MOSINEE — President Trump lavished praise on Wisconsin’s Republican ticket at his stop at an airport in this central Wisconsin community Wednesday, arguing the November midterms represent a referendum on the rule of law, illegal immigration and the confirmation of U.S. Justice Brett Kavanaugh.
Trump slammed Dems for being categorically opposed to his agenda, and joined Scott Walker in knocking the guv’s Dem opponent Tony Evers as a tax-and-spend liberal.
“Tony wants to raise your income taxes substantially, wants to raise your gas taxes, raise your property taxes, raise all of your taxes,” Trump said, calling Evers “extreme.”
“And Tony Evers wants to get illegal aliens to flood into Wisconsin to get public benefits funded by you, the American taxpayer.”
Both Walker and GOP U.S. Senate candidate Leah Vukmir joined Trump on stage as they exchanged compliments, slammed opponents and urged the crowd to vote in November.
Trump said Vukmir was a “tireless fighter” for the people of the state and knocked U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Madison, for voting against tax cuts and supporting “deadly” sanctuary cities.
Trump called Walker a “good friend” and “tireless warrior,” touting efforts by the guv and the president’s administration to bring Taiwanese manufacturer Foxconn to southeastern Wisconsin.
“He’s a good man, folks, and he loves this state, he loves the people of this state,” Trump said to shouts of “four more years” from the crowd. “He’ll cut your taxes … improve your schools … bring down the cost of health care … and continue creating great paying jobs for the state of Wisconsin.”
While Trump praised both Republicans, he acknowledged they didn’t always have stellar relations.
“I don’t know if she liked me at the beginning, but she likes me now,” Trump said of Vukmir.
Business consultant and former Marine Kevin Nicholson, who lost the GOP nomination for U.S. Senate to Vukmir in August, ran an ad in their race that used footage of the state senator in March 2016 calling Trump “offensive to everyone.”
And of Walker, Trump admitted the Republican governor during the 2016 presidential primary was “tough, he could be nasty.”
Ahead of Wednesday’s rally, Evers’ campaign released a video that includes several digs Trump threw at Walker in the lead up to the 2016 presidential primary, including the former businessman saying Wisconsin was in “turmoil” and “the roads are a disaster because they don’t have any money to rebuild them.”
Trump hit on immigration several times in his speech, criticizing sanctuary cities and Democratic support for them and calling for a full U.S. border wall. He also touted Republican tax cuts.
“As we speak, the Democratic Party is openly encouraging caravan after caravan of illegal aliens to violate our laws. And it is a crisis,” Trump said.
He then called for the crowd to vote for Vukmir and Walker, the candidates who in his view will uphold the nation’s laws, borders and way of life.
Evers’ campaign fired back Walker “doubled down” on efforts to “gut protections” for those with pre-existing conditions by sharing a stage with Trump, saying the president supports a suit Walker backed seeking to overturn the Affordable Care Act.
“Wisconsin families simply cannot trust Scott Walker to protect their health care,” said Evers spokeswoman Britt Cudaback.
Trump, Walker and Vukmir all touched on health care, which has become a driving issue in the midterm elections. Trump said Republicans would continue to work to lower costs and going so far as to claim Democrats would “obliterate” Medicare.
Meanwhile, Walker repeated his campaign trail pledge to keep protections for pre-existing conditions while Vukmir promised to protect Medicare for seniors.
In light of Trump’s renegotiation of NAFTA, Walker exclaimed the president was “making dairy great again in America.”
“Unlike so many politicians in Washington in the past, this president never forgot his promise to the dairy farmers of the state of Wisconsin,” Walker shouted to a cheering crowd.
Walker and Vukmir also spoke before Trump’s arrival, along with House Speaker Paul Ryan and Congressman Sean Duffy.
Duffy warmed the crowd with attacks on Democrats, slamming them for raising taxes, weakening the military, allowing open borders and wanting to abolish Immigration and Customs Enforcement while a migrant caravan makes its way toward the U.S. southern border.
Vukmir spent much of her time praising Trump for keeping his promises, renegotiating trade deals and protecting Wisconsin farmers.
“Who will you trust to stand with President Donald Trump and help make America great?” Vukmir said. “Tammy Baldwin who campaigned with crooked Hillary Clinton? Or the gal who cut a radio ad for our president in October of 2016 and helped him get across the finish line?”
She also called out Baldwin several times for voting to increase taxes and failing to protect the nation’s borders.
“Who are you going to trust on immigration reform?” Vukmir continued. “Tammy Baldwin who supports open borders, sanctuary cities and abolishing ICE? How about trusting the daughter of Greek immigrants who understand we’re a nation of laws which must be upheld.”
For his part, Walker focused much of his time attacking Evers as someone who would raise taxes on farmers and hand out driver’s’ licenses to illegal immigrants.
He also touted his own record, claiming he’d saved Wisconsinites billions in taxes all while lowering health care premiums and protecting pre-existing conditions.
“In Wisconsin, we can protect people with pre-existing conditions without protecting the failure that is Obamacare in this state. We can do it, it’s simple,” Walker said.
Trump, whose rallies have been known for his fiery rhetoric, called on Americans to unite after bombs were sent to Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and other Dems.
“Any acts or threats of political violence are an attack on our democracy itself,” Trump said. “We want all sides to come together in peace and harmony, we can do it, it’ll happen.”
Trump also emphasized the media has a role in fostering better public discourse.
“The media also has a responsibility to set a civil tone and to stop the endless hostility and constant negative and often times false attacks in stories. They have to do it,” he said.
Trump took time several times to point out to the crowd that he was being “nice” in his remarks.
“Do you see how nice I’m behaving today? We’re all behaving very well, and hopefully we can keep it that way,” he said.
Ryan and Walker also called out the mailing of the bombs acts of terrorism.
“We need to let the world know every American stands up against terrorism in the United States of America. You mess with America, you mess with all of us,” Walker said.
