House Republicans From Wisconsin Scramble to Clean Up Trump’s ‘Horrible City’ Insult
(AP Photo/Seth Wenig, Pool)
House Republican lawmakers from Wisconsin scrambled to help clean up remarks made by former President Donald Trump trashing Milwaukee as a “horrible city.”
Trump joined House GOP lawmakers for a closed-door meeting on Thursday morning, where he discussed a variety of conservative policy concerns heading into November’s election, including immigration, trade, and abortion.
However, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee did not end Thursday’s meeting without making some controversial remarks. Trump said that Milwaukee, where the Republican National Committee will host this year’s convention, is a “horrible city.”
According to Jake Sherman, Trump told lawmakers, “Milwaukee, where we are having our convention, is a horrible city.”
🚨TRUMP TO HOUSE REPUBLICANS:
“Milwaukee, where we are having our convention, is a horrible city.”
— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) June 13, 2024
As noted by political columnist Dan Shafer, following Trump’s remarks three Wisconsin lawmakers presented three different explanations for why Trump insulted their state’s largest city.
Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-WI) went after Sherman for reporting on the details of the meeting by referring to him as a Democratic “shill” before claiming Trump was referring to the “crime rate” in Milwaukee.
“Another classic example of shitty reporting by a Democratic Party shill pretending to be a journalist. Lies busy omission,” Orden wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “@realDonaldTrump was specifically referring to the crime the CRIME RATE in Milwaukee.”
Another classic example of shitty reporting by a Democratic Party shill pretending to be a journalist.
Lies busy omission. @realDonaldTrump was specifically referring to the crime the CRIME RATE in Milwaukee. https://t.co/lOB06vBD5e pic.twitter.com/UpL3HYMyJy
— Derrick Van Orden (@derrickvanorden) June 13, 2024
Meanwhile, Rep. Glenn Grothman (R-WI) told reporter Lawrence Andrea that Trump was referring to the election when he made the comments about the city, adding that he was “concerned about the election in MKE” and “felt we need to do better in urban centers around the country.”
Wisconsin Rep. Glenn Grothman told me Trump made these comments when speaking about the election.
Grothman said Trump was “concerned about the election in MKE” and “felt we need to do better in urban centers around the country.” https://t.co/MWwk1a9BK0
— Lawrence Andrea (@lawrencegandrea) June 13, 2024
Rep. Bryan Steil (R-WI) outright dismissed the reporting by Sherman by claiming Trump never made the comments without providing further elaboration or context.
I was in the room. President Trump did not say this. There is no better place than Wisconsin in July. https://t.co/MJUpqyAt4G
— Bryan Steil (@RepBryanSteil) June 13, 2024
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