House Republicans are pushing back against a recent report that former President Donald Trump reportedly disparaged Milwaukee during a closed-door meeting with House Republicans at the Capitol Hill Club on Thursday. The report, posted by Punchbowl News founder Jake Sherman, quotes Trump as saying, “Milwaukee, where we are having our convention, is a horrible city.” However, no sources were named for this information, prompting many to question its accuracy.
In a tweet addressing the incident, Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN) denied that President Trump made such a comment, calling it “another Democrat hoax. Similarly, Rep. Bryan Steil (R-WI) stated in another tweet that he was present during the meeting and that Trump did not say anything negative about Milwaukee.
Wisconsin Representative Derrick Van Orden also chimed in, calling Sherman’s reporting “shitty” and claiming Trump was actually referring to the crime rate in Milwaukee when speaking about the city. Rep. Glenn Grothman supported Van Orden’s statement, explaining that Trump was talking about the election in Milwaukee and his concerns about urban centers around the country.
Daily Caller Chief National Correspondent Henry Rodgers also reported that sources close to Trump claimed the 45th president did not make any disparaging remarks about Milwaukee during the meeting.
Sherman responded to these denials by saying, “Trump said what he said and people are going to hear whatever they want to hear.” However, both President Trump’s senior adviser Jason Miller and his campaign spokesman Steven Cheung called Sherman’s reporting “bullshit,” stating that the president was talking about violent crime and voter fraud in Milwaukee.
In an emailed statement, Trump Campaign Deputy Communications Director Dylan Johnson clarified that Trump was explicitly referring to problems in Milwaukee, including violent crime and voter fraud.