Former President Donald Trump plans to hold a campaign event in Wisconsin on Tuesday night before the vice presidential debate, aiming to rally support in a key Democratic county crucial for both him and his opponent, Democratic candidate Kamala Harris. Trump is scheduled to appear at a manufacturing plant in Waunakee, a suburb of Madison, the capital of Wisconsin and a Democratic stronghold. This visit marks his first campaign event in Dane County, where he has never visited as president.
Later on Tuesday, Trump is expected to hold another event at a museum in Milwaukee, the largest city in Wisconsin. Milwaukee boasts the highest number of Democratic voters in the state and the second-highest number of Republican voters, offering Trump the opportunity to connect with conservative voters in the city suburbs. This visit is part of Trump’s efforts to strengthen his support in Wisconsin, where his approval ratings have seen a decline and he must perform well to secure victory.
Trump is set to focus on addressing economic issues during his campaign stops. Last Saturday, he held a rally in western Wisconsin, where he criticized Harris for not taking responsibility for crimes committed by illegal immigrants.
On Tuesday, Trump’s running mate, Senator JD Vance from Ohio, will debate Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz, the governor of Minnesota. Both of Trump’s events are scheduled to take place before the debate.
Dane County, where Trump’s first event is held, is the fastest-growing county in Wisconsin and serves as an economic hub with opportunities in healthcare and technology industries driving its growth. The county also houses the University of Wisconsin.
Between 2016 and 2020, Dane County’s population saw an increase of approximately 30,000 residents. According to the latest estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau, an additional 13,000 people have settled in the county since then.
This poses a challenge for Republicans, especially considering that nearly 90% of registered voters in the county turned out to vote in 2020. Biden won 75% of the votes in Dane County that year, securing an 181,000-vote lead over Trump, who lost the county by fewer than 21,000 votes but won the state by less than 1 percentage point. In 2016, Hillary Clinton defeated Trump in Dane County by a margin of 47 percentage points.
Former Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson claimed responsibility for creating that 1 percentage point lead for Trump. Before Trump’s arrival, Thompson addressed the crowd, suggesting that the former president should “go where the opposition gathers,” including Dane County, which is located in liberal Madison.
Thompson stated, “Trump pushed back, saying, ‘Madison is a place where the liberals are pretty strong, right?’ Yes, but in Dane County, we rank third in Republican votes in Wisconsin, so our mission is to boost their votes.”
For years, Democratic presidential candidates have held large rallies in Dane County to energize voters. Harris held a rally in Madison on September 20, attracting over 10,000 attendees.
Waunakee prides itself as the “only Waunakee in the world,” with a slightly higher proportion of Republican voters compared to the county’s average. In 2020, Trump received 36% of the vote in the area, while his county-wide support was less than 23%.
Trump is scheduled to deliver a speech at Dane Manufacturing in Waunakee, a metal fabrication company known for hosting Republican candidates and officials. He will also speak at Discovery World museum in Milwaukee, a technology museum located along the shores of Lake Michigan.