Trump to hold Wisconsin rally in August

Former President Trump will hold a rally in Wisconsin next month in support of his endorsed candidates, including Wisconsin gubernatorial candidate Tim Michels (R), his Save America PAC announced on Tuesday.

An advisory from the Save America PAC said that the rally would be held on the evening of Aug. 5 in Waukesha.

In addition to Michels, Trump has endorsed several other Wisconsin candidates, including incumbent Sen. Ron Johnson (R) and House candidate Derrick Van Orden (R).

Johnson, however, said in a statement he would not be attending the rally, citing Trump’s endorsement of Michels. 

“Wisconsin will always welcome presidents of both parties. I hope former President Trump enjoys his time in our state and I’m sure those attending will enjoy rallying with others who love America,” he said in a statement. 

“Because this event supports one of the Republican gubernatorial candidates, I will not be attending. I do not endorse candidates in contested primaries. Instead I rely on the good judgement of Republican voters to choose our candidates and will be fully supportive of those who win their primary elections.”

The appearance would come ahead of the state’s Aug. 9 primary and against the backdrop of the hearings held by the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot. The committee investigating the Capitol insurrection has sought to delve into Trump’s role in the effort to overturn the 2020 presidential election, including in Wisconsin, and his inaction on the day of the Capitol attack.

Johnson has also faced controversy over how much involvement he or his office had in a fake elector scheme after the House select committee showed a text exchange during its fourth public hearing in which Johnson aide Sean Riley messaged Chris Hodgson, an aide to former Vice President Mike Pence, about handing over an alternative slate of electors in Wisconsin and Michigan.

“This happened so fast, this is 18 months ago. This just happened, we took care of it. End of story. There’s nothing else to say about this,” Johnson said two days after the revelation emerged.

A Marquette Law School Poll survey of Wisconsin out last month showed that Johnson is facing competitive match-ups with several of his Democratic challengers, with three out of four at the time edging past him. All four match-ups are within the poll’s margin of error, however.

The Hill has reached out to Johnson’s office and a Trump spokesperson for comment.