Trump’s ‘horrible city’ comment on Milwaukee was about ‘policies,’ says NY congresswoman who provoked response
WATERTOWN, Wis. — Republicans gave differing accounts of f🎉ormer President Donald Trump’s alleged remark Thursday that Milwaukee “is a h🗹orrible city” — but the congresswoman whose question provoked the comment told The Post the contex𒆙t was clear.
The Internet exploded Thursday morning when Trump, in a Capitol Hill meeting with House GOP members, said, “Milwaukee, where we are having our convention, is a hoꦕrrible city.”
A slew of Wisconsin congressmen present for the remarks , but even they gave conflicting 𓃲statements: Some said he was referring to election𓆉 integrity, while one said he was talking about crime, and two declared he’d never said it at all.
Rep. Claudia Tenney (R-NY) said she posed the questio🐎n that led to the Milwaukee mention, telling The Post the presumptive GOP presidential nominee — who often hammers on voter fraud and election integrity — was talking about policy.
“The president was just setting forth the policies that he thinks are going to be the winning policies,” she said by phone. “And I got up and said the same question I’ve said in the media and in every interview I’ve done. I’m worried the Democrats are concerned about winning on process, not policies. What are we doing to make sure that we don’t have the kind of vote harvesting and obtaining ballots from illegal immigrants that we know the Democrats are doing? And the president immediately pointed out that Chairman Whatley was there,” she explained, referring to Republican National Committee head Michael Whatley.
“He was specifically talking about voter fraud and places they ar🍰e identifying — 19 areas — where they know there was voꦇter fraud or there were attempts to prime the pump in favor of Democrats.”
She didn’t hear the former president❀ say anything about crime. “I think he actually even said, ‘It was a horror show . . . this voter fraud, and we’re targeting these 19 areas,” she said. “My impression is we were talking about voter fraud.”
Tenney, who represents upstate’s 24th Congressional District, said she hears concerns from both sides, Republicans and Democrats, about election integrity. She believes all the major races are going to bﷺe close this ওfall.
Tenney is familiar with close elections: She reclaimed her congressional seat by 109 votes in a protracted recount in 2020.
Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson Thuꩵrsday, “If Donald Trump wants to talk about things that are horrible, all of us 𒉰lived through his presidency. So right back at ya, buddy.”
“Restoring trust” of both Milwaukee Elect🎀ions Commission employees on various the city counting votes in the 2020 presidential election, which fanned the flames of election-fraud allegations.
Both a and a by a nonprofit state conservative law fi𝓀rm found no widespread election fraud occurred in the 2020 contest in Wisconsin. But both audits cited irregularities and failures to follow election laws or procedures.
In April’s spring general election, two referenda amending the state Constitution to prohibit the use of private mo💃ney in the administration of elections and stipulating that only election💝 officials can conduct election tasks.
The use of private funds in the 2020 election, particularly in five🦋 of the most populous (and largely blue) cities in the state, caused outrage among conservatives both inside and outsಌide Wisconsin.
The Republican National Committee launched a “Protect the Vote” campaign to recruit poll watchers and electio🦂n lawyers in 15 states, including Wisconsin and the other swin🐟g states.
The RNC convention s💝pokesperson did not respond to a request for comment.
