Trump in cleanup mode after calling Milwaukee a ‘horrible’ city

Former President Donald Trump and his Republican allies are doing damage control after Trump called Milwaukee a “horrible” city during a closed-door meeting with congressional Republicans in Washington on June 13.

“Milwaukee, where we are having our convention, is a horrible city,” Trump told House Republicans in a meeting at the Capitol Hill Club, according to Punchbowl News’ Jake Sherman. Other news outlets confirmed the comment about Milwaukee, which will host the Republican National Convention from July 15-18.

Trump, his campaign, and Republican lawmakers all had excuses for the Republican front-runner’s disparagement of Milwaukee, the largest city in Wisconsin. The city will play a major role in determining both the winner of the state’s Electoral College votes and the outcome of the 2024 election.

Trump first claimed he was talking about crime in the city.

“I think it was very clear what I meant. I said, we’re very concerned with crime. I love Milwaukee. I have great friends in Milwaukee. But it’s, as you know, the crime numbers are terrible, and we have to be very careful,” Trump told Fox News. Crime has actually dropped in Milwaukee this year, with homicides dropping 39%, robberies dropping 14%, and motor vehicle theft dropping 10%, the Milwaukee Police Department announced in April.

Trump later denied he had called Milwaukee horrible altogether, writing in a Truth Social post: “The Democrats are making up stories that I said Milwaukee is a ‘horrible city.’ This is false, a complete lie, just like the Laptop from Hell was a lie, Russia, Russia, Russia, was a lie, and so much more. It’s called Disinformation, and that’s all they know how to do. I picked Milwaukee, I know it well. It should therefore lead to my winning Wisconsin.”

Republican U.S. House members from Wisconsin also offered excuses for Trump’s comments.

“What I heard is to make sure there’s election integrity in Milwaukee,” Rep. Tom Tiffany told the Associated Press. “He’s talking about the states that are in play and the states of greatest importance and Wisconsin is top of the list.”

“I was in the room,” Rep. Bryan Steil wrote on X. “President Trump did not say this. There is no better place than Wisconsin in July.”

As Trump and Republicans struggle to come up with a cohesive response to the comment, Democrats are trying to make sure voters in the state know what Trump said.

“Donald Trump wants to talk about things that he thinks are horrible, but all of us lived through his presidency, so right back at you, buddy,” Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson said in response to Trump’s comment. “Obviously Donald Trump is wrong about something, yet again. I find it kind of perplexing, I find it kind of strange, that he would insult the largest city in Wisconsin.”

“Once he’s settled in with his parole officer, I am certain he will discover that Milwaukee is a wonderful, vibrant and welcoming city full of diverse neighborhoods and a thriving business community,” Rep. Gwen Moore, a Democrat whose district includes Milwaukee, wrote on X, referencing Trump’s conviction on 34 felony counts in New York on charges of falsifying business records.