MILWAUKEE – First-time delegate Daniel Elliott of Martinsville, Indiana, wore his Texas Boot Company boots on the floor of the Republican National Convention on Monday as former President Donald Trump received the official nomination for president.
“I always wear my cowboy boots,” Elliott, Indiana's state treasurer, told IndyStar. “I doubt very many people see me without my cowboy boots.”
He is one of 58 Indiana delegates at the convention, which officially opened Monday — two days after an assassination attempt against Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania.
Elliott sat down with IndyStar in Milwaukee to talk about the week ahead. The interview has been edited for space and clarity.
Why are you here in Milwaukee?
Elliott : I've been a state delegate for many years. I love the convention process and had never had the opportunity to be national delegate. So I actually ran in my district. I’m super excited to do this.
What excites you about being part of Indiana's delegation to nominate President Trump?
Elliott: We had a really strong country during President Trump's first term. And then he lost the election. So then we have this stark contrast with the years with Trump and now the years with (President Joe) Biden. To see President Trump do something that really is historic — to run again — it is rare. Few have tried and been successful. I feel very confident that he's going to be our next president.
How are you approaching your first Republican National Convention?
Elliott: I'm jumping into everything, that's how I'm experiencing it. I'm like, "You know what, whatever it is, I'm game." I was out to 1 o'clock last night, talking to people, visiting, meeting with different folks. And really, I look at this as just a really exciting time to be a Republican, to be out there saying, "What do we need to do to show why the policies that we espouse are better for the country?"
You’re an Indiana whip for Donald Trump’s team. What does that mean?
Elliott: Part of my job is to see if there's any people who are going to have problems with President Trump or his vice president as well as the platform. If there are any questions or concerns, I and the other whips, we relay that to the Trump team. They're constantly communicating. I mean, literally, I get texts like every 20 minutes. It's like, "What about this? What about that?" Right now the Indiana delegation, we're very focused. The texts on our part are, "We're doing good. We're on track. We don't have issues." Now, maybe that is different for other states. But, you know, this delegation, we're just very excited, very focused.
A key thing is to make sure everybody is in their seats on time. If a delegate is not there, then we need to get an alternate in. And then of course, part of the whip's job is to get everybody super jazzed up during the speeches.
What are you hoping to hear from President Trump this week following the assassination attempt at his rally?
Elliott: I look at it this way. First off, I'm so happy that a tragedy was averted. Now, obviously, the Comperatore family, they are experiencing a family tragedy, and that should never have happened. But we have a president who, even though he literally almost died — he was millimeters from dying — he's still here. He's like, "Nope, I'm not backing down. I am not slowing down a bit." And that's what we expect from our leaders. That's the underlying feeling that I'm hearing from people talking all over.
Contact IndyStar state government and politics reporter Brittany Carloni at brittany.carloni@indystar.com or 317-779-4468. Follow her on Twitter/X @CarloniBrittany .
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: First-time Indiana delegate digs into Republican National Convention role
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