Last night, President Donald Trump reminded Wisconsin voters why he is unfit to return to the White House in a rambling Town Hall event in La Crosse. President Trump began the event surprised to hear it was a Town Hall. He was then asked six carefully curated questions from the audience, but could not stay on topic for a single answer. President Trump chose to spend his time in La Crosse peddling racism, misinformation and bizarre non-sequiturs rather than discuss his plans for the future. His La Crosse Town Hall proved to Southwestern Wisconsin that Vice President Kamala Harris is the only choice in 2024.
For one question, President Trump returned to the racist idea that immigrants are taking “black and Hispanic jobs.” Not only has this idea been disproven time and time again. The US is at a record low unemployment rate, for all workers as well as for Black workers” but feeds the racist idea that People of Color work only low-income jobs. He also claimed the undocumented people crossing the border are criminals sent here by their governments, “They’re taking their criminals from all over the world, not just South America, not just Venezuela, which you’ve been reading about, all over the world.”
Trump’s speech was filled with disinformation. President Trump again lied about the results of the 2020 election in Wisconsin, calling it a “bad election”. He said he had the “safest border in the world” despite the fact that the Border Guard is registering fewer crossings right now than during the Trump administration. President Trump lied about abortion, asking “do you execute the baby after birth? And according to what they have passed legislation in Minnesota, they’re allowed to execute the baby after birth.” This is 100% false. He called Vice President Harris a “Marxist” who wants to make America into a “Communist state” (she isn’t and she doesn’t).
President Trump went off topic for every question, often making bizarre policy connections. He blamed the price of bacon on wind farms stating “You know this was caused by their horrible energy. Wind, they want wind all over the place. But when it doesn’t blow we have a little problem.” When asked about foreign policy, President Trump decided to praise Viktor Orban, the authoritarian Prime Minister of Hungary who has close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Per William Garcia, 3rd CD Democratic Party chair, as well as La crosse County Chair: “With his lies, chaos and confusion, President Trump reminded Wisconsin voters that Vice President Harris is the only person in the Presidential race who offers substantive, sane policies to support the middle class, protect civil liberties, and move America forward. President Trump’s reliance on misinformation, petty grievances and personal attacks have no place in Western Wisconsin.”
