Former President Donald Trump held an election day campaign rally in Green Bay, Wisconsin Tuesday. Trump had already secured the Republican presidential nomination, but his visit highlights Wisconsin's role as a crucial swing state. Wisconsin is one of a handful of states expected to decide the November election.
Despite Green Bay’s snowy weather, a large crowd turned out to hear Trump’s vision for the state and the country.
“On November 5, we are going to win this state," Trump said. "We’re going to win the White House, and we are going to save our country."
The former president spoke mainly about immigration issues and the state of the economy. Throughout the hour-long speech, the Republican criticized Democratic President Joe Biden for his handling of immigration issues. Trump claimed that Biden's border policies have caused an increase in what Trump calls "migrant crime." That's despite the fact that numerous studies, including by Stanford University, have debunked that notion.
In discussing immigration, Trump referenced Whitewater. The Wisconsin city has seen a recent uptick of immigrants from Nicaragua and Venezuela. Trump pointed to a letter from Whitewater’s city officials to Biden. The letter estimates that the town gained 800 to 1,000 migrants in the last two years, and requests federal funds to alleviate the strain on Whitewater’s resources.
This was Trump’s first Wisconsin visit in this year’s election cycle, and the start of a major effort by the GOP to win Wisconsin in November.
At the rally, Wisconsin GOP Chair Brian Schimming outlined a strategy to secure the swing state. It includes reaching out to first-time voters and African American and Latino communities. Schimming encouraged supporters to tell their family and friends to vote, saying that will help the GOP’s efforts to reach every corner of Wisconsin.
"Wisconsin is not one of 50 states this year, we're one of five, so Wisconsin's a huge state this year," Schimming said. "That's why the Republican National Convention is here, and it's why Donald Trump is here today."
The Republican Party is expected to increase its efforts to rally the support of Wisconsinites over the next few months. Near the end of Trump's speech, he urged voters to show up to the polls in large numbers that are, as he said, “too big to rig.”
Earlier in the address, Trump repeated what he's been saying for the last few years —that the 2020 election was stolen. He repeated the claim that he won Wisconsin that year. Biden actually won Wisconsin by about 21,000 votes.
Support for the Eric Von Broadcast Fellowship is provided, in part, by Bader Philanthropies.
