Trump, Harris Campaign in Unexpected Wisconsin Communities

Frederica Freyberg:
The number of visits to Wisconsin by the presidential candidates is dizzying. Kamala Harris was back in the state last night, and Donald Trump was in Wisconsin multiple times in the past week, with plans for another visit Sunday. “Here & Now” reporter Steven Potter ran to keep up.

Donald Trump:
Hello, Wisconsin! It’s great to be back in this beautiful state.

Steven Potter:
With three campaign stops in four days, Wisconsin has seen a lot of Donald Trump this week. On Saturday, the Republican presidential candidate was in Prairie du Chien, explaining his latest plan to address immigration.

Donald Trump:
We will seal the border. We will stop the invasion immediately. We will begin the largest deportation operation in the history of our country.

Steven Potter:
Then he was back in the state on Tuesday for two stops: one in the village of Waunakee in Dane County, the other in the city of Milwaukee. At these events, he laid out plans to address economic issues, including reducing taxes for American manufacturing companies from 21% to 15% and bringing down the cost of energy.

Donald Trump:
My plan will cut energy prices in half.

Steven Potter:
Another notable part of Trump’s visits this week was their location. Former Republican Governor Tommy Thompson encouraged Trump to visit the Madison and Milwaukee areas very intentionally.

Tommy Thompson:
But Dane County has the third most Republican votes in the state of Wisconsin, and all we have to do is increase them. And that’s up to us, ladies and gentlemen, to carry Dane County up to 30%, not 26%, but 30%.

Steven Potter:
The importance that Wisconsin voters will have on this presidential race resonated.

Donald Trump:
If we win Wisconsin, we win.

Steven Potter:
Not to be outdone by Trump’s visits to the lion’s den of Democrats, Vice President Kamala Harris took her presidential campaign to the city of Ripon on Thursday.

Kamala Harris:
So we are gathered here today in Ripon not far, as the congresswoman mentioned, from a small building where the Republican Party was born in 1854.

Steven Potter:
If elected, Harris says she would address international conflicts like the war in Ukraine.

Kamala Harris:
Democracy and freedom are not only at stake here at home. They are also at stake around the world. As president of the United States, I will strengthen, not abdicate America’s global leadership.

Steven Potter:
And it was here that Harris was joined by former Wyoming Republican Congresswoman Liz Cheney, daughter of former Republican Vice President Dick Cheney. Both Cheney and her father have endorsed Harris.

Liz Cheney:
I tell you I have never voted for a Democrat, but this year I am proudly casting my vote for Vice President Kamala Harris.

Steven Potter:
Whether this tactic of appealing to their outnumbered supporters in the Republican and Democratic strongholds of Wisconsin will work for either candidate, for now, is an untested strategy. Reporting from Waunakee for “Here & Now,” I’m Steven Potter.