At a gathering with Republicans within the House of Representatives on Thursday, former President Donald Trump called Milwaukee – the host of the 2024 Republican National Convention – a “terrible” city and said it was riddled with crime.
The comments, first reported by Punchbowls Jake Sherman and confirmed by NBC Newswas criticized by Democrats, while Trump's allies sought to defend his comments.
The Trump team denied that he had called town “terrible” and wrote in a Press release that the reports were a “total lie.” Still, the campaign team appeared to suggest that Trump had spoken disparagingly in regards to the city.
“President Trump specifically referred to the problems in Milwaukee, particularly violent crime and voter fraud,” the campaign said in an announcement.
Several Republican lawmakers also denied that he made the comments on the Capitol Hill Club meeting, which took place just weeks before the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, where the party will officially nominate Trump as its presidential candidate.
Republican Representative Bryan Steil of Wisconsin responded to a Post on X which echoed Trump's comment that Milwaukee was a “terrible” city.
“I was in the room. President Trump didn't say that,” Steil said. “There's no better place than Wisconsin in July.”
Other Republican members of Congress sought to clarify and contextualize Trump's comments moderately than deny them. Derrick Van Orden of Wisconsin, wrote in a post on X that the previous president was referring specifically to town’s crime rate, while others reportedly said Trump had Election integrity.
Wisconsin is a crucial swing state that Trump narrowly lost to President Joe Biden in 2020.
While Milwaukee, the biggest city within the United States, has publicly welcomed the chance to host the RNC, the Democratic-led city's relationship with the Republican Party is fragile. CNBC reported on June 6 that Milwaukee-based Kohl's department store wouldn’t sponsor any events related to the Republican convention.
The Democrats quickly capitalized on Trump’s comments.
In an obvious response to X posted a photograph from the Milwaukee Bucks' visit to the White House in 2021 with the caption: “I love Milwaukee.”
Milwaukee's Democratic mayor, Cavalier Johnson, said: “If Donald Trump wants to talk about things he thinks are terrible, we've all lived through his presidency. The same goes for you, buddy.”
Garren Randolph, campaign manager for the Wisconsin Democrats, said in an announcement: “If Donald Trump thinks Milwaukee is so terrible, then he shouldn't come to our city.”
“Milwaukee voters are tired of Donald Trump and extreme MAGA Republicans not caring about them,” Randolph added. “We'll see that at the RNC – and then again in November when the people of Wisconsin send Donald Trump packing.”
It is just not known whether Trump can be in Milwaukee to simply accept his nomination on the party congress.
The former president was found guilty in May of 34 counts of falsifying business records. His sentencing is scheduled for July 11. The Republican National Convention is scheduled to start on July 15.
Some Democrats referred to Trump's criminal conviction of their responses to Thursday's comments.
“Milwaukee makes the best beer, the best bratwurst and the best motorcycles in the world,” said Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisconsin). said in a post to X. “It's home to some of our most vibrant communities and hardest workers, and part of what makes Wisconsin the best state in the nation. Donald Trump wouldn't understand that even if a jury told him so.”
Democratic Rep. Gwen Moore, who represents Wisconsin's 4th congressional district, which incorporates Milwaukee, also referred to his conviction in her response.
“Once he settles in with his parole officer, I am sure he will find that Milwaukee is a wonderful, vibrant and welcoming city full of diverse neighborhoods and a thriving business community,” Moore wrote in a post on X.
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