“On the main stage at the Republican National Convention this week, some Trump campaign trademarks have missing. There have been no celebrations of Jan. 6 rioters and no talk of election ‘mules’ smuggling ballots. Even references to Democrats “cheating” in elections are so spare they could be easy to miss,” the New York Times reports.
“But across the street it was a different story.”
“There, in so-called media row, the hive of right-wing activists galvanized by former President Donald Trump’s lies about the 2020 election was buzzing. Podcasters chatted about plans for paper ballots and hand counts. Mike Lindell, the pillow company founder who is one of the most prominent promoters of conspiracy theories about election fraud, gave interviews about rigged voting machines. Rudolph W. Giuliani, Mr. Trump’s leading lawyer in the effort to subvert the 2020 election, held court nearby.”
“Republicans have largely kept this cohort on the fringes of its big, prime-time show, while more politically palatable messages take center stage.”