Representative Byron Donalds, a Florida Republican, faced backlash on NBC News’ Meet the Press on Sunday when guest host Peter Alexander questioned him about former President Donald Trump‘s reportedly controversial remarks regarding Milwaukee, the host city for the upcoming Republican National Convention in July.
According to Punchbowl News, during a meeting with congressional Republicans on Thursday, Trump allegedly referred to Milwaukee as a “horrible city.” While several Republicans denied the former president made such a statement, Trump himself acknowledged disparaging the city in an interview with Fox News.
“It was very clear what I meant,” Trump told Fox News on Thursday. “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.” He also made unsubstantiated claims about the city being a center for voter fraud in the 2020 election after President Joe Biden‘s victory in Wisconsin, a key swing state.
When pressed by Alexander about why the Republican Party would choose to hold their convention in a city Trump considers “horrible,” Donalds, who is rumored to be on Trump’s vice-presidential shortlist, accused NBC and other networks of reporting on the comments without proper context.
“With respect to Milwaukee, he was talking about allegations of voter fraud and also the crime rate,” the congressman said. “And I think it’s important for people to understand, your murder rate may be down, but that doesn’t mean that violent crime, etc., are also lower.”
Donalds went on to explain the reasoning behind the Republican National Committee’s (RNC) decision to hold the convention in Milwaukee, stating that they recognize the frustration among Wisconsin voters and those across the nation, with the current state of the country under Biden’s administration.
“Immigration, massively up and out of control. The labor markets are OK, not great. Wages are down when you adjust them for inflation. People are struggling to try to make ends meet in Joe Biden’s America,” Donalds said. “So, the [former] president’s taking his message everywhere, including the city of Milwaukee.”
Following his appearance on Meet the Press, Donalds took to X, formerly Twitter, to further share his views on the controversy and wrote, “Wisconsinites are FED-UP with the failures & constant, self-made crises of radical Democrats: Our border’s in CRISIS. Our cost-of-living’s in CRISIS. Our communities have a crime CRISIS. Our weaponized gov. sparked a lawfare CRISIS. Our weakness has caused foreign policy CRISES.”
Newsweek has reached out to Donalds’ office via email on Sunday for further comment.
Wisconsinites are FED-UP with the failures & constant, self-made crises of radical Democrats:
Our border’s in CRISIS.Our cost-of-living’s in CRISIS.Our communities have a crime CRISIS.Our weaponized gov. sparked a lawfare CRISIS.Our weakness has caused foreign policy CRISES. pic.twitter.com/iJ3FKPy2oK
— Byron Donalds (@ByronDonalds) June 16, 2024
In response to the controversy, James Singer, Biden’s rapid response adviser and spokesperson, shared a statement with Newsweek on Sunday evening from Wisconsin Democratic Coordinated Campaign Manager Garren Randolph who criticized Trump’s alleged remarks.
“If Donald Trump thinks Milwaukee is so horrible, then he shouldn’t come to our city. Milwaukee—our state’s largest and most diverse city and home to more than 577,000 people, the Bucks and Brewers, and the country’s best beer—deserves better than a convicted felon, racist, and wannabe dictator who hates us and our values,” Randolph said.
He added: “Voters in Milwaukee are fed up with Donald Trump and extreme MAGA Republicans not caring about them. We’ll see that at the RNC—and then again in November, when Wisconsinites send Donald Trump packing,” Randolph added.
When reached for comment by Newsweek on Sunday evening, Steven Cheung, Trump’s communications director, denied the accusation and referred to his previous post on X that read: “Wrong. Total bull****. He never said it like how it’s been falsely characterized as. He was talking about how terrible crime and voter fraud are.”
According to FBI crime data, Milwaukee reported 8,474 violent crimes in 2022. Statewide crime data from the same year shows that Wisconsin falls below the national average rates, with 297 violent offenses per 100,000 compared to 380.7 in the United States at large.
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