With GOP convention over, Milwaukee weighs the benefits of hosting political rivals

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Downtown Milwaukee turned red last week as thousands of Republican National Convention delegates and other party stalwarts gathered in Wisconsin’s largest Democratic stronghold to formally rally behind Donald Trump as their candidate for president in the pivotal swing state.

Outside the security zone where the convention took place, residents grumbled, ignored or shrugged their way through the event that served to galvanize the GOP and give Trump momentum.

Milwaukee’s Democratic mayor, Cavalier Johnson, wasted no time in deeming the convention a success even though he will now turn his focus toward making sure Trump loses in November.

“We demonstrated our city’s capacity to host a major and a massive event,” Johnson said Thursday. “That’s important to the tens of thousands of visitors, and it’s important to the future of our hospitality industry right here in Milwaukee.”

But tallying up the economic impact on Milwaukee will take months and complaints have been piling up, including over blocked streets and storefronts, disappointing restaurant bookings and the use of out-of-town officers to police the city.

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