MADISON, Wis. – A Menomonee Falls Village Trustee candidate endorsed by GOP candidate Rebecca Kleefisch for the upcoming spring elections came under fire in 2020 for making violent comments on social media. In response to someone who said they heard gunshots, Steve Taggart said, “Police firing range — practicing for Saturday,” referencing an upcoming Black Lives Matter protest. The Menomonee Falls Village President said his office received countless emails from concerned community members calling for Taggart’s resignation.

Kleefisch’s support for Taggart proves yet again that she is too divisive for Wisconsin. Instead of focusing on bringing people together, Kleefisch has downplayed violence against school board members, made inflammatory comments on the campaign trail, and stood by a candidate for school board after since-deleted tweets revealed homophobia and disregard for white supremacy. The endorsement of Taggert and Kleefisch’s record of violent rhetoric are particularly concerning as more Americans say they can justify political violence.

Kleefisch has in the past called for building an “army” of “paid fighters” and “mercenaries,” as well as asking supporters if they were “ready to throw some hands” and had their “knives out.”

Words have consequences. Just this month, the Eau Claire school board president reported receiving death threats.

“A Rebecca Kleefisch administration will not work to bring Wisconsinites together — she will only try to tear people apart,” said Democratic Party of Wisconsin Rapid Response Director Hannah Menchhoff. “Kleefisch’s embrace of a candidate with a history of divisive and violent rhetoric is inappropriate and shows poor judgment. Kleefisch should immediately denounce Steve Taggart’s comments and rescind her endorsement of his campaign.”

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