State Auditor Andrew Sorrell was unimpressed with the opening proceedings of the Republican National Convention (RNC) on Monday night, which drew heavy criticism for hosting a Sikh prayer, a pro-abortion activist and a pro-union speaker.
In a move that was widely criticized, the opening evening of the RNC in Milwaukee featured several speakers who many believe contradict the GOP's mission and base.
Monday features several prayers from various Christian denominations. However, Donald Trump attorney and RNC committeewoman Harmeet Dhillon led a Sikh prayer called the Ardas. She directed the prayer to the Sikh deity Waheguru, whom she called the “one true god.”
One of the speakers was Amber Rose, a pro-abortion internet personality who helped organize the LA Slut Walk, which was aimed at “Empowering women & LGBTQ+ community while ending sexual and social injustice, derogatory labeling & gender inequality.” The website domain for Amber Rose’s Slut Walk has since been removed.
During her speech, Rose formally endorsed Trump’s presidential bid, saying the GOP was where she belonged, adding, “Trump and his supporters don’t care if you’re black, white, gay or straight; it’s all love.”
Another odd addition was Sean O’Brien, president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, who delivered a passionate speech in which he did not make an official endorsement but called GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump a “tough S.O.B.”
Republicans and moderates alike criticized the assortment of seemingly out-of-place speakers, pointing out that the speakers seemed to be at odds with the historic GOP platform.
Sorrell, a long-time member of the Alabama GOP, told 1819 News the display was “extremely disappointed” at the showing and what it says about the mission of the GOP going forward.
“Let’s start with the porn star Amber Rose, who said, ‘These are my people, this is where I belong;’ I’m not sure that’s the best look for the Republican Party,” Sorrell said. "She’s the founder of that feminist protest, Slut Walk, and as recently as March, praised Satanism as a very rational, logical religion that helps a lot of women get abortions.”
“Somehow, this lady gets a speaking spot at the RNC?" he continued. "I’m glad that she figured out that Trump wasn’t a racist and that the media has been lying about him, but I’m not ready to embrace what she believes in order to have a big tent. I think [the RNC] is thinking she’ll appeal to some demographic that we need to win, but I don’t think we’re going to get very many LGBTQ+ votes or Satanist votes. I just don’t think that those are coming our way. And I don’t think we want the porn star vote.”
Sorrell briefly reacted to Dhillon's prayer, rhetorically and incredulously asking, “What in the world was that?”
“They’re definitely trying to broaden their base, but when you allow somebody to pray to Waheguru, you’re probably losing more evangelical votes than you’re gaining other votes," he added.
Sorrell also bashed O’Brien’s speech, saying it was nothing more than a “20-minute infomercial for organized labor on the floor of the RNC.”
“Particularly offensive was him praising the GOP senators who have come out against Right-To Work,” Sorrell added. “So, I’m happy to get the teamster vote. I think the union members should be voting Republican because the Democrats are handing their jobs over to illegal aliens, and I think the GOP, especially in Alabama, has done a great job of picking up union votes, but that’s because our policies are right, not because we’re ready to embrace the ideals of organized labor.”
He continued, “When he first got up to speak, I got sort of excited, like, ‘Oh wow. Teamsters are supporting Trump.’ Well, not necessarily. They spoke there, but they came out and said they’re not going to endorse. Well, if you’re not going to endorse, how are you speaking at the convention?”
“So I think, in politics, you have to take votes from wherever you can get them," Sorrell stated. "If you get the porn star votes, if you get the union votes, great. You take them and appreciate those votes. But you don’t put them on the stage of the RNC convention and give tacit approval to what they represent. If someone were to tune in to the convention Monday night and didn’t know any better, they might well think after listening to someone pray to Waheguru, and seeing a speech from the teamsters president, and listening to the founder of Slut Walk, they would have thought they were watching the Democrat conviction. That would have been a very easy mistake to make.”
Sorrell believes that Monday’s display was a grim reflection of the “watering down” of the GOP platform, which recently underwent significant modifications, softening its stance on abortion, gay marriage and other traditional GOP linchpins.
“They watered down the platform, and last night, they had three very, very questionable speakers,” he continued. “So yeah, as a long-time Republican, it left me scratching my head.”
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email craig.monger@1819news.com.
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