’s assassination attempt, he told the crowd, “I’m not supposed to be here tonight.” They responded , “Yes, you are!” But after that compelling moment, the expectation was that Trump would launch into an epic address.
That never happened.
Instead, Trump delivered a rambling 93-minute speech (by far the longest convention acceptance speech in history) that was strangely subdued—”much more muted than usual,” observed the Associated Press—and unfocused. The former president spun off in so many directions that the technicians running his Teleprompter struggled, without much success, to keep up with the twists and turns. The coherence and natural flow Trump brought to his acceptance speeches at the 2016 Republican National Convention in Cleveland and on the grounds of the White House in 2020 were long gone.
The official line on this year’s speech was that, after the traumatic events of last Saturday, the nominee and his team had decided to tear up his anticipated remarks and prepare a new kind of Trump speech. The candidate, we were told , was going to position himself as a unifier who was prepared to bring a divided country together.
But the speech didn’t deliver. Through much of the night, Trump spoke almost in a monotone, rarely raising his voice. There were some relatively poetic appeals woven into the text, including a section that read, “As Americans, we are bound together by a single fate. We rise together or we fall apart.” But, for the most part, Trump delivered a supremely self-congratulatory acceptance address, a “greatest hits” presentation cribbed from his similarly jumbled rallies. He even included the weird references to fictional serial killer Hannibal Lecter—”the late, great Hannibal Lecter. He’d love to have you for dinner”—that have caused actor Anthony Hopkins, who played Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs , to pronounce himself “ shocked and appalled ” by Trump’s admiration.
Of course, there was the usual slurry of gripes about the reelection race he didn’t win and the Democratic administration that succeeded him. And there were the even more usual lies, misstatements, and errors of fact—like the section of the speech where Trump congratulated Scott Walker on the “very nice job” he was doing as governor of Wisconsin, seemingly forgetting that Walker was ousted from that job six years ago.
Yet the crowd did not care. Trump was constantly interrupted by shouts of “Trump! Trump! Trump!” and “We love you!”
This was Donald Trump’s convention. And that was enough for him. Instead of reaching out beyond the hall to Americans who are still uncertain about his candidacy for a second term, the man who lost the 2020 popular vote by 7 million ballots was content to bask in the applause of the party faithful, welcoming and encouraging the adulation that was directed his way on the last night of a four-day love fest where speaker after speaker pledged absolute loyalty to his candidacy.
With his ego very much intact, Trump made it clear that he believed that he merited the applause. “I am the one saving democracy for the people of our country,” he announced early in the speech.
In a narrow sense, Trump did have something to celebrate.
After a decade of having to wrestle with “Never Trump” Republicans who openly rejected him, and with the far greater community of “if it must be Trump, so be it” Republicans who grudgingly supported him, the alleged billionaire and convicted felon 34 times over finally had the leaders of the Grand Old Party precisely where he wanted them: cheering his every word with the bleary-eyed enthusiasm of the MAGA cultists he has encouraged them to become. Even when he didn’t deliver on the promise of a historic address, they acted as if he had.
This is the peculiar twist that the 2024 Republican National Convention has put on American politics.
There were few if any pretenses to traditional Republicanism, to the Grand Old Party, its history or its values. The loyalty of this convention was to a man, not a party.
That inside-the-bubble approach to politics gives Democrats, dispirited and in disarray because of the conflict over President Biden’s uncertain prospects, an opening that could prove to be politically consequential. They can speak, more loudly than ever, about the problem with a cult-of-personality politics that has very little vision for America beyond Trump’s recitation of 2016 and 2020 slogans: “Drill, baby, drill!” and “Close our borders!” and “I could stop wars with a telephone call.”
If Thursday night’s speech is any indication, the “vision thing” is going to be a problem for Trump once the convention ends and the home stretch of the campaign begins.
Gone are the days when Trump—whose personal favorability ratings stand at a dismal 42.2 percent in the Real Clear Politics survey of recent polls—could rely on the cohesive, if wrong-headed, Republican vision of former House Speaker Paul Ryan and similarly serious conservatives to fill in the blanks and secure his candidacy. Ryan, whose support was critical to narrowly winning the state of Wisconsin for Trump in 2016, wasn’t even at this year’s GOP convention—even though his hometown of Janesville is just 60 miles away from the Fiserv Forum.
Trump announced on Thursday night that he would be “a president for all of America.” But that made-for-TV appeal from a former reality-TV host doesn’t match reality. While this week’s Associated Press poll found that 70 percent of Americans—including 65 percent of Democrats—thought that President Biden should end his candidacy, a striking 57 percent of Americans—including 26 percent of Republicans and 51 percent of independents—also want Trump to exit the race.
Feature / Robin D.G. Kelley
Zack Budryk
The reactionary prophet of silicon valley the reactionary prophet of silicon valley.
Chris Lehmann
Trump’s numbers in a race against the Democratic nominee, be it Biden or Vice President Kamala Harris, may tick up a bit in coming days. That’s predictable after a week where Americans have witnessed an assassination attempt on Trump, the selection of a vice presidential nominee, and a reasonably successful convention—as well as the apparent unraveling of Biden’s reelection bid.
But the fundamentals of the 2024 race were not changed by Trump’s address on Thursday night. The promise of a new message for his third campaign went unmet.
To win in November, Trump needs more than the support of the party loyalists who literally attached bandages to their ears in order to mimic the look of the former president, whose upper ear was injured in the assassination attempt. (“The ears are the bloodiest part,” Trump informed his audience on Thursday.)
In this deeply divided country, it will require an absolutely united Republican Party outside the convention hall, as well as the overwhelming support of independents who have traditionally leaned Republican. Yet Trump’s retread message is unlikely to wow the doubters who cast unexpectedly high numbers of votes for Haley when she was in the race, and even after she left it . And the longtime Republicans who might draw those swing voters into the fold— the Ryans and Mitt Romneys and Cindy McCains—were far from the convention hall in Milwaukee. They won’t show up for him on the campaign trail this fall. In fact, some of the most prominent of their number will very probably hit the trail for the Democratic ticket.
Former US Representative Adam Kinzinger, a former Republican rising star from Illinois, warns that Trump would “hurt anyone or anything in pursuit of power.” Kinzinger endorsed Biden weeks ago, and would almost certainly back a Harris-led ticket.
Losing Republicans like Kinzinger and Ryan, who now dismisses Trump as an “authoritarian narcissist” rather than a “conservative” and who promises to write in an alternative candidate, is a serious matter. These aren’t Never Trump adventurers who jumped off the Trump train before the 2016 election and never got back on. These are people who once campaigned for Trump and were critical to his success in the only partisan race he ever won.
The Republican Party that made Trump the president in 2016 is gone. It has been replaced over the past eight years by the Party of Trump that was on display in Milwaukee Fiserv Forum this week.
While the former president succeeded in uniting a convention, he did not unite a nation. He did not quell concerns about his extremist record on everything from abortion to cutting taxes for the rich. And his announcing, “The leader of the United Auto Workers should be fired immediately,” isn’t likely to garner much favor with workers who have come to recognize UAW President Shawn Fain as a determined. and strikingly successful champion of their interests.
Nor will Trump’s tepid and unsteady appeals to vague notions of unity be sufficient to cause Americans to forget the chaos and conflict that were associated with his presidency. Smooth words on a Thursday night in Milwaukee won’t calm those who are concerned by Trump’s recent talk of governing as a dictator , or diminish the threat posed by the Project 2025 scheme to remake the federal government in Trump’s image, and as a plaything for the plutocrats of Wall Street.
Trump did his victory lap this week. But the convention is now done, and the campaign—as confusing and uncertain and unwritten as it may remain—is on. It will not be easy for either party. Democrats are in for plenty of highs and lows. But it is absurd to suggest that Trump’s opposition lacks the openings it will need to win.
Beating Trump won’t be any easier than it was in 2020. But Democrats are better positioned than the pundits will tell you to run against the man and what has become of the Republican Party— because, while the GOP is now a cult of personality, the United States is not.
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MILWAUKEE — No one doubts that Donald Trump united the Republican delegates, alternates and hangers on who gathered in Milwaukee Thursday night to witness acceptence of the nomination of the Republican Party on a program that featured Hulk Hogan, Kid Rock and the CEO of the mixed martial arts promotion company Ultimate Fighting Championship . Even the bedraggled supporters of Nikki Haley – who famously dismissed the former president as “unstable and unhinged” and announced that “I do not need to kiss the ring” of her rival for the party’s nod – joined the former United Nations Ambassador in giving Trump their “strong,” if humiliating, endorsement.
Speaker after speaker hailed Trump as “a hero,” “a tough guy,” “a champion,” “a gladiator” and an “American Bad Ass.” The Rev. Franklin Graham announced that, “Last Saturday in Butler, Pennsylvania, President Trump had a near-death experience. No question. But God spared his life.” When Trump recalled the assassination attempt, he told the crowd, “I’m not supposed to be here tonight.” They responded, “Yes, you are.”
So it went with a rambling, oddly subdued speech — “much more muted than usual,” observed the Associated Press. Through much of the night, Trump spoke almost in a monotone, rarely raising his voice. The crowd didn’t care. Trump was constantly interrupted by screams of “Trump! Trump! Trump!” and “We love you!”
By any and every measure, this really was Donald Trump’s convention and he was basking in it, welcoming and encouraging the cheers, embracing the adulation on the last night of a four-day love fest where speaker after speaker pledged absolute loyalty to his candidacy.
And Trump made it clear that he thought that he deserved it all.
“I am the one saving democracy for the people of our country,” the candidate announced early in a long and congratulatory acceptance speech.
After a decade of having to wrestle with “Never Trump” Republicans who openly rejected him, and with the far greater community of “If It Must Be Trump, So Be It” Republicans, who grudgingly supported him, the alleged billionaire and multiply-convicted felon finally had the Grand Old Party where he wanted it: cheering him with the bleary-eyed enthusiasm of the MAGA cultists he has encouraged them to become.
This is the twist that the 2024 Republican National Convention has put on American politics.
There are no longer any pretenses to traditional Republicanism, to the Grand Old Party, to history or to values. The loyalty is to a man, not a party. And that gives Democrats, dispirited and in disarray because of the conflict over President Biden’s uncertain prospects, an opening. They can speak, more loudly than ever, about the problem with a cult-of-personality politics that has very little vision for America — beyond Trump’s recitation of 2016 and 2020 bumber sticker slogans: “Drill Baby Drill!” and “Close Our Borders” and “I Could Stop Wars With a Telephone Call.” Of course, there was the usual slurry of gripes about the reelection race he didn’t win and the Democratic administration that succeeded him. And there were the even more usual errors — like the section of the speech where Trump repeatedly gave shoutouts to the governor of Wisconsin, Democrat Tony Evers, who wasn’t present.
The vision thing going to be a problem for Trump once the convention ends and the campaign begins.
Gone are the days when Trump — whose personal favorability ratings remains dismal: 42.2 percent, in the Real Clear Politics survey of recent polls — could rely on the coherent, if wrong-headed Republican vision of former House Speaker Paul Ryan and similarly serious conservartives to fill in the blanks and secure his candidacy. Ryan, whose support was critical to narrowly winning the state of Wisconsin for the GOP in 2016, wasn’t even at this year’s GOP convention–despite the fact that his hometown of Janesville is just 60 miles away from the Fiserv Forum where Trump announced on Thursday night that he would be “a president for all of America.”
For his part, Ryan has announced that he won’t be voting for Trump in 2024. The same goes for Utah Senator Mitt Romney, Ryan’s president running mate on the party’s 2012 presidential ticket. Trump’s former Vice President Mike Pence, who survived the wrath of Trump backers when he rejected their efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election, now says, “ It should come as no surprise that I will not be endorsing Donald Trump this year.”
But that made-for-TV appeal from a former reality-TV doesn’t match reality. While this week’s Associated Press poll found that 70 percent of Americans – including 65 percent of Democrats – thought that President Biden should end his candidacy, a striking 57 of Americans – including 26 percent of Republicans and 51 percent of independents – want Trump to exit the race.
Trump’s numbers in a race against the Democratic nominee, be it Biden or Vice President Kamala Harris, make tick up a bit in coming days. That’s predictable after a week where America have witnessed an assassination attempt on Trump, the selection of a vice presidential nominee and a successful Party convention – as well as the unraveling of Biden’s bid.
But the fundamentals of the 2024 race have not changed. To win in November, Trump needs more than the support of the party loyalists who literally attached bandages to their ears in order to mimic the look of the former president, whose upper ear was injured in the assassination attempt. It will require as absolutely united Republican Party outside the convention hall, as well as the overwhelming support of independents who have traditionally leaned Republican. Yet, the Republican Party that appealed to those slightly swingy voters is no more. And the long-time Republicans who might draw them into the fold – the Ryans and Romneys and Cindy McCain’s — were far from the convention hall in Milwaukee. They won’t show up for him on the campaign trail this fall. In fact, some of the most prominent of their number will very probably hit the trail for the Democratic ticket.
Former U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger, a former Republican rising star from Illinois, warns that Trump would “hurt anyone or anything in pursuit of power.” Kinzinger endorsed Biden weeks ago, and would almost certainly back a Harris-led ticket.
Losing Republicans like Kinzinger and Ryan, who dismisses Trump as an “authoritarian narcissist” rather than a “conservative” and promises to write-in an alternative candidate, is a serious matter. These aren’t “Never Trump” adventurers who jumped off the Trump train before the 2016 election and never got back on. These are people who once campaigned for Trump and were critical to his success in the only partisan race he ever won.
The Republican Party that made Trump the president in 2016 is gone. It has over the past eight years been replaced by the Party of Trump. And, despite the fact that the former president has united a convention in Milwaukee, this is not the party of a united American electorate. There is plenty of dissent and division, much of it a reaction to Trump’s extremist record on everything from abortion to cutting taxes for the rich. To be sure, Trump tried to position himself as a more moderate and appealing contender in his acceptance speech Thursday night. But his appeals to XXX won’t cause Americans to forget the chaos and conflict that were associated with his presidency. Smooth words on a Thursday night in Milwaukee won’t make Trump’s recent talk of governing as a dictator, or diminish the threat posed by the 2025 scheme to remake the federal government in Trump’s image and as a plaything for the plutocrats of Wall Street.
Trump did his victory lap this week. But the convention is now done, and the campaign – as confusing and uncertain and unwritten as it may remain – is on. It will not be easy for either party.
But it is absurd to suggest that Trump’s opposition lacks the openings it will need to win.
Beating Trump won’t be any easier than it was in 2020. But Democrats are better positioned that the pundits will tell you to run against the man and what has become of the Republican Party — because, while the GOP, is now a cult of personality, the United States is not.
What would-be killers of the US commander in chief have in common is that they aren’t fervent ideologues; they’re outcasts.
Democrats acted as a proper political party, while Republicans remain in thrall to a dangerous authoritarian.
Abandoning his reelection run and endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris took courage and vision. Other top Dems are joining.
Democrats deserve a candidate who can lift the whole ticket, not drag it down to defeat.
D.D. Guttenplan
Swas Ticker, Degeneration X.
OppArt / Marc Murphy and Gary Taxali
And so does the president. As he decides his future, Joe Biden has to come to terms with the war within himself.
Why are presidential assassins such sad sacks, free, feminists and rebels, by withdrawing in favor of kamala harris, joe biden proves that only the gop is a personality cult, prison innovations, the peculiar legacy of e.e. cummings, editor's picks.
It was the final day of the 2024 Republican National Convention .
Former President Donald Trump made his long-awaited speech Thursday night after being officially nominated as the GOP presidential candidate in the November election against President Joe Biden.
It came just days after he was shot in the ear during an assassination attempt at a campaign rally Saturday in Pennsylvania.
Here's the Journal Sentinel's live coverage from Thursday:
After Trump gave his long-awaited acceptance speech, and once thousands of red, white and blue balloons dropped onto delegates below, there was one final step to close out the Republican National Convention.
That was making the final motion to adjourn. And Trump's campaign extended the honor to former Republican Gov. Tommy Thompson, a fixture in Wisconsin politics for decades.
Though many delegates had started leaving Fiserv Forum, the camera panned to Thompson standing with the Wisconsin delegation. Thompson moved to adjourn, Republican National Committee chair Michael Whatley adopted it and the convention was officially over.
(12:45 a.m.)
— Hope Karnopp
Scott Evorik now has two Republican National Conventions under his belt.
Evorik — a city councilman in Crown Pointe, Indiana — attended his first RNC in Cleveland in 2016, when Trump was just beginning his transformation of the Republican Party.
Milwaukee's convention was a much better show than Cleveland's was, Evorik said.
"The lineup of speakers this week has been 10 times better," he said.
Only one thing felt a bit off about this convention, he said: Trump's keynote speech.
Trump "was too soft tonight," Evorik said, standing outside Fiserv Forum as Trump wrapped up his 93-minute address. "He was trying to be a little sentimental after what happened Saturday."
Evorik understands why the former president struck a different tone, just days after he survived an assassination attempt. Still, he would've liked to see more of the old Trump.
"Liven it up a little," Evorik said. "Get the party going."
(12:40 a.m.)
— Genevieve Redsten
Army specialist Nick Idalski was just 23 when he was killed in combat during a 2005 tour of duty in Iraq.
This week, his older brother, Steve Idalski, was among the Gold Star families at the RNC.
As the convention wrapped up late Thursday night, Idalski was in good spirits, standing outside Fiserv Forum. He felt particularly hopeful about the GOP's vice presidential candidate, Marine Corps veteran and U.S. Sen. JD Vance.
As a veteran, Vance has "seen it; he's more in tune; he knows what's going on," Idalski said.
Idalski believes American politicians should understand what it really means to deploy troops to foreign conflict zones. They shouldn't be starting wars they don't plan to finish, he said.
Idalski said he appreciated the sober tone of Trump's keynote speech Thursday, which he saw as a display of humility.
"I think the No. 1 characteristic of a great leader is humility," he said.
(12:35 a.m.)
As delegates trickled out of Fiserv Forum during the final hours of the RNC, a lone protestor greeted them with a large banner condemning Trump.
Nadine Seiler, a woman from Waldorf, Maryland, traveled to Milwaukee for the convention specifically to protest the Republican Party's platform and Trump's nomination.
People passing behind her got a view of the message on her T-shirt, warning of "Trump's Project 2025." The set of policy goals developed by the Washington, D.C. think tank The Heritage Foundation proposes sweeping changes, including altering personnel rules to ensure government workers are more loyal to the president, according to the Associated Press.
Trump has distanced himself from the project, which is run by several top appointees from his previous administration.
“I want to shame the people who are attending this convention,” Seiler said. “I’m shocked that somebody of that character is somebody who anyone in America will elevate.”
— Claudia Levens and Maia Pandey
Donald and Melania Trump made an appearance at Milwaukee's oldest gay bar Thursday night.
No, it wasn't actually them. Local drag performers impersonated them at This Is it in parody of the game show "Match Game," or as it's popularly known on the show Ru Paul's Drag Race, "Snatch Game."
Performers also impersonated Republican congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene and conservative internet personality Candace Owens as a way to poke fun at the RNC and its party's anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric.
A performer dressed as the former president entered the bar in an orange prison jumpsuit, lip-syncing to the song "Prisoner" by Miley Cyrus. The performer held a bandage to their ear, then used it to wipe their brow until their Secret Service agent whisked them off the stage.
Performer-Owens entered the bar in a red, sequined dress to the song "Jesus Take the Wheel" by Carrie Underwood, while performer-Greene entered to a remix of Rep. Jasmine Crockett's "bleach-blonde, bad-built, butch body" insult.
Throughout the gameshow, the performers riffed on the Republican Party's discomfort with the LGBTQ+ community. For example, the host asked what three homophobic people should do after entering a bar, and performer-Owens insisted they should stay. At another point, Trump seemed confused as to why so many people tweeted peach emojis at him. He thought it stood for "I'm peach" while the host tried explaining people were calling for impeachment.
Performer-Greene repeatedly proclaimed their love for Trump, and performer-Trump repeatedly denied knowing her. Meanwhile, performer-Melania huffed a Sharpie because she was "busy trying to feel something."
The show drew about 60 people, including a woman in a red T-shirt that said "Make American Gay Again."
"Our intent is to entertain and encourage lightheartedness and laughter," said This Is It general manager Darnell Watson.
(11:58 p.m.)
— Kelly Meyerhofer and Quinn Clark
Across the street from Fiserv Forum, in the final hours of the RNC, the Black String Triage Ensemble serenaded passersby with classical music.
The group, an all-volunteer orchestra of Black and Latinx musicians , set up an eight-person string ensemble on the corner of North Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive and West Highland Avenue.
Dayvin Hallmon, music director and founder of the group, said it performs at scenes of civil unrest or in the immediate aftermath of shootings. On Tuesday, Columbus, Ohio, police shot and killed a man who lived in an encampment west of downtown Milwaukee.
“The goal is to use music to address the grief and trauma of civil unrest, to use music to hold off violence from occurring for anybody,” he said.
The group closed its set with the song, “Nobody Knows The Trouble I’ve Seen,” a Black spiritual, the type of song Hallmon called, “the bedrock of American music.”
(11:53 p.m.)
— Maia Pandey and Claudia Levens
Trump's speech is now the longest nomination acceptance speech in the modern era, stretching over an hour and a half, Bloomberg said.
The previous record was broken by Trump in 2016.
Closing his speech, Trump remarked, "Thank you, Wisconsin, and God bless America."
At 76 minutes and counting, Trump’s speech is now the longest nomination acceptance speech of either party in the modern era. The previous record? Trump in 2016. Latest updates: https://t.co/wkTAW5xVA3 pic.twitter.com/ZFVk94ZFxt — Bloomberg (@business) July 19, 2024
(11:14 p.m.)
In his acceptance speech Thursday night, Trump detailed what happened during the assassination attempt Saturday.
"I was discussing the great job my administration did on immigration at the southern border," Trump said. "Behind me, and to the right, was a large screen that was displaying a chart of border crossings under my leadership . The numbers were so amazing.
"In order to see the chart, I started to like this turn to my right. And was ready to begin a little bit further turn, which I'm very lucky I didn't do, when I heard a loud whizzing sound and felt something hit me really, really hard, on my right ear. I said to myself 'Wow, what was that? It can only be a bullet.'
"The amazing thing is that, prior to the shot, if I had not moved in my head at that very last instance, the assassin's bullet would have perfectly hit its mark."
(10:57 p.m.)
As the sun set on the RNC in Milwaukee, several dozen people hunkered down in Major Goolsby’s, 340 W. Kilbourn Ave., to watch Trump address delegates just blocks away. The customers, locals and out-of-town visitors alike, cheered as Trump took the stage.
Brookfield residents and married couple Linda and Nick Russo said they drove into the city to get as close to the convention center as possible without having credentials to the event.
“We’ve never had an RNC here, and it probably will be the last time in my lifetime that we do,” Nick Russo said.
He said some of the performers and speakers before Trump, such as professional wrestler Hulk Hogan, were “not expected,” but he enjoyed Eric Trump’s speech.
Several patrons said they noticed a more somber tone to the former president’s address, especially in the wake of the assassination attempt against him.
Hillsdale College student Michael Rupe said he noticed “a humility you don’t usually see from the guy.”
“Anyone who has been that close to death understands how frail human life is,” Rupe said.
Some patrons built friendships across the aisle on the last day of the RNC. Around three hours before Trump's speech, Tim Skaleski, a Democrat and Biden supporter, was grabbing food at the Third Street Market Hall when he met a Republican who supports Trump and is also named Tim.
Over drinks, the two bonded, then made their way to Goolsby’s to watch the speech and observe the atmosphere.
“It’s important people know that Democrats and Republicans can come together, have old fashioneds and have fun,” Skaleski said.
(10:38 p.m.)
Trump gave Milwaukee and Wisconsin a shoutout in his speech.
"A very special thank you for the extraordinary people of Milwaukee," he said, before noting that the Wisconsin delegation is "easy to spot" as they waved their cheeseheads in the air.
Trump added that Wisconsin is going to have "a great team this year," referring to the Green Bay Packers. "Most of the audiences didn't like it, but it's true," he added.
Trump is looking to win back Wisconsin, a crucial battleground state, after losing it to Biden in 2020 and carrying Wisconsin in 2016.
"And by the way, Wisconsin, we are spending over $250 million in creating jobs and other economic development all over the place. So I hope you'll remember this in November and give us your vote," Trump said. "I am trying to buy your vote.
(10:21 p.m.)
— Hope Karnopp and Mary Spicuzza
Prior to his highly anticipated speech at the RNC, Trump paid respect to the man who was fatally shot at his rally Saturday.
Corey Comperatore, 50, was the former fire chief of Buffalo Township, Pennsylvania. His helmet and uniform with the word “Buffalo” affixed to it were placed on stage as Trump arrived to give his speech. The former president kissed Comperatore’s helmet before calling for a moment of silence.
Comperatore worked as a project and tooling engineer, was an Army reservist and spent many years as a volunteer firefighter after serving as chief, according to his obituary.
According to the U.S. Secret Service, he was shot and killed at a Trump rally Saturday after 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks opened fire on Trump and the crowd, injuring the former president and two others.
(10:24 p.m.)
— Drake Bentley
Outside the RNC in downtown Milwaukee, a new fashion accessory was taking off — ear patches.
“I put it on to honor Trump,” said Zachary Lansdowne of Washington state, who first put the patch on Tuesday. “The man’s willing to stand in front of extreme danger to do the job we need him to do and I respect that, so it's a tribute.”
Trump is wearing an ear bandage at the convention after a bullet grazed his ear Saturday during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania. In the days that followed, convention-goers started sporting their own patches of gauze, cotton or napkins.
(10:06 p.m.)
— Rachel Hale
Trump formally accepted the Republican presidential nomination Thursday, on the final day of the GOP convention.
"I am running to be president for all of America, not half of America, because there is no victory in winning for half of America,” Trump said in the beginning of his acceptance speech.
Unity was a leading theme in Trump’s address, rewritten in the wake of the assassination attempt against him over the weekend.
— Savannah Kuchar, USA TODAY
Hulk Hogan delivered a WWE-worthy style promo during the final night of the 2024 RNC in Milwaukee that had the crowd on its feet as he called Donald Trump his hero.
It was classic Hogan, the wrestling icon from the 1980s and 90s, and even delivered his famous tagline before ripping off his shirt to feature a Trump and JD Vance shirt.
"Let Trump-a-mania run wild brother, let Trump-a-mania roll again. Let Trump make America great again."
(9:44 p.m.)
— Christopher Kuhagen
Another one of former Trump's grandchildren has taken the spotlight during Thursday's RNC event.
Carolina Dorothy Trump, the youngest child of Eric and Lara Trump, was seen sitting on the former president's lap while her dad gave his remarks.
(9:40 a.m.)
Former First Lady Melania Trump has arrived at the RNC.
It’s Melania’s first public appearance at the convention.
She took her spot with Trump’s family at 9:09 p.m. in the stands at Fiserv Forum ahead of her husband’s acceptance speech.
(9:13 p.m.)
— Chris Kuhagen
Trump was flanked by some notable names as he took his seat at Fiserv Forum to take in the final night of the RNC on Thursday night.
Among those sitting with him was Wisconsin U.S. Senate candidate Eric Hovde and country music star Jason Aldean and his wife, Brittany Aldean.
Trump entered the arena well before he was scheduled to formally accept the nomination on the stage later Thursday night, taking a seat in a box above the stage.
(8:44 p.m.)
— Alison Dirr and Mary Spicuzza
The Democratic National Convention will spread its message Friday morning by plane, highlighting accomplishments by the Biden administration.
The group chartered a plane to fly over Milwaukee, reading, "Trump: Ban Abortion, Punish Women," according to Addy Toevs, a Biden-Harris campaign spokesperson.
A set of 16 new billboards will also go live at 8 a.m. in preparation for the departing Republican delegates and convention attendees. They'll highlight how the Biden administration worked to cap the price of insulin for those on Medicaid to $35 per month, created 180,000 new jobs in Wisconsin and provided student loan relief for thousands.
The billboards will be in both English and Spanish, and will be placed along major highways throughout the city.
The marketing is meant to show that Democrats are continuing to invest in Wisconsin, while Republicans "dine and dash," Toevs said.
(8:38 p.m.)
— Laura Schulte
In a demonstration that drew few spectators, a national communist organization called for a "revolution" to abolish the United States' political and economic systems.
About a dozen people from the Chicago chapter of Revcom Corps demonstrated in Haymarket Square Park around 7 p.m. Thursday. They were the only group to show up to the north side protest zone that day, according to security staff.
Revcom Chicago spokesperson Leo Pargo lamented the lack of political activism at the RNC. The crowd of roughly 20 people were mostly reporters.
"Just to be frank, this protest zone is empty," he said. "And it's been empty all week. You know, this should be teeming with people who can't stand what Republicans are doing, stripping away the right to abortion, the virulent support for police brutality that they have."
Pargo said Revcom opposes Trump's policies, but also Biden's, including his handling of the Israel-Hamas war.
"The whole damn system has to go," Pargo said. "We're saying Trump, Biden — they're not the only choices."
The group ended the demonstration by burning an American flag.
(8:28 p.m.)
Two miles south of the RNC, Milwaukee residents trickled into The Cooperage Thursday night for a market offering a break from the nonstop politics taking over downtown Milwaukee. More than a dozen local artists and business owners set up booths with their merchandise, while a DJ spun music for the attendees.
The free event was hosted by the Great MKE Block Party , which has curated over 50 events “in acts of joyful rebellion during the week of the RNC."
Vendor Liz Koetting, who co-edits a queer-focused zine , said: “People in my community are stressed about people who vote against our rights coming into our city. It makes the city feel like not a safe space.”
Two attendees, cousins Kylie and Maureen McFadden, said they've been avoiding downtown and the RNC. They showed up to bring business to a part of town they love, knowing that most around the city aren't getting the increased business promised by local officials.
They weaved between a number of vendor booths set up, including Alicia Clark's booth, selling laser-cut jewelry and sun catchers as Lux Candela Studio .
Clark said she plans to donate a portion of her proceeds to Street Angels , a local group that supports Milwaukee County’s unhoused population. The events of Tuesday — when five police officers from Ohio shot and killed a man living in a tent encampment near downtown — are fresh in her mind.
“Because the unhoused population has been so affected by the RNC in so many ways, between displacements and disconnection from resources, I thought they could use some extra help this week," she said.
(8:27 p.m.)
Vendors and food carts are packing up shop ahead of final speeches. The inner perimeter is mainly empty as delegates, guests and media pack into Fiserv Forum to hear Trump’s remarks Thursday night.
(8:20 p.m.)
The RNC will host its biggest music act yet as it plans to close out the convention with a performance by country star Jason Aldean at Potawatomi Casino Hotel.
Reince Priebus, chair of the RNC host committee, told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Thursday that the singer would be performing at a party the committee is throwing after the RNC ends Thursday night.
Aldean and his wife, Brittany, have been spotted in the front row of Donald Trump's VIP box.
(7:34 p.m.)
— Jordyn Noennig
Billionaire Wisconsin businesswoman Diane Hendricks told the crowd at Thursday's RNC about her path from growing up on a Wisconsin dairy farm to running the biggest roofing supply company in North America.
"I'm living proof the American dream is possible through hard work and determination," she said to applause.
Hendricks is the co-founder of ABC Supply, the largest wholesale distributor of roofing supplies and a major distributor of siding and windows in North America. She started the Beloit-based company in 1982 with her husband, Ken, and has been the chairwoman and sole owner since his death in 2007.
"We risked everything we had to start that company. Today, ABC supply employs over 22,000 Americans," she said.
(7:22 p.m.)
— Mary Spicuzza
Donald Trump returned for the final night of the Republican National Convention in downtown Milwaukee.
Trump arrived earlier than the other three nights, but Thursday night is a big night for him — he's scheduled to deliver his speech accepting the Republican nomination for president.
As with every night, he walked in to a standing ovation, loud applause and cheers shortly after "Y.M.C.A." blasted through Fiserv Forum.
(6:58 p.m.)
Hannah Tahtinen, of Milwaukee, sparked conversations with passersby outside the RNC the way Tahtinen knows how — through performance art.
A giant replica of the U.S. Constitution hung across Tahtinen’s front. It was a way of making Tahtinen, a transgender, nonbinary person, more approachable, they said. In their hands was a sign saying, “Which side are you on?”
“I think it helps disarm people who might think, because of the way I present as a transgender, gender-nonconforming person, that I am the enemy,” Tahtinen said. “This (Constitution) is as much a document that protects me as anyone else, no matter what political affiliation you have.”
Tahtinen believes people have more in common than they might think and wanted to spark conversations and call attention to people’s cognitive dissonance, including around trans issues.
“If you don’t know a single trans person, it can seem like some ideology, some movement, some scary thing,” Tahtinen said. “I think Republicans are using that to their advantage, to use fear and the fear of the unknown, the fear of someone who may be a stranger to them, to drive people to the (ballot) boxes.”
Over three hours Thursday morning, Tahtinen said they drew a range of responses, some cold, some heartwarming. Some asked to take pictures with them.
(6:27 p.m.)
— Gina Lee Castro and Sarah Volpenhein
After hearing from the family members of D’Vontaye Mitchell and Samuel “Jah” Sharpe, Jr., protesters at Red Arrow Park marched to the Hyatt hotel, where Mitchell was killed by security guards last month.
Protesters arrived around 6 p.m. to find dozens of officers from multiple agencies guarding the hotel. After pausing outside and chanting Mitchell’s name, the protesters headed back without any confrontations with police.
Family members of Mitchell said they would keep protesting until seeing charges against the four guards who held down Mitchell with their knees on his back. Police referred four charges of felony murder in Mitchell’s death to the Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office, which has not made a decision.
“No one should be comfortable until some arrests and charges have been made,” said Latrisa Giles, Mitchell’s cousin.
Family members of Sharpe said police didn’t give enough time for Sharpe, who had multiple sclerosis, to turn around before shooting and killing him Tuesday. His sister, Angelique Sharpe, asked whether anyone would want police to intervene the way they did if their own family member was in such an altercation.
“There’s no way you would want a situation to be escalated like that that did not have a gun,” she said.
(6:14 p.m.)
— Rory Linnane and Genevieve Redsten
The cheeseheads were out in force for the final night of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.
The Wisconsin delegation kicked off the convention wearing cheeseheads, the legendary Milwaukee-made foam headpieces. But they did take them off for the national anthem, with at least one delegate holding his cheesehead close to his heart.
The cheesehead was first worn by Ralph Bruno at a 1987 Milwaukee Brewers game. He used foam from inside his mother’s couch to cut it into a triangle, burned some holes into it and spray-painted it yellow.
In 2023, the Green Bay Packers acquired the company that now manufacturers the iconic hats, Foamation.
(6:02 p.m.)
— Mary Spicuzza and Drake Bentley
Usha Chilukuri Vance, wife of GOP vice presidential candidate U.S. Sen. JD Vance, dined Wednesday afternoon at Le Rêve Patisserie & Café, bar manager Chris Paape told a Journal Sentinel reporter. Secret Service scoped out the restaurant ahead of her visit, he said.
While a waitress who served Chilukuri Vance declined to share what dish the vice presidential candidate’s wife chose for lunch, Paape said Secret Service agents didn't order any food themselves.
Lion's Tail Brewing Company, 8520 W. North Ave., was packed Monday and Tuesday nights, but quiet Wednesday, two employees told a Journal Sentinel reporter.
Discover Wauwatosa partnered with the hotels in the community to put together welcome gifts to place in guest rooms for their arrivals, said Beth Gleesing, tourism specialist for the City of Wauwatosa.
Two employees at hotel Twenty-Three03, formerly the Radisson Hotel, said they were in from Florida to staff the hotel that's hosting Alabama delegates. The hotel and the adjacent Jimmy's Island Grill and Iguana Bar closed months ago, but reopened to host around 150 convention guests before it will shut down permanently, multiple sources told the Journal Sentinel.
In Brookfield, the Utah delegation planned for lunch at WhirlyBall Brookfield Thursday afternoon.
— Bridget Fogarty
Tonight is the final and much anticipated night of the 2024 Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.
The main event, of course, will be Trump, who will deliver a speech for the first time since Saturday's assassination attempt at a rally in Pennsylvania. He'll accept the nomination as the Republican candidate for president.
The event began at 5:30 p.m. and ends at 10:30 p.m. Thursday's theme is "Make America Great Once Again,."
Here's how you can watch Thursday's RNC coverage and who will deliver speeches .
(5:53 p.m.)
— Caitlin Looby
It's the fourth and final day of the RNC, and that means one of Milwaukee's historic landmarks has one last message for visiting Republican delegates.
This week, the Riverside Theater marquee has become known for its quippy yet informative messages spotlighting why the Cream City is so great.
Thursday's message from the Pabst Theater Group read: "So, Milwaukee... Not so horrible, eh?"
(5:49 p.m.)
On the heels of an assassination attempt against Trump , the announcement of his vice president pick and a packed week at the Republican National Convention , many are awaiting Trump's speech Thursday night at Fiserv Forum to wrap up the fourth and final day of the convention in Milwaukee.
Here's what we know about Trump's speech accepting the Republican nomination for president:
(5:30 p.m.)
— Claudia Levens
Former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson said he wants to see Trump hold a rally in Milwaukee or Madison this year — or his hometown of Elroy, he joked.
One of the four principles he tells candidates is that they should campaign in Madison and Milwaukee. "Republicans don't do that," Thompson said.
U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson told the Journal Sentinel earlier Thursday afternoon he'd like to see Trump hold a rally in Milwaukee.
Thompson said he's "never seen the party this united" in his 60 years of being a Republican, and he's never seen Democrats "so unorganized and disjointed as they are today."
"Democrats cannot win the presidency, and I think we're going to carry Wisconsin," he said.
(5:15 p.m.)
For months, the MKE 2024 Host Committee hyped how the convention was going to be good for the city and local businesses. But when the convention arrived, some businesses were hoping for more of an impact.
“In some places, the impact was enormous,” said Reince Priebus, Host Committee chairman. “In other places, depending on the situation, where the businesses are located, where the delegates are located, that all plays a role in it.”
Priebus added he wants “nothing more than everyone to make as much money as possible.”
Priebus said the Host Committee held several events and parties in restaurants in the leadup to the convention.
“The real thing here I think that is important for everyone to understand is that there are some businesses that made a lot of money,” Priebus said. “Some wish they made more.”
Priebus said this convention is like an audition for future events to come to Milwaukee.
“The future potential conventions here, whether it be WrestleMania or All-Star games, or whatever it is, is that this is a good destination city to come to and have your event,” Priebus said. “The real money isn’t just this event. The real money is all the future events that are going to come here. And they’re not going to have all the security to deal with either.”
Priebus said he’s received universal praise for the convention.
“I’ve gotten zero negative comments about either the organization, the city or the events,” Priebus said.
After the convention business in Fiserv Forum is over, the Host Committee is having a party at Potawatomi Casino Hotel featuring a Jason Aldean concert.
“That’s our baby tonight,” Priebus said.
(5:13 p,m.)
— Ricardo Torres
Over 100 people, including dozens of journalists, have gathered at Red Arrow Park in Milwaukee to remember Samuel “Jah” Sharpe, Jr., who was shot and killed in Milwaukee Tuesday by police officers who were in town from Ohio for the RNC.
They're also remembering D’Vontaye Mitchell, who died June 30 after being held down by four security guards outside the Hyatt Regency hotel in downtown Milwaukee.
The Milwaukee Alliance Against Racist & Political Repression, which was involved in organizing the Coalition to March on the RNC and held a vigil for Sharpe Tuesday, called for the rally at Red Arrow Thursday.
More than 30 police officers were at the park as the rally began. The Milwaukee Police Department had a softer presence at the Coalition’s march Monday.
Many residents have decried local officials for allowing Republicans to hold their national convention in Milwaukee and welcoming a heavy police presence.
(4:58 p.m.)
— Rory Linnane, Genevieve Redsten
Are hookups on the rise during the RNC this week?
According to Google search trends, that's been one of the hot topics on people's minds in Milwaukee, particularly regarding gay dating app Grindr , which has seen a flood of unconfirmed reports that it's continually crashing during the convention.
But what's really happening on Grindr this week?
(4:55 p.m.)
— Rachel Bernhard
Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and X, has made some big moves supporting Trump in the past week.
On Saturday, less than an hour after the attempted assassination of Trump, Musk posted on X that he "fully" endorses Trump's presidential campaign. A few days later, Musk reportedly committed to donating $45 million a month to a political action committee backing Trump's reelection, according to the Wall Street Journal .
The billionaire's public support of the Trump campaign has ramped up public speculation of whether he might speak at the final night of the RNC, when Trump will formally accept the GOP nomination.
Will Musk speak at the convention Thursday night?
(4:48 p.m.)
— Maia Pandey
Could Trump be back in Milwaukee sometime soon?
Asked where Trump should hold his next rallies in Wisconsin, U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson says he's told Trump and his campaign that they "ought to come in and do a rally right here in Milwaukee."
"Milwaukee is a melting pot," Johnson told the Journal Sentinel on Wisconsin Media Row Thursday afternoon. "Come here because President Trump wants to be, and was, the president for every American. He lifted everybody up."
Trump has so far held rallies in Green Bay, Waukesha and Racine this year.
Johnson also praised the bipartisan effort to bring the RNC to Wisconsin.
"From Mayor Johnson to Gov. Evers to myself, we all wanted the exact same thing: a great event, so that everybody leaving here has got a really great impression of Milwaukee and Wisconsin," he said.
Like Vos, Johnson agreed that if Biden were to exit the presidential race, it wouldn't change Republicans' strategy much.
Ahead of Trump's acceptance speech tonight, Johnson said Trump's "life was spared for a reason. I'm sure he wants to put it to very good use."
"Trump said he had a humdinger speech. I'm sure he would have loved to deliver it, we probably would have loved to hear it," Johnson said. "But he set that aside, he wants to have a speech talking about unity."
(4:40 p.m.)
Right-wing comedic YouTuber Alex Stein was thrown out of the RNC Tuesday.
RNC organizers decided to remove Stein, who runs the YouTube channel "Prime Time with Alex Stein," after he interrupted a video interview between Piers Morgan and Cenk Uygur, host of "The Young Turks."
In the video, Stein stuck his head around Uygur’s camera yelling: “Cenk is transgender, Cenk is transgender.”
Uygur immediately called Stein one of the “lunatic Republicans” while still on with Morgan.
Videos of the incident went on to get millions of views on X, formerly known as Twitter, as well as other social platforms.
It was totally worth getting kicked out of the RNC just to crash @piersmorgan and piss off @cenkuygur pic.twitter.com/ckULFq8P9Z — Alex Stein #99 (@alexstein99) July 17, 2024
(4:29 p.m.)
— Erik S. Hanley
Wisconsin Assembly Speaker Robin Vos said he hasn't yet spoken with Trump this week, but said he's "always open to it."
"We had talked about trying to get together. But obviously, with everything that happened on Saturday, security's been tighter, his schedule has been more crazy, so he's got better things to do," Vos told reporters at Wisconsin Media Row Thursday afternoon.
Vos endorsed Trump earlier this year , but the state's top Republican didn't always want to see Trump as the nominee . Vos has sometimes become a target of the former president, including facing a Trump-backed primary challenger.
Asked how confident he was that Republicans will win Wisconsin in November, Vos said he's been "in Wisconsin long enough to not be overconfident. Every election is decided by a razor-thin margin."
Vos expressed support for JD Vance and said his personal story will resonate with voters. He said if Democrats replace President Joe Biden as their nominee, it wouldn't affect Republicans' efforts to compare the four years under Biden to Trump's time in office.
"I think no matter who the Democrats put (in), they're not going to change the policies," Vos said.
Vos said he's probably talked to people from half of the country this week and "the only thing they have said is positives."
"We all know living here that 'Wisconsin nice' is real, but we are now proving it to the rest of the world that the people who live here love our country, and they are also super-hospitable, no matter what their political beliefs are, " Vos said.
(4:20 p.m.)
Donald Trump has a long history with the WWE. In fact, he's in the company's Hall of Fame .
So it's probably not surprising that the 2024 Republican National Convention in Milwaukee where Trump was officially named the GOP nominee for president again earlier in the week has turned into a WWE reunion.
Three members of the WWE family — Kid Rock, Linda McMahon and Hulk Hogan — will be featured on the final night of the RNC Thursday at Fiserv Forum and another one — Glenn Jacobs (known to wrestling fans as Kane who is now the mayor of Knox County in Tennessee) — has been involved in the convention events.
Great to have ran into my friend and strong conservative freedom fighter @Linda_McMahon today! pic.twitter.com/d5ZN4wRWR7 — Glenn Jacobs (@GlennJacobsTN) July 17, 2024
Anti-Trump filmmakers and protesters on Thursday afternoon got into an extended altercation with Trump supporters outside the Hyatt Regency hotel, 333 W. Kilbourn Ave., next to an RNC security checkpoint.
The confrontation lasted about 45 minutes and involved several heated exchanges and some slurs between both groups. There was no observed fighting and no apparent injuries.
One person involved in the incident, dressed as Uncle Sam, stole a flag from anti-Trump protesters, which provoked frustration from the protesters and led to some taunting and heated exchanges.
At least 50 police officers observed the altercation, but didn't intervene.
People in vests with the words "Community Relations Services" on them eventually dispersed the groups.
(3:45 p.m.)
— Kathryn Muchnick and Jolan Kruse
Like millions of Americans across the country, state Rep. Scott Allen has closely watched the events and highlights of the RNC from his Waukesha home.
From this position roughly 20 miles away from the hub of activity, there are no security zones to wade through, no traffic jams, no parking challenges and, in light of last weekend's assassination attempt against Trump, no potential threats to witness.
But Allen, the 97th Assembly District's representative since 2014, feels involved nonetheless, and, more than that, comfortable as the week unfolded. The five-term Republican is also proud of the Milwaukee connection and the focus it brings.
"I have been paying attention to conventions and involved in the party for decades," Allen said. "The big difference that I see in this convention ... and it might be because it's here in Wisconsin, but it also might be related to the incident that occurred this weekend, is that everybody is interested in it. Even the last convention (in 2016), it wasn't like that. I'd say, maybe one out of 10 people I talked to were paying attention.
"Part of it is because it's right in our hometown, and we're kind of proud of that."
The convention has also given him a chance to learn more about JD Vance, who Trump announced Monday as his vice presidential running mate. "I think he's a grand representation" of the party's future, Allen said.
(2:45 p.m.)
— Jim Riccioli
Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley stopped by Media Row on Thursday to talk about finding unity within the Democratic Party around the selection of President Joe Biden as the nominee. He said disagreement in the party “speaks to the level of democracy that we have” and called it a “family feud,” but pushed for Democrats to continue “staying the course.”
“As long as we keep talking about President Biden, if he's fit, I think that's a distraction from us as Democrats really bringing home the issues at hand,” Crowley said, reiterating the support he offered for Biden at Demcorats’ counter-programming this morning.
He said those calling for Biden to step down should realize “we really don’t have too many choices at the end of the day” and that the most important job is “to defeat Trump.”
“We have to look at this as a machine. It’s not just voting for President Biden, we're also voting for Vice President Kamala Harris, we're also voting for many of the appointees who have been doing great work on behalf of this administration,” Crowley said.
Even before the fallout over the debate, polling showed Biden has an enthusiasm problem in Wisconsin: Those very enthusiastic to vote overwhelmingly support Trump, 61% to 39%, according to the most recent Marquette Poll.
Crowley said Democrats “have to focus on turnout” to win the election and credited their win in 2020 to their ground game and “robust get-out-the-vote effort.”
“As long as we continue to focus on that, and the issues that people are talking about at the kitchen table, we're going to see another win this upcoming year,” Crowley said.
(2:35 p.m.)
In the lower level of the Iron Horse Hotel, 500 W. Florida St. in Walker's Point, the Hispanic Leadership Coalition of the American First Policy Institute hosted dozens of Hispanic leaders from all over the country.
U.S. Rep. Carlos Gimenez, R-Florida, said Republicans and Hispanics share "the same values," referring specifically to a strong sense of family and faith.
"More and more of us are becoming Republican, and more of us also, even though they maybe independent, are voting Republican," Gimenez said.
At the event, there was finger food, drinks and maracas with the phrase "vota por tu futuro!" — which translates to "vote for your future!"
Gimenez said, in 2016, his district was won by Democrat Hillary Clinton and eventually swung Republican when he was elected in 2022.
"I think Donald Trump has a really good chance of winning Miami Dade County," Gimenez said, adding that it has historically been a Democratic county. "That shows you what's happening not only in in Miami Dade County but what's happening in the Hispanic community ... around this country."
Gimenez, who was born in Cuba, said the coalition of conservatives and Hispanic conservatives will help win elections for Republicans.
"The Republican Party needs to do more outreach to Hispanics," Gimenez said. "That will be the new Republican Party."
(2:30 p.m.)
Singer and rapper Robert James Ritchie — better known as Kid Rock — posted a video on X Thursday afternoon, saying he’d just arrived in Milwaukee, writing, “RNC 2024!! Tonight!!”
Although the official schedule for the last day of the convention doesn’t yet list a musical performance, a TMJ4 reporter posted a video of him rehearsing at Fiserv Forum, complete with patriotic lights, backup musicians and a visible “Trump Vance” sign. NBC News in Chicago reported him as performing at 9:03 p.m. Thursday.
Michigan-born Kid Rock made his name in the music industry with the release of his album “Devil Without a Cause” in 1998, since making music that mixes hip hop, rap and country genres. His most listened-to song on Spotify is “All Summer Long,” which he released in 2008.
He’s leaned into conservative politics in recent years, aligning himself with former Trump’s causes . Recently, he donated $50,000 to an online fundraiser for “supporters and families wounded or killed” in the Saturday shooting at Trump’s rally in Pennsylvania.
In his video on X, he said he’s in Milwaukee “to support our tried and true, red, white and blue, 100% American badass president.”
(1:40 p.m.)
— Madeline Heim
Activity at Milwaukee Public Market appears noticeably busier during Thursday’s lunch hour compared to the same period Tuesday.
Executive Director Paul Schwartz said both Wednesday and Thursday are better days compared to earlier this week. Some of that is tied to more business from first responders, he said.
Operators of two Milwaukee Street restaurants — Cubanitas and Brunch It Up — made similar comments.
(1:05 p.m.)
— Tom Daykin
Former Wisconsin Republican congressman Scott Klug stopped by Wisconsin Media Row Thursday afternoon to talk about JD Vance’s Wednesday night speech.
“I think he really came across more so than I expected as a full-throated Midwesterner,” Klug said, adding he was “impressed” by the speech.
Vance formally accepted his nomination as the GOP vice-presidential candidate Wednesday. During his speech, he said the moment was about “all of us,” including the “auto worker in Michigan, wondering why out-of-touch politicians are destroying their jobs” and “the factory worker in Wisconsin who makes things with their hands and is proud of American craftsmanship.”
Trump is hoping the Ohio senator and “Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis” author can appeal to voters in rust-belt states.
“It just seems to me like a real moment and, if he plays like that on the campaign trail, he’ll be an asset throughout the sort of Upper Midwest, from Pennsylvania to Ohio, Michigan and Wisconsin,” Klug said. “I think that's why they picked him.”
(12:55 p.m.)
Ever since the start of the convention, political observers from both parties have wondered: Where is former President Donald Trump's wife, Melania? And where's his daughter and former adviser, Ivanka?
Now, it looks like Milwaukee can expect to see both Melania and Ivanka on its final day.
USA TODAY, citing unnamed officials, reported Thursday that Melania Trump will be in attendance when her husband formally accepts the GOP’s nomination tonight and is expected to be seated in the family box at the RNC. Officials didn't provide additional details of her arrival, or say whether she would speak to the delegates.
Meanwhile, Eric Trump, son of the former president, told Tony Dokoupil of "CBS Mornings" that both Melania and Ivanka Trump will be at the RNC in Milwaukee Thursday.
“They’re coming in full force and effect, so they’ll certainly be here,” Eric Trump said.
(12:30 p.m.)
— Jane Park
The final official session of the convention, in which Trump will accept his nomination as the Republican candidate for president, begins at 5:30 p.m. and ends at 10:30 p.m.
Here's the list of speakers for the final night of the convention:
5:30 to 6 p.m.
6 to 6:30 p.m.
6:30 to 7 p.m.
7 to 7:30 p.m.
7:30 to 8 p.m.
8 to 9 p.m.
9 to 10:30 p.m.
Haymarket Square was empty of protesters Thursday morning. Staff with Milwaukee's Office of Community Wellness and Safety and local firefighters milled about the park, which is available for demonstrations from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
"It's better to have and not need than need and not have," said Community Wellness and Safety Director Ashanti Hamilton of the space, which is one of two designated protest zones.
He said Haymarket had been consistently slow after the first day of the convention, adding that protestors had largely found other ways to make their voices heard, including through demonstrations at Red Arrow Park and near checkpoints inside the RNC security zone, which Hamilton said have more built-in audiences.
Two protests are scheduled at Haymarket Thursday afternoon.
(12:20 p.m.)
— La Risa Lynch and Steve Martinez
Billionaire Diane Hendricks , one of the richest people in Wisconsin, will apparently be speaking as an "everyday American" when she takes the stage Thursday at the RNC.
Hendricks is the co-founder of ABC Supply, the largest wholesale distributor of roofing supplies and a major distributor of siding and windows in North America. She has an estimated net worth of $20.9 billion, and the 77-year-old topped the 2024 Forbes' list of richest self-made women in America — the seventh year in a row she's led the list.
But according to the list of RNC speakers, provided by a source familiar with the lineup, Hendricks will be speaking as an "everyday American" on Thursday, the final night of the convention.
(12:10 p.m.)
— Mary Spicuzza and Maia Pandey
Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson has been stressing unity during the RNC this week.
But Johnson couldn’t resist clapping back at Wisconsin Republican U.S. Rep. Derrick Van Orden when Van Orden told Urban Milwaukee that the Democratic mayor is doing a “horrible job” leading Wisconsin’s largest city.
"This place has the potential to be a world class, awesome city that it should be, but unfortunately Cavalier Johnson has done a horrible job running this place,” Van Orden told Urban Milwaukee.
Johnson responded on X, “I hope that Mr. Van Orden’s visit to Milwaukee was more memorable than his visit to the United States Capitol on January 6th.”
I hope that Mr. Van Orden’s visit to Milwaukee was more memorable than his visit to the United States Capitol on January 6th. https://t.co/ZnZblyYEmC — Cavalier Johnson (@CavalierJohnson) July 18, 2024
Van Orden has acknowledged attending the Trump rally that preceded the Jan. 6 insurrection but said he left when the riot began.
(11:15 a.m.)
— Mary Spicuzza and Lawrence Andrea
The late-night television talk shows had much to say Wednesday night about the second and third days of the RNC in Milwaukee. But they didn't have a lot to say about Milwaukee.
The late-night hosts poked fun at JD Vance’s beard, the RNC hip-hop anthem “Trump Trump Baby” and the appearance of Babydog, West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice’s charming, 60-pound bulldog.
But Milwaukee? You'd hardly know the RNC was in the city.
The only notable mention of Milwaukee was on "The Daily Show," which briefly mentioned the city in a recurring bit where correspondents reported “live” from Milwaukee. The punchline? None of "The Daily Show" crew was actually in Milwaukee.
More than halfway through the segment, host Ronny Chieng introduced correspondent Michael Kosta, who appeared to speak in front of a digital backdrop of Fiserv Forum, and asked him how things were going in Milwaukee.
“I know we canceled all our shows here this week, but I’m glad that I got to stay here in Milwaukee, which is where I am ,” said Kosta.
On Sunday, following the assassination attempt targeting Trump in Pennsylvania, "The Daily Show" canceled plans to record its shows live in Milwaukee during the RNC, citing "logistical issues and the evolving situation in Milwaukee."
Tuesday night on "The Daily Show," host Jon Stewart said the show's plans had changed because the place they planned to stage the show, the Marcus Performing Arts Center, had been shifted into the hard security perimeter.
(A Journal Sentinel fact check found that he claim was wrong: The boundaries of the security perimeter had not changed after the shooting, and the Marcus Center was still in the soft security zone.)
(10:50 a.m.)
— Jane Park
There's a mystery guest for Trump's acceptance speech: Former first lady Melania Trump .
The low-profile spouse is expected to be in the family box for her husband's remarks , officials said, but they wouldn't otherwise comment on her activities. She has no public schedule.
Melania Trump has rarely be seen in public during her husband's 2024 campaign; she did issue a lengthy written statement after Saturday's assassination attempt.
“A monster who recognized my husband as an inhuman political machine attempted to ring out Donald's passion — his laughter, ingenuity, love of music, and inspiration,” she wrote.
Read more about Melania Trump
(10:40 a.m.)
— David Jackson , USA TODAY
Democrats Thursday morning doubled down on their support for Biden, who tested positive for COVID Wednesday afternoon.
In a press conference in Milwaukee, Quentin Fulks, the principal deputy campaign manager for the Biden-Harris campaign, said Biden is planning to stay in the race, despite calls for him to step down.
"Our campaign is not working through any scenarios where President Biden is not the top of the ticket," Fulks said. "He is and will be the Democratic nominee."
U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla of California said Biden is committed to continuing his campaign.
"He's committed to winning in November, because we want to continue the progress we've made on his leadership," he said. "And because we know the dangers of Donald Trump."
Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley said Biden's road to victory this fall runs through Wisconsin, and he will continue his support for the president as well.
"My fellow Wisconsinites and myself know that we're going to vote and we're going to vote to keep (Biden) there in November," Crowley said. "Because we know exactly what is on the mind. We know that we have to protect our democracy because there is no other option."
The speakers also highlighted Project 2025, the platform of issues that is being tied to Trump. Democrats have repeatedly criticized the plan, attempting to draw the eyes of voters to what they say are concerning plans Trump would implement in office.
"This is what this election is about. It is not about Joe Biden's age. It's not about Donald Trump's age to be honest with you. It is about their vision for this country for a second term," Fulks said. "Project 2025 is a blueprint that Donald Trump himself has aligned and instructed people to put together for what his agenda would be and we think that American voters deserve to know that ahead of November."
(10:15 a.m.)
The “Ride to Decide” bus tour, put on by the group Free & Just, which advocates for reproductive freedom, will stop in Milwaukee at 3 p.m. Thursday.
Tour speakers will highlight the consequences of abortion bans across the country and “will set the record straight as conservatives at the Republican National Convention attempt to distance themselves from their long and shameful record of attacking access to abortion and reproductive health care,” according to a press release from the group.
Speakers include a medical student at the Medical College of Wisconsin, a former Planned Parenthood chaplain and nurses and doctors from the Milwaukee area. The group has been handing out contraceptives as the bus travels the country.
The word "abortion" has rarely been uttered at the convention. Republicans released a party platform last week that deflected on the issue of abortion rights, leaving anti-abortion groups who wanted to implement a more aggressive stance frustrated. The weaker position may reflect concerns that the issue of abortion is a political loser for Republicans and could hurt Trump and other Republican candidates in November.
Democrats, meanwhile, say abortion rights are still under attack.
In Wisconsin, the fall of Roe v. Wade in 2022 reverted the state to an 1849 law banning almost all abortions . Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin resumed abortion services in September 2023 , citing a comment from a Dane County judge who said the 1849 law appeared to apply to feticide, not consensual abortion.
Both an appeal of that ruling , and a petition from Planned Parenthood to find a right to abortion in the state constitution, are pending before the state Supreme Court.
Thursday morning, during the Faith and Freedom Coalition’s God and Country Breakfast at the Pfister Hotel in Milwaukee, Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson shared what he hoped to hear from Trump’s speech Thursday night.
Johnson explained how the assassination attempt Saturday in Pennsylvania might shape the speech.
“That would change your life," Johnson said. "I think we're getting indications from President Trump that his life has been changed. I mean, I think we all here think this is probably something whispered in his ear.
“He turned his head. He looked at the chart. His life was spared. And now he has a new lease on life and he can put it to good use.”
Johnson said he's praying that Trump will deliver a message of unity.
“Our nation needs to be healed and unified, and we have to lead the way. That's got to be our mission. It is our solemn duty to preserve this marvelous land.”
(9:50 a.m.)
— Mike De Sisti
Retired American wrestling star Hulk Hogan will speak Thursday night at the Republican National Convention, ahead of a highly anticipated speech from former president Donald Trump.
MSNBC first reported Thursday morning that Hogan, who has occasionally tossed around political aspirations after retiring from wrestling in 2012 , would join the lineup of convention speakers in Milwaukee. Trump is expected to accept his nomination tonight as the GOP presidential candidate facing President Joe Biden in November.
More: Hulk Hogan will speak at the RNC Thursday night. Here's what to know about him.
Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson said ahead of Trump’s acceptance speech Thursday night that those listening should be prepared for a “false narrative of gloom, a false narrative of blame, a message from Republicans that just simply is not true.”
Trump, who has appeared at the four-day convention but has not spoken, will address those gathered at Fiserv Forum Thursday night.
Johnson, a Democrat and ardent Biden supporter, said he's looking forward to taking part in the Democratic National Convention next month in Chicago and re-nominating Biden to run for a second term in the White House.
“The upcoming November election is extremely, extremely important for the future of America,” he said.
Johnson has continued to stick by Biden even as other Democrats have called for or privately urged the president to step aside following a disastrous debate performance last month.
On Wednesday, U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., became the most prominent Democratic lawmaker to call on Biden to drop out of the 2024 election over concerns he can't beat Trump in November.
(7:45 a.m.)
— Alison Dirr
City of Milwaukee-designated demonstration areas were busier Wednesday than they had been on the previous two days of the convention, Johnson said Thursday.
And, he said, for the first time, additional people came and asked to speak at the podiums. They were accommodated, he said.
(7:30 a.m.)
— Alison Dirr
Two incidents near the convention led to seven arrests overnight Thursday, Johnson said.
The arrests took place on the east side of the Milwaukee River, just outside of the security perimeter.
Johnson said in the first case, two people were arrested for fights, while in the second case, five people were arrested for “disorderly behavior outside a bar.”
He also said there was a convention-related arrest of a person accused of stealing tickets and trying to sell them.
(7:20 a.m.)
The final official session of the convention, in which Trump will accept his nomination as the Republican candidate for president, begins at 5:45 p.m. and ends at 10:30 p.m.
Earlier in the day, there are a number of events for convention-goers. The convention is closed to all but delegates, politicians, media members and volunteers.
Among the events:
The official convention watch party takes place each day at the Drink Wisconsinbly Pub, 320 W. Highland Ave., across from Fiserv Forum. It's set to start at 5:45 p.m.
Here's the master schedule of events for the Republican National Convention .
(5:30 a.m.)
The time of Trump's nomination acceptance speech hasn't been announced, but it's likely to be at the end of the session, sometime between 9 and 10 p.m.
The schedule of speakers for Thursday night likely will be released late morning to midafternoon Thursday.
Thursday's theme is Make America Great Once Again .
Here are the daily themes from earlier in the week:
No speakers have been announced yet, though it's certain that Trump will speak.
There also are reports that UFC CEO Dana White will speak before Trump .
Based on the RNC's list of speakers for the convention released in advance, here are some of the people who haven't spoken yet, including Beloit's Diane Hendricks, owner of ABC Supply :
The Republican National Convention ends Thursday, the last of its four days.
The Democratic National Convention will be held in Chicago — less than 100 miles south of the RNC — from Aug. 19 to Aug. 22.
The 2024 Republican National Convention will wrap up its four-day event tonight, concluding with a speech from Former President Donald Trump, who secured his presidential nomination and announced his selection for vice presidential running mate on Day 1.
Here is a breakdown of Thursday night's RNC speakers per time slot, according to a source familiar with the event
The former president and 2024 Republican presidential nominee is expected to give a speech on Thursday night between 9-10:30 p.m. CT.
According to the Washington Examiner, he was originally going to present his speech in a fiery tone, similar to those delivered at campaign rallies, but after Saturday's assassination attempt, he said he would focus on national unity, stating it's a “chance to bring the whole country, even the whole world, together."
The theme is "Make America Great Once Again."
What time does the RNC start Thursday? How to stream the Republican National Convention
All times are in central time and subject to change.
5:30-6 p.m.
6-6:30 p.m.
6:30-7 p.m.
7-7:30 p.m.
7:30-8 p.m.
9-10:30 p.m.
The RNC will livestream events across multiple online platforms.
Each television network will handle coverage slightly differently. Here's a breakdown of the major networks and their coverage plans for the RNC:
— USA TODAY contributed to this report.
July 18, 2024
Welcome. Thank you, Mark [Wynne] , for the introduction. I’m excited to be here with you all today and to welcome you to the Dallas Fed.
This week’s conference will focus on how banks fund their activities. Funding is a basic aspect of banking, and it particularly comes into focus during stress episodes, such as the one we experienced last year. Funding models can also influence the diversity and competitiveness of the banking system over time, and in my remarks today, I’m going to spotlight those considerations.
I’m so pleased that our friends at the Atlanta Fed collaborated with us to organize and host this conference, including my colleague President Raphael Bostic, who will speak tomorrow. I’m delighted to be joined by so many distinguished banking and policy leaders, including Federal Reserve Gov. Michelle Bowman, who will give keynote remarks at dinner this evening; Agustin Carstens, general manager of the Bank for International Settlements, who will give tomorrow’s opening keynote; and my colleague Mary Daly, president of the San Francisco Fed, who will participate in a fireside chat this afternoon. And I’m thrilled to bring together industry, policymaker and academic perspectives for this important conversation.
Funding risk is both one of the oldest challenges in banking and one of the most timely. The most basic activity banks do is transform deposits into longer-term investments. Banks accept deposits, promise to return them whenever depositors want and invest in the meantime in less-liquid assets, such as loans that finance investment and fuel economic growth.
So, as I’m sure the panelists in our history session this afternoon will discuss, bankers have long understood the importance of being prepared to meet withdrawals—and of maintaining depositors’ confidence so they don’t withdraw money based on unfounded fears.
But as we saw in 2023, maintaining depositors’ confidence can be challenging in today’s highly networked society that allows bank runs to propagate with unprecedented speed. Now that banking conditions have stabilized and the immediate pressures banks felt last year have passed—though we should always remain watchful for any risks that may emerge—it’s a good time to consider whether adjustments in banks’ liquidity risk management or in related public policies can support a strong and vibrant banking system in the modern environment.
I’m looking forward to the ideas and insights all of you will share today and tomorrow. I’d like to start with a few perspectives of my own, and I’ll note these will be my perspectives and not necessarily those of my Federal Reserve colleagues.
From my standpoint, there are three main ways to ensure sound liquidity risk management in banking. First, regulations can require banks to hold a certain amount of liquid assets, or banks can choose to do so voluntarily. This approach is important, but relying exclusively on it would have a drawback. By limiting the amount of liquidity transformation banks do, this approach limits the amount of banking they do.
Second, as a complement to holding liquid assets, bankers and regulators can ensure banks have reliable and ready access to contingent funding sources. Contingent funding can come from private markets and from central bank backstops such as the Federal Reserve’s discount window and Standing Repo Facility or from similar facilities that other central banks offer firms in their countries with funding from dollar swap lines. We’ll have a panel on contingent liquidity tomorrow.
And third, banks and regulators can work to stabilize the deposit and funding base. For example, diversifying deposit sources can make a bank’s funding more resilient. And deposit insurance can reinforce customers’ confidence that their money is safe, thus preventing bank runs and limiting the potential liquidity outflows that banks may need to meet.
These three approaches interact. Buffers of liquid assets and sound plans for contingent funding can reassure depositors and prevent runs, accomplishing some of the same goals as deposit insurance. And to the degree deposit insurance succeeds in preventing runs, banks may not need as much access to liquid assets or contingent funding.
Experience over recent years has demonstrated that the discount window and the Fed’s other liquidity tools are effective in supporting the stability of the banking and financial systems and, in turn, the flow of credit to households and businesses. However, the payments and financial systems, the economy, and technology continue to evolve rapidly. That evolution can create new liquidity challenges and needs, as well as new opportunities for the Fed to serve the public efficiently and effectively.
Our last full review of the discount window function took place more than 20 years ago. By examining our approach to discount window lending in the current environment and in light of recent experience, we can ensure the window continues to provide ready access to liquidity going forward.
A critical element, in my view, is enhancing depository institutions’ operational readiness to use the discount window. In my opinion, every bank in America should be fully set up at the window as part of its liquidity toolkit. That means completing legal documents and establishing collateral arrangements well before any funding need arises. And it means testing the plumbing—practicing the steps needed to take out and repay a loan and to move collateral between the Fed and other funding sources. A bank facing a rapid run will not have the luxury of waiting for setup or learning the procedures.
Working together with bankers, the Federal Reserve System has already made substantial progress toward enhanced operational readiness at the window. More than 5,000 depository institutions have signed the necessary legal documents. They’ve pledged $3 trillion in collateral, up $1 trillion from last year. And we’ve launched Discount Window Direct, an online portal that lets depository institutions more efficiently request loans.
I’m optimistic that through further modernization of our technology and policies, as well as ongoing partnership with banks, we can ensure the discount window remains a powerful tool for providing the banking system ample access to liquidity.
Turning to deposit insurance, the Federal Reserve does not establish those policies. Deposit insurance is the responsibility of Congress, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and the National Credit Union Administration. But deposit insurance policies do, as I mentioned, interact with liquidity provisions by the Fed, as well as our work supervising banks and promoting financial stability. So I’d like to offer some thoughts on those interactions and how deposit insurance can best support a banking ecosystem that serves our economy well.
My starting principle is that deposit insurance policies, like all banking policies, should support a level playing field and fair competition among banks. Fair competition is a fundamental element of our market economy. Across all industries, fair competition promotes innovation, opportunity and diverse business models that can meet the needs of many different customers. And that is just as true in banking as in any other business.
I grew up in Versailles, Kentucky, a small town with a tight-knit community. In Versailles, like so many other small towns in the United States, our community bank catalyzed economic growth. Observing this relationship instilled in me an appreciation for how smaller banks support strong communities and local economies.
My conversations with business and community leaders as I travel the Eleventh District reinforce that appreciation. We heard from a woman in the Rio Grande Valley who dreamed of expanding her snack stand. She didn’t have financial statements to present to a bank for a loan. But the bankers at a local community bank were regular customers, and they got to talking about her ambitions. They realized she had a checking account at the bank, and the account history of revenue and expenses showed she had a viable business. The bankers worked with the snack stand owner to help her craft a business plan and get a loan to expand. She now has multiple locations and even several franchisees. That type of local knowledge and relationship-based lending is a specialty of smaller banks.
Communities’ needs vary. To maintain a vibrant banking system that can meet those diverse needs, policies should support a level playing field. That way, the banking models that best serve customers and communities will come out ahead in the marketplace.
In my view, a level playing field is achievable when it comes to deposit insurance, but that could require some change. Right now, a couple of factors related to deposit insurance come together to give the largest banks a potential advantage in attracting deposits. Federal insurance coverage is limited to $250,000 per depositor. That limit is supposed to give small depositors confidence while creating incentives for larger depositors to investigate their banks’ condition. While large depositors could theoretically provide helpful market discipline, they also often perceive—rightly or wrongly—that some banks are too big to fail and that the government will bail out those banks or their depositors in a crisis. Such perceptions undermine market discipline and tilt the playing field toward big banks.
When I checked recently, several of the country’s biggest banks were offering interest rates of just 1 to 6 basis points on a standard savings account. How many community banks can attract deposits at rates like that, when money market rates are over 500 basis points? Of course, there are many reasons why the largest banks may be able to pay lower interest rates than other banks. For example, some customers may value these banks’ wide range of capital markets, settlement, custodial, international and other services or their extensive branch networks.
But the evidence of a tilt goes beyond interest rates. Amid the severe banking stresses in early 2023, we heard many reports of depositors pulling their funds from smaller banks and moving to the largest ones. Just in the second week of March 2023, deposits at the country’s 25 largest banks rose $113 billion, while deposits at all other domestic banks fell $172 billion. The shift was significant enough that executives at several of the largest banks mentioned it in their quarterly earnings calls. One described “significant new account opening activity and meaningful deposit and money market fund inflows,” while another reported seeing “noticeable flight to safety.” Meanwhile, at regional banks, executives were saying things like “68 percent of our dollars that went out, went out to larger banks, the money center banks,” and certain customers “wanted to pull money out from all regional banks.”
If you step back and look at how deposit insurance works, these actions by depositors aren’t surprising. And although the flows to larger banks ebbed as banking conditions calmed, the underlying incentives remain.
Especially when it comes to business accounts, $250,000 isn’t such a large deposit. A small business employing 110 people at the median wage would need $250,000 in its checking account just to cover a biweekly payroll. What small business owner has time to conduct regular, thorough checkups on a bank’s health? So, many depositors prefer to bank at institutions where they don’t have to think hard about whether their funds are safe.
And there’s an important exception to the $250,000 limit. If a bank fails and the Treasury secretary and the boards of the FDIC and Federal Reserve agree there’s a serious threat to financial stability, the FDIC can cover all deposits, even those above the limit. The government makes no advance commitments about when it will invoke that systemic risk exception. The exception has sometimes been applied to cover uninsured deposits at relatively small banks, such as when Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) and Signature Bank failed in 2023. Still, most depositors didn’t foresee that action. If they had, they probably wouldn’t have run on SVB and Signature in the first place. By contrast, while the government has not provided a formal guarantee to the eight U.S. firms designated as Global Systemically Important Banks, or G-SIBs, most market participants think it’s pretty unlikely the authorities would let those firms’ depositors lose money. After all, these banks are officially systemically important.
The perception that certain banks are too big to fail tilts the playing field. Some people argue that stringent regulations on big banks counterbalance any too-big-to-fail benefits. But even if the costs and benefits of size are equal most of the time, the equation breaks when stresses emerge and the value of a perceived guarantee is suddenly much larger.
Conceptually, there are a couple of possibilities for restoring balance. Regulators could adopt even tougher regulations on the largest banks. But such regulations could put a drag on the economy by raising big banks’ costs for some of the unique and critical intermediation services they provide. Or, authorities could increase the deposit insurance limit so that deposits would be more equally protected at all banks. The FDIC proposed some interesting options along those lines in a report last year. Of course, the benefits of a higher limit have to be weighed against potential costs, such as whether deposit insurance premiums would need to rise or whether a higher limit could increase moral hazard and encourage banks to take excessive risks.
We have a panel on deposit insurance this afternoon, and I’m eager to hear how the panelists weigh these and other costs and benefits. Ultimately Congress would make any decisions. But I would offer just a few more reasons why the current limit may be too low.
For starters, the economy has grown substantially since Congress last raised the limit in 2008. If the limit had increased since then in line with nominal gross domestic product, it would be nearly half a million dollars today.
Another reason is the invocation of the systemic risk exception to cover SVB and Signature in 2023. This was clearly the right decision to protect the economy and financial system once the banks had failed. But the need to provide insurance after the fact to depositors who weren’t supposed to receive it and whose banks had not been regulated as systemically important suggests to me the insurance limit was too low in the first place.
Lastly, I’d note the growing use of reciprocal deposit networks , which allow banks to swap deposits in excess of the limit with each other to provide depositors more insurance. Reciprocal deposits reached $379 billion in the first quarter of this year, up from $157 billion at the end of 2022. The vast majority of reciprocal deposits—89 percent—are at banks with less than $100 billion in assets. That reflects both the funding environment for smaller banks and the less-favorable regulatory treatment of very large reciprocal deposits.
Reciprocal deposits can cost banks more than 10 basis points in network fees. Smaller banks’ willingness to pay this cost to work around the deposit insurance limit suggests the limit’s too low. As a society, if we’re going to provide the insurance anyway—which is what happens when banks use reciprocal deposits—we may as well increase the limit so we can avoid the costs, operational risks and regulatory mirages involved in passing deposits back and forth between banks.
Still, there is lots to learn here, and I’m eager to hear all of your views.
Turning to our agenda, over the next day and a half, we’ll examine not only the role of deposit insurance in today’s financial system, but also the stressors that led to the events of last spring; lessons from historic financial crises; and the future of the discount window and other contingent liquidity sources. We’ll also have a roundtable discussion on what academics, bankers and regulators see as the key risks and challenges in bank funding.
These discussions will deepen our understanding of banks’ funding vulnerabilities and help the industry and regulators prepare better for the future.
Thank you all for joining us today, and many thanks to the entire team here and at the Atlanta Fed who worked so hard to make this conference happen.
Now, let’s welcome Arthur Lindo, who will chair today’s first session, “A look back at the regional banking stresses of 2023.”
About the author
Lorie K. Logan is president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas.
The views expressed are my own and do not necessarily reflect official positions of the Federal Reserve System.
IMAGES
VIDEO
COMMENTS
Here are a few ways to express gratitude formally: 1. Thanking the Audience as a Whole. Addressing the audience collectively is a common practice in formal speeches. Here's an example of how you can express your thanks: Thank you all for being such an attentive and engaged audience.
30 Example Phrases: How to Conclude a Presentation. 1. "In summary, let's revisit the key takeaways from today's presentation.". 2. "Thank you for your attention. Let's move forward together.". 3. "That brings us to the end. I'm open to any questions you may have.".
If you give an initial pitch, the best presentation thank you images will give your audience a proper means to contact you or follow up on your next program. Note: When concluding any PowerPoint, your thank you for watching my presentation slide will naturally need to follow the same pattern as the entire PPT.
But how you end it can make all the difference in your presentation's overall impact. Here are some ways to ensure you end powerfully: Way #1: Include a Strong Call-to-Action (CTA) Way #2: Don't End With a Q&A. Way #3: End With a Memorable Quote. Way #4: Close With a Story. Way #5: Drive Your Main Points Home.
Saying thank you should be something simple, memorable, and grammatically correct. Mistakes at the end will be remembered more than the content since it is at the end of the presentation. Personalise: Using a copy and paste thank you message after a presentation is pretty lazy. Instead, construct a one-of-a-kind, personalised thank you card ...
Give your audience actions to help share your message. 7. Promote your upcoming events or workshops. 8. Asking your audience to become a volunteer. 9. Direct your audience to learn more about your website. 10. If you are a book author, encourage your audience to engage with your book.
Presentation end: 7 examples to leave a lasting impression. Summarize the main points: Repeat the main points of your presentation to reinforce them. Call-to-action: Ask your audience to perform a specific action or take a next step. Quote: A relevant and powerful quote can leave a lasting impression. Story or anecdote: A short, relevant story ...
Thank the audience. The simplest way to end a speech, after you've finished delivering the content, is to say, "thank you.". That has the benefit of being understood by everyone. It's the great way for anyone to signal to the audience that it's time to applaud and then head home.
3. Call-to-action. Don't forget to include a compelling call to action in your final message that motivates the audience to take specific steps after the presentation. Whether it's signing up for a newsletter, trying a product or conducting further research, a clear call to action can encourage engagement.
3 Strategies to Close Your Presentation Powerfully. Use these 3 strategies in your conclusion to: recapture your audience's attention. get your audience to focus and remember your key points. help your audience connect with you and your topic. end your presentation powerfully. One: Include a Call to Action (CTA)
If you're delivering a time-sensitive message, you could utilize this strategy by showing a running timer. The timer will add emphasis to your closing remarks and inspire your audience to take action. 8. Acknowledge others. Though not an inspiring way to end a presentation, it is sometimes necessary to thank contributors at the end of your speech.
Official TM stand on thanking the audience after the speech: "Don't end by saying "Thank you.". The audience should thank you for the information you've shared. Instead, just close with your prepared ending, nod at the Toastmaster of the meeting, and say, 'Mr. [or Madam] Toastmaster' - then enjoy the applause.'".
Tip #9: Thank the audience. Tip #10: Ask for feedback. The worst ways to end a presentation. Mistake #1: Overloading your final slide. Mistake #2: Settling for a lackluster closer. Mistake #3: Ending with a Q&A session. Mistake #4: Not having time for any questions at all. Mistake #5: Going over your time.
Stats and metrics can be a really useful tool when sprinkled into a presentation rather than the dominant force. Ending with one can be the most effective way to include one. Now that we have looked at ways you can end your presentation, it's time for the tools! Mentimeter. Venngage.
To begin wrapping up your presentation, start by providing a summary of the presentation and key points, and follow that up with one of the CTA, Quotes, or Questions. Anticipate what the audience may ask, and provide contact details that will let the audience reach out to you. Finally, thank the audience and your team for all their efforts and ...
This helps create a good long-lasting impression of your presentation. 4. End with a Call to action: One of the best ways to end your presentation is by concluding with a call to action slide. Incorporating a call to action into your presentation can be a powerful way to encourage your audience to take the next step.
3 Alternatives to Thank You Slides for PPT. Presenters have plenty of choices when concluding a presentation. If you're feeling like the traditional "thank you slide" for PPT doesn't fit the content, here are some other options.The end slide can inspire your audience or action or create a dialogue with the right design.
Speak from the heart, and it will definitely ring true. For phrasing, try something along the lines of: "From the bottom of my heart, I'd like to give a special thanks to some of the amazing people without whom I cannot imagine standing up here on this stage. Name your supporters and give out your sincere thanks.
Closing your Presentation "Thank you for your attention/time." "Before I end, let me just say…" "Thank you for listening." Inviting Questions "Do you have any questions?" "Now we have time for a few questions." "If you have any questions, please do ask." "And now, I'll be happy to answer any questions you might ...
Example: "To Alex, Mary, Judy and Sam, thank you for making me remember to laugh. You helped me keep my sanity and perspective when the going was tough." 3. Conclusion. In the conclusion, summarize your main points and finish. Return to Top. A short thank you speech sample Here's a short example thank you speech for you to see how it could be ...
In this video you will learn how to say thank you at the end of a presentation in a cool way. This might seem like something simple because you could end you...
Official TM stand on thanking the audience after the speech: "Don't end by saying "Thank you.". The audience should thank you for the information you've shared. Instead, just close with your prepared ending, nod at the Toastmaster of the meeting, and say, 'Mr. [or Madam] Toastmaster' - then enjoy the applause.'".
Here are some tips to make your thank you speech effective and flawless: Keep it short. Abandon formalities and intro, dive right into the speech. Tell 1-3 stories that highlight the successes of the past year. Talk about your hopes and dreams for the future. Write as if you are conversing with one person.
The official line on this year's speech was that, after the traumatic events of last Saturday, the nominee and his team had decided to tear up his anticipated remarks and prepare a new kind of ...
During the final night of the 2024 Republican National Convention, former President Donald Trump took the stage, where he mentioned his wife and former First Lady Melania Trump in his speech.
Closing his speech, Trump remarked, "Thank you, Wisconsin, and God bless America." ... The time of Trump's nomination acceptance speech hasn't been announced, but it's likely to be at the end of ...
The winds of change have arrived. For those of you who cry in support, I thank you. I commend those of you who have reached out beyond the political divide - thank you for remembering that every ...
Kai Trump, daughter of Donald Trump Jr. and granddaughter of former President Donald Trump, speaks at the Republican National Convention.
The former president and 2024 Republican presidential nominee is expected to give a speech on Thursday night between 9-10:30 p.m. CT. According to the Washington Examiner, he was originally going ...
Speech by President Lorie K. Logan. A level playing field for deposit insurance. ... Welcome. Thank you, Mark [Wynne], for the introduction. I'm excited to be here with you all today and to welcome you to the Dallas Fed. ... up from $157 billion at the end of 2022. The vast majority of reciprocal deposits—89 percent—are at banks with less ...