MILWAUKEE — With just over a month to go until the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, the GOP's candidate for president is reportedly criticizing Milwaukee, though his campaign says the remarks are being taken out of context.
"Milwaukee, where we are having our convention, is a horrible city," Trump said to House Republicans Thursday, according to a report from Punchbowl News' Jake Sherman.
🚨TRUMP TO HOUSE REPUBLICANS:
— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) June 13, 2024
"Milwaukee, where we are having our convention, is a horrible city."
Trump's campaign responded early Thursday afternoon.
"President Trump was explicitly referring to the problems in Milwaukee, specifically violent crime and voter fraud," Deputy Director of Communications Dylan Johnson said.
Johnson referred to Sherman's reporting as "a desperate attempt to get likes" and "a total lie."
Campaign Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told TMJ4's Charles Benson that Trump responded to a question about crime and allegations of voter fraud by saying there are horrible things going on - not a “blanket statement’ about Milwaukee.
Just in: What did Donald Trump say about Milwaukee?
— Charles Benson (@CharlesBenson4) June 13, 2024
Lots of versions on what was said or not said.
Here’s was Trump’s Campaign Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt tells me.
She says the former President was asked about crime and “election/ballot integrity” problems in Milwaukee.
According to reporting from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Republicans from Wisconsin's delegation to Congress "offered varying accounts" of the comment's context, including arguments that Trump's remarks were made about election integrity, or the crime rate in the City of Milwaukee.
Rep. Bryan Steil has flatly denied that Trump made the comments, saying "I was in the room. President Trump did not say this. There is no better place than Wisconsin in July."
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
A spokesperson for the Republican Party of Wisconsin did not deny the Trump remarks, but said that the former president was focusing on "mismanagement of elections" in Milwaukee.
“President Trump is correct to highlight the embarrassing mismanagement of elections in Milwaukee, including Kimberly Zapata's conviction for obtaining false absentee ballots and city officials sending more than 200 ballots to wrong addresses earlier this year. Election integrity in Wisconsin matters, and the Republican Party of Wisconsin is doing its part to protect the vote," WisGOP Spokesperson Matt Fisher said.
Reaction to Trump's reported comments came in quickly from Democrats - among them, Senator Tammy Baldwin.
"Milwaukee makes the greatest beer, brats, and motorcycles in the world. It's home to some of our most vibrant communities, hardest workers, and is a part of what makes Wisconsin the best state in the nation," Sen. Tammy Baldwin said. "Donald Trump wouldn’t understand even if a jury told him so."
Watch: What does the RNC mean for Milwaukee and Wisconsin?
The Republican National Convention will be held in downtown Milwaukee Monday July 15th, through Thursday, July 18th.
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