The outcome of tomorrow’s election is anyone’s guess. While the candidates are familiar, this election is very different from previous showdowns with Trump in 2016 and 2020. While old guard Republicans like Dick Cheney are throwing their weight behind Harris, the MAGA movement is persevering—and even courting support from unexpected places. Stephen Janis and Taya Graham look back on past conversations with Trump supporters from this election cycle.

Watch the full stories:

Production: Taya Graham, Stephen Janis
Post-Production: Stephen Janis
Written by: Stephen Janis

Transcript

The following is a rushed transcript and may contain errors. A proofread version will be made available as soon as possible.

Taya Graham:

Hello. This is Taya Graham for the Real News Network and Stephen and I are going to be on the ground in Wisconsin to cover what some are saying is the most consequential election in recent history. We’re going to be in Milwaukee, talking to voters, going to poll sites, and doing our best to keep you up to date on the vote count. But we thought we should show you some of our earlier coverage and go back to where we began in Milwaukee at the Republican National Convention. There we interviewed dozens of people from all across the country and what we learned surprised us, namely the promise that if Trump wins, there won’t be just four, but 40 more years of magic.

Speaker 2:

Hello, Milwaukee. Are you ready for four more years of Donald Trump?

Crowd:

Yes.

Speaker 2:

We’re setting a course for the next 40 years.

Taya Graham:

We actually heard a speaker say that we could be looking at decades of MAGA. What people may not understand is we are looking at the future of our country right now. Do not underestimate the passion, respect, and the inspiration people feel when they see Donald Trump as their leader. And now that he has survived this assassination attempt, it has taken on almost a religious fervor.

Speaker 2:

A fellow came to Pennsylvania holding a rifle, but an American lion got back up on his feet and he won.

Speaker 4:

Fight the party tooth and nail to get every Democrat unelected, marginalize the party, wash them away.

Taya Graham:

What about the poor folks who voted for the Democrats?

Speaker 4:

Well, it’s a different party. This is not John F. Kennedy’s Democrat party anymore. The Democratic party is now, it’s a godless depraved Marxist party.

Taya Graham:

We also spoke to a group of voters that pundits say are still in play, namely Black men. So we spoke to several Republican Black men who had an awful lot to say.

Hello. This is Taya Graham for the Real News Network, and I’m here in Milwaukee Wisconsin at the Republican National Convention. And I had a question. Polls are saying that Black men are going to be voting more and more for former President Donald Trump, and I wanted to know why. So I came to the Black Republican Mayor’s Association event to ask the source why they are voting for Donald Trump and why they think more Black men will be doing the same.

Michael Austin:

Michael Austin Kansas Republican delegation.

Taya Graham:

Why are you representing the Republican Party?

Michael Austin:

I’m a guy that really likes to focus on facts and of course, just is it easier to live your life, buy a house, run a business, and it’s clear that President Trump has done an amazing job for the African-American community, of course, for me and my family as well. And so I have no qualms about supporting him again this time.

Steven Mullens:

My name is Steven Mullins and I am part of the Connecticut delegation to the Republican National Convention.

Taya Graham:

I want to know what brought you to the Republican Party? What policies inspired you?

Steven Mullens:

I have been active with the Republican Party since I was a child. I was politically inspired by President Reagan as an elementary school student, and I’ve stuck with it. I believe in the conservative values that the Republican Party offers. Socially, fiscally, I think it is the way to go.

Taya Graham:

I also conducted an intriguing interview with two powerful Black women in the Republican movement, namely Tia Best, a national engagement director for Moms of Liberty and Janaya Thomas, the Black media engagement director for Trump’s 2024 reelection campaign. And what they had to say might surprise you.

Well, it’s interesting that you said that you voted for President Obama because he’s Black, because obviously we have Vice President Harris in the race who’s Black and a woman. People are very excited about this. They feel that this is historic. So it’s interesting. So let’s say 10 years ago, you would’ve voted for Vice President Harris?

Tia Best:

Of course, because I’ll put it like this. Well, we’ll say Black, but everyone has their own definition of what is Black. You’re biracial. My son is biracial. My son is actually really African American. He’s half African and he’s actually African American and Caribbean. It’s just we understand how America is, how they have that one drop rule. Doesn’t matter if your dad is white or your mom is white or whoever’s Black. They have a one drop rule.

Taya Graham:

And I have to ask, how did you become the Black media engagement director for the entire Trump Re-election Campaign? What factors influenced your decision to take the role? And I have to say, especially in the light of what people view as President Trump’s controversial stances on issues affecting the Black community.

Janiyah Thomas:

I think overall, I’ve been doing this for a while. I originally was the Black Media coordinator at the RNC. That was my first job. So I’ve been working with Black press and I love doing it because sometimes I feel like getting good stories, working with Black-owned media, I feel more rewarded, not as easy to do that all the time, versus working with New York Times.

They’ll do anything and write about anything. So it feels more rewarding to work with Black-owned media and also a lot of, as you know, Black people rely on Black media to give them factual information, especially when we’re in election year. So that has everything to do with part of the reason I took it, because it’s something I thought was really cool and I feel really passionate about working with Black media and I love Donald Trump also. But I think it’s important to have somebody that’s able to speak to those issues, speak to that community, and also someone that’s able to develop relationships with that community as well.

Taya Graham:

We were also on the ground when the Trump Tour bus hit my hometown, Baltimore City. Attendance might’ve been low, but confidence was high. What exactly are we seeing here? “I’m not with her.” The Black voters for Trump. What is this fuss?

Speaker 8:

Yeah, so President Trump and of course VCF, they’re all in town today. Just visiting areas like here, Morgan State University, just letting these students know that there is an option. You don’t have to vote for the leaning left, comma, you don’t have to vote for this administration again, you can vote for change, which would be President Trump in a situation.

Speaker 11:

Challenge them on the, “He’s a racist.” What does that mean? Tell me, what do you mean “He’s a misogynist?” What does that have to do about good policies, effective policies that work for our country?

Taya Graham:

Finally, to find out just how close this election might be, we went to Lancaster, Pennsylvania where we spoke to voters and activists to find out exactly what might happen in the Keystone state that could decide this election.

At a community center, Lancaster Stands Up is organizing in the critical swing state that most agree could decide the presidential election. The non-partisan group focuses on issues supporting candidates that back their policies. That means affordable housing, a living wage, and reproductive freedom.

Speaker 12:

So we’re a non-partisan organization. So our goal is really to just support candidates both locally and on the national level that represent our values. So our members vote on local candidates, and then once we endorse them, we like to offer support through things like canvassing, phone banking, hosting meet and greets, things like that.

Speaker 13:

We definitely do skew more towards a Democrat than Republican. We tend to have a lot of problems with Republicans on labor rights and how they don’t really support workers. So we are running like IE phones for Harris and Walz because originally we weren’t going to do anything when Biden was going to be this presidential candidate. But now that it’s Harris, we feel like she’s someone that we’ll be able to organize with and potentially work with in D.C.

Taya Graham:

But just down the road in Lititz, a divided town shows changing minds won’t be easy.

Speaker 12:

It’s a very polarizing time right now.

Taya Graham:

Passions were so high that one resident we spoke to says he avoids talking about politics altogether.

Speaker 12:

If you want to stay friendly with people, you don’t talk about politics. That’s the bottom line. Nobody’s getting convinced, and that includes my family. I don’t agree with my kids.

Taya Graham:

Nevertheless, the people who did want to talk on the record about their choices were adamant.

May I ask you your voting for?

Speaker 13:

Kamala Harris.

Speaker 14:

And I just don’t like his politics and do not like what he would like to see, which is the United States to become a dictatorship.

Taya Graham:

Phyllis, can you tell me if you’ve decided that you’re going to vote?

Phyllis:

Yes, I have decided. Trump.

Taya Graham:

Can you share with me what policies have inspired you to… If there’s anything in particular that really stands out to you as why you’re voting for him, I assume for the second time.

Phyllis:

Just overall, because I don’t like who’s running against him.

Taya Graham:

Is it the policies or the person you don’t like?

Phyllis:

Policies and the person.

Taya Graham:

So as you can see, we take being on the ground and speaking directly to the voters very seriously. So we’re going to be giving you live updates from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. You’ll see them on YouTube, you’ll see them on Facebook, even on X. And make sure to keep on checking with the Real News website for constant updates. I’m really looking forward to covering this election for you and giving you voter data as soon as I get it. This is Taya Graham and Stephen Janis reporting for the Real News Network.

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