Trump says he loves Milwaukee after reported 'horrible' remark
Former President Trump lavished praised on the city of Milwaukee during a campaign stop in Wisconsin Tuesday evening, just days after it was reported that he thought the city was “horrible.”
Trump kicked off his rally in Racine, Wis. by declaring his love for the largest city in the Badger State. He also said he was the one who decided to host the Republican National Committee’s (RNC) national convention in Milwaukee, pushing back on reports that said he disparaged the city last week.
“I love Milwaukee. I was the one that picked Milwaukee, I have to tell you. I was the one who picked it," the former president said Tuesday. "These lying people that they say, 'Oh he doesn't like Milwaukee.’ I love Milwaukee."
“I said you got to fix the crime. We all know that," he added. "You got to make sure the election’s honest, but I'm the one that picked Milwaukee."
The presumptive GOP nominee for president railed against an announcement from the White House on executive action that would allow some immigrants without documentation who are married to U.S. citizens to stay in the country and work legally. Wisconsin is slated to play a major role in November’s election, as President Biden carried the state in 2020 after Trump narrowly won the state in 2016.
Trump’s campaign and his allies rushed to his defense last week after Punchbowl News reported that he called Milwaukee a “horrible city” during a closed-door meeting with House Republicans. Dylan Johnson, a Trump campaign spokesperson, said in a statement last week that the reports were a “total lie.”
“President Trump was explicitly referring to the problems in Milwaukee, specifically violent crime and voter fraud,” he said.
The city's mayor responded to the reports, suggesting that the criticism could even cost him the election in the state.
But Trump has continued to deny the comments about the city, writing in a post on Truth Social last week that “Democrats are making up stories." A Trump campaign spokesperson also pushed back on reports Tuesday that Trump planned to stay at his property in Chicago instead of Milwaukee for the RNC convention.
President Biden’s campaign seized on the reported comments, launching merchandise including T-shirts and Wisconsin-shaped stickers that read, “(Not) a horrible city.” The campaign also had a homepage takeover ad of The Shepherd Express and the Journal Sentinel about the reported comments.