Wisconsin
Christian students in Wisconsin speak out after Kamala Harris told them they were at the ‘wrong rally’
A pair of Christian students trolled by Kamala Harris and mercilessly mocked by the crowd at her rally at the University of Wisconsin-La Cross last week insist they were “there for the right reasons.”
Grant Beth and Luke Polaske, both juniors at the school, told “Fox & Friends Weekend” that they felt persecuted akin to Jesus and his early followers after they shouted such things as, “Christ is king!” when the Democratic vice president-turned-presidential candidate started talking about abortion rights.
One of them said Harris even sarcastically waved to him and gave him “an evil smirk” as he held up the cross around his neck and pointed to her while being booted with his pal.
“I was pushed by an elderly woman. We were heckled at, we were cursed at, we were mocked, and that’s the biggest thing for me personally,” Beth said. “In reflection of the event, Jesus was mocked. You know, his disciples were mocked, and that’s OK.
“In reality, we did God’s work, and we were there for the right reasons, and God is watching us in this moment,” he said. “I’m all about being a cordial person no matter your beliefs, but I do believe that we were sent there by God.”
The pair were shouting, “Christ is King!” and “Jesus is Lord!” while getting shoved by some of the rally-goers.
Eventually, Harris, 60, paused her speech and trolled them.
“You guys are at the wrong rally,” she needled to raucous applause from the crowd. “I think you meant to go to the smaller one down the street.”
The moment went viral on social media.
Harris’ speech at centered in part around the economy and other developments of the 2024 campaign cycle. At one point, she briefly opined on abortion and ripped into her GOP foe, former President Donald Trump, for nominating three of the US Supreme Court justices who helped overturn related protections first put into law by Roe v. Wade.
“When Congress passes a bill to restore reproductive freedom nationwide, as president of the United States, I will proudly, proudly sign it into law,” Harris vowed.
Polaske said the duo were roughly 20 to 30 yards away from where Harris was standing at the event at the time — and described her as giving “an evil smirk” to him at one point.
“She was actually waving to me. I took this cross off my neck that I wear, and as we were getting asked to leave, I held it up in the air and waved at her and pointed at her, and she looked directly in the eye, kind of gave me an evil smirk,” he recounted.
“I just want to clear that up and confirm that she 100% was talking to us,” he added about the online controversy that the vice president wasn’t speaking with them.
Beth contended that if Harris prevails against Trump Nov. 5, she will be adversarial to Christians.
“This is what you are going to get with a Kamala Harris presidency,” he argued. “You are going to get the Kamala Harris that alienates over 50% of the US population that is Christian. You’re going to get the Kamala Harris that skips the Al Smith Memorial Dinner.”
Harris opted against attending the Al Smith Memorial Dinner, a famous annual Catholic charity event in Manhattan, last week and sent a prerecorded video skit instead. The dinner has been attended by presidential candidates on both sides of the aisle for more than four decades.
Instead, Harris campaigned earlier in the day at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.
The vice president grew up in an interfaith house and had gone to both a Hindu temple and a Baptist church while coming of age. She has long been a parishioner at the Rev. Amos Brown’s Third Baptist Church. He was reportedly one of the first calls Harris made after President Biden dropped out of the race, paving the way for her run.
On Sunday, during her birthday, Harris spoke at the New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, roughly a half-hour drive from Atlanta, Ga.
The Harris-Walz campaign did not respond to a Post request for comment Sunday.
Wisconsin
Wisconsin authorities put total arrests from clashes at beagle breeding facility at about 25
MADISON (AP) — Around 25 protesters were arrested as around 1,000 animal welfare activists tried to gain entry to a beagle breeding and research facility in Wisconsin and were met by officers firing pepper spray and rubber bullets, authorities said Sunday.
Saturday’s protest was the second attempt in as many months by demonstrators to take beagles from Ridglan Farms in Blue Mounds, about 25 miles (about 40 kilometers) southwest of the capital, Madison. They were turned back by officers who arrested the group’s leader.
Owen Ziliak/Wisconsin State Journal via AP
The Dane County Sheriff’s Office said the situation was “significantly calmer and more peaceful” on Sunday, when around 200 people assembled outside the farm. They dispersed after around two hours, it said.
“We’re pleased with the group’s cooperation today, and their willingness to remain peaceful, while still sending their message of concern for the dogs at Ridglan Farms,” Sheriff Kalvin Barrett said in a statement. “We are happy to support anyone who wants to exercise the right to protest, as long as they do so lawfully.”
Owen Ziliak/The Wisconsin State Journal via AP
The sheriff had said in a video statement Saturday that 300 to 400 protesters were “violently trying to break into the property.” They tried to overcome barricades that included a manure-filled trench, hay bales and a barbed-wire fence.
Owen Ziliak/Wisconsin State Journal via AP
Some got through the fence but were unable to enter the facility, where an estimated 2,000 beagles are kept, the Wisconsin State Journal reported.
Amber Arnold/Wisconsin State Journal via AP
Those arrested included the leader of the Coalition to Save the Ridglan Dogs, Wayne Hsiung, 44, of New York, who was being held on a tentative felony charge of conspiracy to commit burglary. But most arrestees were just booked and released, the sheriff’s office said Sunday.
“No one should be assaulted for giving aid to a dog, even if damage to property is part of that rescue effort,” Hsuing said in a statement from jail Sunday that also accused authorities of using excessive force. “The animals of this Earth are not “things.” They’re sentient beings. And we have the right to rescue them from abuse,” he concluded.
Protesters took 30 dogs when they broke into the facility in March, when authorities arrested 27 people.
Ridglan denies mistreating animals but agreed in October to give up its state breeding license as of July 1 in a deal to avoid prosecution on animal mistreatment charges.
On its website, the company says “no credible evidence of animal abuse, cruelty, mistreatment or neglect at Ridglan Farms has ever been presented or substantiated.”
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About 1,000 animal welfare activists who tried to gain entry on Saturday to a beagle breeding and research facility in Wisconsin were turned back by police who fired rubber bullets and pepper spray into the crowd and arrested the group’s leader.
It was the second attempt in as many months by protesters to take beagles from the Ridglan Farms facility in Blue Mounds, a small town about 25 miles (about 40 kilometres) southwest of Wisconsin’s capital, Madison.
Dane County Sheriff Kalvin Barrett said in a video statement that 300 to 400 protesters were “violently trying to break into the property” and assault officers. He said protesters have ignored designated areas for peaceful protest and blocked roads to prevent emergency vehicles from entering.
“This is not a peaceful protest,” Barrett said.
The sheriff’s department said a “significant” number of people were arrested out of about 1,000 protesters at the site but did not give an exact total as they were still being processed as of the afternoon.
Protesters tried to overcome barricades that included a manure-filled trench, hay bales and a barbed-wire fence. Some protesters did get through the fence but were unable to enter the facility, where an estimated 2,000 beagles are kept, the Wisconsin State Journal reported.
Wisconsin guard Andrew Rohde reflects on early March Madness exit
Wisconsin guard Andrew Rohde said the Badgers ‘thought we could do so many things’ in the NCAA Tournament before it ended abrupty with an upset loss.
Wisconsin men’s basketball has added a sharpshooting wing via the transfer portal.
Miami (Ohio) transfer Eian Elmer has signed with the Badgers, the team announced April 18. The 6-foot-7 wing will join UW with one year of eligibility remaining.
Elmer averaged a career-high 12.7 points and 5.9 rebounds while shooting 49.8% from the field and 42.9% from 3-point range in 2025-26. His production helped the RedHawks go 32-2 and earn an at-large NCAA Tournament bid.
“We are really excited to add another excellent addition to our spring signees,” UW coach Greg Gard said in a release. “Eian brings a wealth of experience and scoring punch as a 6-7 wing. … A terrific shooter, his skillset and production fit excellently into our plan as we build out next year’s team. Throughout our evaluation process, our staff loved his size, power and skill and truly believe he will thrive in our system.”
Elmer is Wisconsin’s third transfer portal addition since the end of the 2025-26 season, joining former George Washington guard Trey Autry and former Hofstra forward Victory Onuetu. UW also added Australian guard Owen Foxwell.
The additions of Autry, Onuetu and now Elmer leave Gard’s staff with three more roster spots to fill ahead of the 2026-27 season.
The Badgers are looking to replace much of their production from a 2025-26 team that went 24-11. Nolan Winter is expected to be the team’s only returning starter after John Blackwell and Aleksas Bieliauskas entered the transfer portal and Nick Boyd and Andrew Rohde exhausted their eligibility.
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