Hovde in RNC speech blames political left, media for division as he calls on Americans to come together

U.S. Senate candidate Eric Hovde in a speech at the RNC this evening said the country has become “too divided,” while arguing those on the left of the political spectrum and in the media have caused the division.

“Instead of putting on just the blue jersey or the red jersey, we need to put on the red, white and blue jersey and come together as Americans. We need to heal this country from the division that the left has brought. And the media—you have to stop dividing us,” the Madison businessman said in a speech at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee.

Hovde also blasted his opponent U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin for agreeing with Biden’s policies, which he argued have made Americans less safe, referencing the defund the police movement, fentanyl coming into the United States and the withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan. 

He also knocked Baldwin, D-Madison, for praising the Biden administration as one of the most successful in generations. 

“Can you believe that one? I mean seriously, this shows how detached she is from everyday Wisconsinites. It doesn’t have to be this way,” Hovde said. “Under President Trump, family budgets were more secure, our border was secure, our world was secure. Where Biden and Baldwin have failed, President Trump and I will get the job done.”

State Dem Party spokesperson Arik Wolk in a statement knocked Hovde as an out-of-touch, wealthy Californian. Hovde, who lives in Madison, owns a multimillion-dollar home and bank in California and was named one of the most influential people in Orange County three years in a row.

“Nothing out-of-touch California multimillionaire Eric Hovde said on stage can change the fact that for months, Wisconsinites have heard him make disparaging remarks about folks across the state while pushing policies to benefit himself and his wealthy buddies,” Wolk said. 

RNC Host Committee Chair Reince Priebus, who previously served as the state GOP chairman, Republican National Committee chair, and Trump’s chief of staff, and Forest County Potawatomi Chair James Crawford spoke ahead of Hovde’s remarks. 

Priebus told delegates there is no better place to hold the national convention than in Wisconsin. 

“And in November, you’ll see Wisconsin stand with Donald Trump, and we will help send him back to the White House,” Priebus said. 

Crawford said Milwaukee is significant for the Potawatomi people because it was once home to several Potawatomi villages. He also said today’s “Make America Safe Again” theme is particularly pertinent for Native people, who face real threats to their safety. 

“The growing use and abuse of illegal drugs are claiming countless lives on reservations across this country,” Crawford said. “And Native American women and girls continue to be exploited, trafficked and subjected to violence at reprehensible levels. So tonight’s theme, ‘Make America Safe Again,’ is especially important for us.​​”