Former US President Donald Trump has ignited a political firestorm and deeply embarrassed his own party after reportedly dismissing Milwaukee as a "horrible city" during a closed-door meeting with Republican lawmakers in Washington DC.
The astonishing remark, first reported by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, was made just weeks before the city is set to host the Republican National Convention (RNC), where Trump is expected to be formally crowned the party's 2024 presidential nominee.
A Political Gift to Democrats
Democrats and President Joe Biden's campaign have seized upon the gaffe as a monumental political gift. The comment is seen as a severe insult to a crucial swing state that Trump narrowly won in 2016 but lost to Biden in 2020. Winning Wisconsin is considered essential for any Republican path to the White House.
"It's a slap in the face to every voter in Wisconsin," a Democratic strategist was quoted as saying. The Biden campaign was quick to capitalise, releasing a statement defending Milwaukee as a "vibrant and welcoming" community and framing Trump's words as evidence he "looks down on working-class Americans."
Republican Damage Control
The report sent Trump's Republican allies in Wisconsin and Washington scrambling to contain the damage. In a frantic attempt at damage control, several lawmakers who attended the meeting flatly denied the former president had made the comment.
Congressman Bryan Steil, who was present, stated, "I was in the room. President Trump did not say this." Similarly, Congressman Glenn Grothman claimed, "There is no way Trump would say that about a city he is about to hold his convention in."
However, their denials were directly contradicted by a source familiar with the exchange, who confirmed the remark to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, leaving the party's narrative in disarray.
The Stakes in Wisconsin
The controversy threatens to undermine years of Republican efforts to build support in Wisconsin, a key battleground state. Trump's alleged comment risks alienating the very voters he needs to win back in November.
Milwaukee, Wisconsin's largest city, is a Democratic stronghold with a significant minority population. Disparaging the city is viewed as a strategic blunder that could energise Democratic turnout and push suburban voters towards Biden.
As the RNC prepares to descend upon Milwaukee in July, the party now faces the awkward task of celebrating its candidate in a city he privately derided, turning what should be a week of triumph into a public relations challenge.
