Former President Donald Trump’s campaign reached out to the World Dairy Expo to schedule a campaign visit, but the organization “humbly declined” the prospect due to wanting to remain nonpartisan.
“Former President Trump’s scheduling team inquired about visiting World Dairy Expo. While we were honored and grateful for his consideration, we humbly declined the opportunity. World Dairy Expo has traditionally been non-political, and a visit of this nature could suggest otherwise,” Lisa Behnke, World Dairy Expo communications manager, says in an email to Isthmus.
Trump’s campaign did not immediately return a request for comment.
Earlier Tuesday morning, Dane County GOP Chair Brandon Maly said the former president was “exploring” a visit to the World Dairy Expo.
Trump plans to visit Prairie du Chien on Sept. 28. A visit to the exposition, the world’s largest dairy trade show, would have landed somewhere between Oct. 1-4, the exposition’s running dates.
Maly and former Gov. Tommy Thompson have urged Trump to visit Madison and Dane County in order to help drive up Republican margins in the deep-blue area. Lackluster Republican showings in Dane County and Milwaukee County impede the party’s success statewide. Margins in the last two presidential elections have been below 23,000 votes so driving up turnout in both counties would help Trump clinch a victory in the Dairy State.
