Trump says ‘I love Milwaukee’: Donald dismisses calling city ‘terrible’ and claims he wanted to commute from CHICAGO for convention
Donald Trump denied reports claiming he initially planned to remain in Chicago for next month’s Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Following a report accusing Trump of calling Milwaukee a “terrible city,” the former president showered tons of love on the city and state at a rally in Racine, Wisconsin, on Tuesday.
However, he said the problem of rising crime in the city needs to be addressed.
Multiple sources told The New York Times and ABC7 in Chicago that Trump planned to stay in Chicago. But it now appears plans have changed after the campaign was questioned about its intention.
Speaking to Milwaukee-based NBC affiliate TMJ4 News, Trump said before the rally: βI’m staying here (in Milwaukee). I always planned to stay here.’
Immediately after taking the stage at Racine Festival Park with Lake Michigan in the background, Trump defended himself against reports of “terrible city” comments.
Donald Trump professed his love for Milwaukee at a rally just 30 miles south of the city after reports said the former president called it a “terrible city”
βYou know I love Milwaukee,β Trump told a crowd gathered just 30 miles south of the Wisconsin city.
βI’m the one who picked Milwaukee, you know,β he said, referring to the host city of the 2024 Convention.
“I said, ‘You have to solve the crime.’ We all know that,β he continued.
Trump reportedly said Milwaukee is a “terrible city” during a closed-door meeting with Republican lawmakers on Capitol Hill last week.
βIn a desperate attempt to get likes, Fake News Jake Sherman β who wasn’t even in the room β falsely claimed that President Trump called Milwaukee a ‘terrible city.’ It’s a total lie,” Trump’s deputy communications director Dylan Johnson wrote.
He added, “President Trump made explicit reference to the problems in Milwaukee, particularly violent crime and voter fraud.”
Trump’s campaign says he will remain in Milwaukee the week of the convention.
It comes just days after Trump reportedly called Milwaukee a “terrible city” during a Capitol Hill meeting with Republican lawmakers, sparking outrage from critics.
Trump is campaigning in Racine, Wisconsin with a rally on Tuesday, just 45 minutes south of Milwaukee.
Donald Trump is said to have said Milwaukee, Wisconsin is a “terrible city” during a closed-door meeting with Republican lawmakers in Washington DC on Thursday, June 13. PicturedL Trump leaves for a meeting with Republican lawmakers
Wisconsin is a state that is crucial for winning the 2024 presidential election. Trump won the battleground swing state in 2016 by just 0.7 percent. But the state turned blue for President Joe Biden in 2020 by a 0.6 percent margin, helping him defeat Trump.
A high-ranking law enforcement source told ABC7 Chicago that Trump plans to stay in Chicago and travel to Milwaukee for the convention in July. Two other sources confirmed these plans.
Three people explained Trump’s logistics for the Convention told The New York Times that he was staying 90 miles away in Chicago instead of Milwaukee, the host city of the GOP convention.
Karoline Leavitt, the national press secretary for the Trump campaign, responded to the reports with, “The president plans to remain in Milwaukee for the Convention.”
Some outrage followed after Trump called Milwaukee a “terrible city” during a meeting with Republican lawmakers in Washington DC last Thursday. But Trump’s campaign, as well as many of those who attended the Capitol Hill Club event with the ex-president, claim the comment was taken out of context by the media.
Trump spoke Tuesday, June 18, at a rally in Racine, Wisconsin β just 30 miles south of Milwaukee. Pictured: Rallygoers pray ahead of Trump’s arrival
Trump told Fox News: βI love Milwaukee. I have great friends in Milwaukee, but even earlier he criticized the crime rate and the way elections are run and controlled
Republicans will meet in Milwaukee from July 15 to 18 for the 2024 convention, where Trump is expected to officially become the party’s nominee in November.
The RNC convention is being held just days after Trump’s conviction in the hush money trial in Manhattan on July 11.