'Private persuasion messages' conservatives are using to sway GOP voters away from Trump

13 August 2024

Mesa, Arizona Republican mayor John Giles last week emerged into the media spotlight when he appeared on stage at 2024 Democratic nominee President Kamala Harris' and vice presidential nominee Tim Walz's rally in The Grand Canyon State.

"As you may know, I'm a lifelong Republican ... I have to tell you, I do not recognize my party," the longtime Republican told Harris-Walz supporters. "I have something to say to those of us who are in the political middle: You don’t owe a damn thing to that political party. In particular, you don’t owe anything to a party that is out of touch and hell-bent on taking us backward. And by all means, you owe no loyalty to a candidate who is morally and ethically bankrupt."

Speaking with Giles and another Republican — former Vice President Mike Pence aide Olivia Troye — on Tuesday, MSNBC's Nicolle Wallace asked the mayor, and "Republicans for Harris" member Troye how they are speaking with other Republicans about the importance of this election.

"I want to ask you what conversations you're having — not in front of thousands of thousands of people — but what are your private persuasion messages to Republicans?" Wallace asked Giles.

"I was stopped yesterday in the gym by a couple of young men who had concerns. They'd watched a lot of Fox News, and they were telling me they could never afford to buy a house now, and [asked why I'm] becoming a Democrat," Giles said.

"I think it's easy sometimes to forget that this country remains very evenly divided and there are folks that are misinformed," the mayor continued, "and I think it's important that Vice President Harris continue to run like she's behind. Because underestimating Donald Trump is something that we'd do at our own peril. So we do need engage in the gyms, and in the grocery store lines, and at churches and everywhere, and try to overcome some of the conservative propaganda that's out there preaching that Vice President Harris is an existential threat to our country. We need to get good information out to people and, again, run like we're behind."

Turning to Troye, Wallace mentioned, "One of the places where the disinformation that Trump spews, [Senator JD] Vance parrots, and that Fox News has actually paid millions dollars for their role in disseminating on behalf of Donald Trump is about the sanctity of our elections. It's what brought the first high-profile Republican [former US Reps.] Liz Cheney (R-WY) and Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) to the side of being Republican lightning rods on the pro-democracy side."

The MSNBC host asked, "What is your sense of how much is achievable in the next 87 days?"

"Nicolle, I'm inspired," the former Pence aide replied. "I'm actually inspired by the mayor who is having those conversations with the Fox News watchers. Because I think that is what needs to happen. We need to be reaching these voters and having these one-on-one conversations with them on the center right side."

Troye noted that she was alongside Harris during her Detroit rally earlier this month.

"I saw her extend that olive branch to Republican women and conservative women in that moment," the GOPer said. "And I saw her speak in a way that was empathetic and impactful and understanding of how conservatives differ on the views. But I also saw her say, 'Hey, you are welcome as part of the coalition,' and think that's what 'Republicans for Harris' is trying to do. We don't have to agree on everything, but the one thing we agree on is that we want a better future for our country, we want to strengthen and our democracy, and we want a better future for the Republican Party. And best way to do that is by defeating Donald Trump."

Watch the video below or at this link.

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