Battle Cry 2020 Packs the House with Michelle Malkin, Scott Presler and More to Teach Conservative Activism and Campaign Techniques

With American flag cowboy boots, campaign scarves and Republican red clothing items dotting the room, the conference hall in Troy, Michigan could have been filled with the rally members for any right-wing candidate in the 2020 election race.

But instead of being there to cheer their favorite bid for senator, these people were attending to learn how to extend their activism beyond the voting booth.

“There’s this concept in the Republican party that if we show up and vote, we’ve done our job,” Drew Thompson, Deputy State Director for the Michigan Republican Party said to a packed house; adding that doing so is the “bare minimum.”

Thompson was one of more than 10 speakers at Battle Cry 2020, a training event for conservative activists held in Michigan and hosted by the Michigan Conservative Coalition.

After opening on February 14 with a speech by conservative activist and author Michelle Malkin, the conference extended into the next day with a full slate of activist training on topics like voter registration, protecting election integrity and running for office.

WOW!!! Thank you, Michigan Conservative Coalition, for an incredible #BattleCry2020 #AmericaFirst party tonight. Principled, high energy & ready to roll! Boots on the ground. Stick together like glue. Unity is our strength.👍🏼❤️🔥 pic.twitter.com/eiFUhyITOq

— Michelle Malkin (@michellemalkin) February 15, 2020

Speakers included Rep. Shane Hernandez (R-83-Sanilac), attorney and author Ben Wetmore and conservative activist Scott Presler, among others.

Although most speakers covered election-specific topics like wining and keeping the Michigan Republican vote and how to properly campaign, one speaker also went over how faith is represented in politics, railing against “secular progressives” who use the hard sciences, education and entertainment to push an anti-conservative agenda.

Kristina Karamo, an expert in Christian apologetics, said that “God obviously cares about who’s in power” and that Christians should be aware of “foxes” like secular progressives.

“Folks, the eagle can die,” Karamo said. “The eagle can die.”

One of the most invigorating speeches of the day was from Presler, a popular conservative activist known for organizing city clean ups across the country.

“I love our president because he’s a fighter,” Presler said. He spent his speech outlining tactics for increasing voter registration, including approaching people outside of Home Depot or Chick-fil-A and asking questions to identify which party they belong to. If they are Democrat, Presler said, do not attempt to register them to vote.

“We are here because this is a numbers game and we want to win,” he said.

Presler also received the first standing ovation of the day and was the favorite of conference attendee Lila Mandziuk of Sterling Heights.

“I want to do more,” Mandziuk said, adding that she feels “bad that I haven’t been doing anything.”

Mandziuk criticized impeachment, saying that it was a “waste of my money and my time.” She also railed against politicians on both sides of the political aisle.

“Politicians are all out for themselves,” she said. “Just work.”

Mandziuk said she voted for President Trump in 2016 and plans to vote for him a second time.

The conference closed with a speech from Mike Lindell, conservative activist, staunch Trump supporter and inventor of the popular MyPillow. Lindell went from being addicted to drugs to speaking privately with the president, a journey he attributes to the grace of God.

“It doesn’t matter how many forks you eat with, addiction affects all of us,” he said.

Lindell said that he thinks Trump’s presidency has been a success and to “just send [doubters] to promiseskept.org.”

“I think Michigan can be an example for how bad it was to how good it’s going to be,” Lindell said.

For more information about the Michigan Conservative Coalition, visit michiganconservativecoalition.com.

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Jordyn Pair is a reporter with Battleground State News and The Michigan Star. Follow her on Twitter at @JordynPair. Email her at [email protected].
Photo “Michelle Malkin at Battle Cry 2020” by Michelle Malkin.