Former President Trump has endorsed Tim Michels for guv, saying he is “the best candidate to deliver meaningful solutions” to issues facing the country.
In a statement yesterday evening, Trump noted Michels served on his infrastructure task force that helped plan and start building the Keystone pipeline. After winning the presidency, Joe Biden canceled the permit for the pipeline.
“Wisconsin needs a Governor who will Stop Inflation, Uphold the Rule of Law, strengthen our Borders (we had the strongest borders in history just two years ago, now we have the weakest!) and End the well-documented Fraud in our Elections,” Trump said in a statement released through his PAC.
Trump has repeatedly raised false claims about the 2020 election in Wisconsin after he lost to Biden by less than 21,000 votes.
Michels, a wealthy construction executive, earlier this spring answered “Maybe” when asked in a radio interview if the 2020 election was stolen. He said there “was certainly illegal ballots.”
Michels called the endorsement a “vote of confidence.”
“This is a tremendous boost to our efforts and a continuation of our astounding surge since I entered the race,” he said.
There have been rumblings for weeks that Trump might endorse Michels in the race.
GOP rival Rebecca Kleefisch released a statement on the endorsement within minutes of the former president’s statement.
“If I know one thing about President Trump, it’s that he likes winners, and I’m the only person in this race who has won statewide — not once, but four times,” she said.
Kleefisch won the 2010 GOP primary for lieutenant governor running on her own and beat back a recall effort in 2012. She also won in the 2010 and 2014 general election running on a ticket with Scott Walker.
Kleefisch, Michels and state Rep. Timothy Ramthun had all traveled to Florida to meet with Trump as they sought his blessing in the guv’s race.
State Dem Chair Ben Wikler in a release said Trump’s endorsement only serves to further divide the GOP.
“Trump’s divisive brand of politics paired with Michels’ extremist and out of touch views is a recipe for disaster,” he said.
See the Michels release here.
