America worth fighting and voting for, US Rep. John James says at Republican convention

U.S. Rep. John James, R-Shelby Township, gave a short, rousing speech in Milwaukee on Monday night as the Republican National Convention got underway.

Speaking for about six minutes, James, a Black businessman, former Army helicopter pilot and first-term congressman, talked about how his father grew up in the segregated South and went on to found a trucking company shipping beer between Detroit and Milwaukee.

While his parents encountered racism, he said, "it did not define the nation they love."

"America is the greatest idea that’s ever been," James continued. "It's worth fighting for, it’s worth sacrificing for and it's worth getting out and voting for."

James went on to sharply criticize President Joe Biden's administration, claiming its actions had caused sharp increases in inflation, allowed undocumented immigrants to pour across the southern border and set the stage for the war between Russia and Ukraine.

The congressman, who is running for reelection this year, said former President Donald Trump, on the other hand, oversaw a strong economy, secured the border and led at a time when there were no wars in Europe.

James also recalled being in combat in Iraq and linked it to the assassination attempt on Trump's life on Saturday. "The bad guys shot at us both but they missed and we'll keep fighting for America until the good lord takes us home," he said.

Democrats put out a response to some of James' claims, saying the economy has created far more jobs in Michigan during Biden's term than during Trump's. Biden has overseen a burst in hiring nationally through his time in office, including in manufacturing, though it was accompanied by high inflation that was seen in other western economies and has recently started to ease. Trump also saw gains in employment and the economy generally before the COVID-19 pandemic.

James spoke on a night when several other Black Republicans were featured, including North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robison, who is running to become that state's first Black governor, and U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt, R-Texas.

Contact Todd Spangler: tspangler@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter@tsspangler.