MADISON – President Donald Trump will visit Wisconsin’s Chippewa County on Friday − his first trip to the Badger State since being reelected in 2024.
Trump plans to promote his administration’s efforts to lower costs and open new trade markets for farmers and to boost the economy in rural areas through tax incentives for investors in such areas of the country, according to a White House spokeswoman.
The trip comes at a time when more than half of Wisconsin voters disapprove of the way Trump is handling the presidency, according to March polling from the Marquette University Law School.
Trump won the state in 2016 and 2024 and lost it in 2020.
“Wisconsin families put their faith in President Trump in 2024, and he has spent every single day since taking office fighting and delivering for them.” Liz Huston, a spokeswoman for the White House, said in a statement.
Wisconsin voters oppose the hallmark of Trump’s trade policies thus far, according to the Marquette polling. When asked whether Trump should reimpose some tariffs blocked by the U.S. Supreme Court in February, 60% of Wisconsin registered voters said in March they opposed Trump restoring the tariffs under a different set of laws.
Most of Chippewa County is in the 7th Congressional District, where Trump’s visit − and his words − will carry weight in the Republican primary unfolding in the district to replace U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, who is running for governor.
Among the candidates are: Michael Alfonso, the son-in-law of Trump’s Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who also represented the 7th before Tiffany; Jessi Ebben, who works in the manufacturing industry; Kevin Hermening, a former U.S. Marine who was held hostage during the 1979 Iran hostage crisis and a financial planner; and Niina Baum, a small-business owner.
A portion of the county also falls in the 3rd Congressional District, one of the nation’s few toss-up congressional races where incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Derrick Van Orden will likely face Democrat Rebecca Cooke in the general election.
Trump has endorsed Alfonso and Van Orden and could help boost GOP turnout for both candidates. Trump won both districts in 2024.
Trump’s Health and Human Services secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., visited the 3rd Congressional District with Van Orden on June 1.
Molly Beck can be reached at molly.beck@jrn.com.
(This story was updated to add new information.)
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Donald Trump to tout rural initiatives in visit to Wisconsin
Reporting by Molly Beck, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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