A former GOP strategist rebuked the anything-but-normal Republican National Convention on Friday and revealed what he felt emerged as the party's greatest "weakness" — J.D. Vance.
Rick Wilson, a Republican media strategist, took to The Lincoln Project podcast to remark upon what he called the "coronation" of former President Donald Trump. He launched into his podcast blasting the normalization of the MAGA gathering.
"This idea that this was a normal Republican convention could have been dismissed at the very first milliseconds of it," he said. "This was the most bizarre transitional moment in American politics. And I don't think people have fully appreciated it yet."
Wilson then plays a clip of bulging-eyed fake wrestler Hulk Hogan ripping off his shirt at the convention to reveal a MAGA-red "Trump-Vance" cut-off.
From the first second, Wilson remarks it was a "coronation of Trump" — not a celebration of the party or platform.
"This was about the adoration and regulation of Donald Trump. It had a tent revival feel to it from the very beginning."
Wilson called it a "strangely, almost religious aspect" to the convention, partly because of the assassination attempt days earlier.
"You can see how they believe in this guy, how they treat and think about him. He is a God figure. He is their St. Bartholomew stripped from his flesh."
After Wilson called ear-bandage-wearing MAGA supporters the strangest small symbol of the week and likened Trump to a cult leader, he pointed out that the post-rationalist moment has started to show some cracks.
"I am fascinated more by the weakness of the GOP convention more than by its strength," he said.
The one strength the GOP showed, he jabbed: the party that often shares anti-LGBT policies and rhetoric managed to shut down Grindr in the Milwaukee area.
Then he revealed what he says became the party's greatest "weakness."
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"I think one of the biggest exposures of a weakness in this convention is J.D. Vance," he said. "J.D. Vance is an OG never-Trumper. He loathes him. He despises him. He hates him. All these things for years and years and years."
Vance's political opportunity, argues Wilson, became dependent on becoming a passionate forever-Trumper.
"This is a classic example of the power of evil to corrupt weak people," he said, noting that upon closer examination, Vance (R-OH) is "kind of a weak guy."
"He is not a strong person," Wilson rails. "He's manipulated by his own ambition, by his own insecurities. And the funny thing about this was, a lot of people inside Trump's own orbit did not want J.D. Vance."
Those people, said Wilson, didn't trust Vance.
"J.D. was one of the original never-Trump pillars of our community against Donald. He was one of the original fighters against Donald. He made an articulate passionate set of cases against Donald," he said.
As such, the Lincoln Project tried to disrupt the MAGA campaign using Vance's own words criticizing Trump overlayed with footage of Trump reading a poem called "The Snake." To boot, one of the cracks in the choice is that Silicon Valley had to pony up millions to secure Vance, he said.
"Elon Musk had to buy J.D. Vance for Donald Trump," said Wilson. "That $50 million a month — he's buying J.D. Vance for Donald Trump."
Vance, he added, is part of the tech movement for a "dark enlightenment" and his pro-Putin rhetoric has turned off many on the right who continue to believe Russia is a key threat.
