(The Center Square) – Former Illinois state Sen. Darren Bailey, who is also a delegate for former President Donald Trump, said he is excited for next week’s Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.
Bailey, R-Xenia, ran against incumbent Illinois U.S. Rep. Mike Bost, R-Murphysboro, in this year’s Republican primary but lost the Trump endorsement to Bost. Despite that, Bailey said he sees a lot of excitement ahead for Republicans around Trump.
“That we can get somebody back in place who has a proven track record, someone who truly cares about America and had four years of absolute prosperity for our country,” Bailey told The Center Square.
Aside from officially nominating Trump at the RNC at the end of next week, party officials will also approve the GOP platform. Bailey said he likes the current platform for the Republican National Committee of "less government, lower taxes, protecting life, protecting the Second Amendment."
“We just got to bind together, stick together and stand on that platform and if we do that I think the American people will see something … that’s going to make life better,” he said.
Bailey said if the party doesn’t water down the platform and focuses on prosperity and limited government, they’ll succeed over Democrats, who he said are continuing support for President Joe Biden despite apparent physical and mental health concerns.
“I am literally embarrassed for him,” Bailey said. “Watching that debate, I have no idea how anyone could put their faith and confidence in what’s going on.”
Some Democrats, including high dollar donors, say Biden needs to step aside. In an opinion essay for the New York Times, Hollywood actor George Clooney, who recently co-chaired a $14 million fundraiser for Biden, said it’s time for a new nominee and name dropped Democratic governors from across the country, including Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker.
“Let’s hear from Wes Moore and Kamala Harris and Gretchen Whitmer and Gavin Newsom and Andy Beshear and J.B. Pritzker and others,” Clooney said. “Let’s agree that the candidates not attack one another but, in the short time we have, focus on what will make this country soar. Then we could go into the Democratic convention next month and figure it out.”
Pritzker has doubled down support for Biden and has repeatedly denied a bid for president.
“I’m not engaging in any hypotheticals,” Pritzker said Tuesday. “You can see that I’m all in for Joe Biden. Joe Biden’s going to be the nominee of the Democratic Party.”
Bailey, who ran against Pritzker for governor in 2022, called Pritzker “a liar.”
“In November when that day to cast our votes comes, it would not surprise me at all if J.B. Pritzker’s name was … in that slot,” Bailey said.
Bailey said the other side of the aisle is a “Biden debacle.”
“To sit there and stay behind that and say that ‘that’s OK, that’s normal, I’m still going to support that party,’ that’s the doom and demise that I think is going to drag our nation down.”
There’s still a lot of unknowns about the Republicans’ convention, including when Trump would announce his pick for vice president.
The RNC begins in Milwaukee Monday, July 15. The Democratic National Convention in Chicago begins Aug. 19.
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