MADISON — Republican former President Donald Trump will return to Wisconsin on Sunday for a rally at the Dodge County Airport in Juneau — a fourth campaign event in the battleground state in nine days, his campaign announced Wednesday.

The rally follows events on Tuesday in Dane and Milwaukee counties — the state’s two Democratic strongholds. Trump led in Dodge County by about 15,000 votes, or 31 percentage points, in 2020 when he lost the state to Demcoratic President Joe Biden by about 21,000 votes.

He campaigned in Prairie du Chien in southwestern Wisconsin on Saturday. His Democratic rival, Vice President Kamala Harris, has a Thursday campaign stop in the Fox Cities region. Further details have not been announced. Harris held a rally in Madison on Sept. 20.

Like his Tuesday visit to Waunakee, Trump’s remarks in Juneau are being framed by the campaign as a critique of the current Democratic administration’s economic policy.

“This November, Wisconsin voters will send a clear message at the ballot box when they reject the dangerous Democrat, Kamala Harris. Wisconsin voters know that only President Trump can Make America Affordable Again,” the campaign said in a news release.

During his remarks at the metal fabrication facility Dane Manufacturing, the former president spoke for more than 30 minutes before touching on economic issues — aside from a brief tangent during which he said he wouldn’t trust Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris or President Joe Biden “to run a lemonade stand.”

A Marquette University Law School poll released last month showed that the economy was the top issue for Wisconsin voters, with 41% ranking it as their first priority. The same poll found that to be true among 42% of independent voters.

In Waunakee, Trump pledged to cut taxes on American manufacturers to 15%, “but only if you make the product here.” Otherwise, he said, “we’re going to use the power of the tariff.” He also pledged, if elected, to bring energy prices in the U.S. down by 50% within a year of taking office, declaring the country has “liquid gold” by way of “more oil and gas under our feet than anybody else.”

He later took questions from reporters for about 45 minutes in Milwaukee after giving remarks that were similar to the points he made in Waunakee.

While speaking at Discovery World in Milwaukee, Trump hinted his team was looking at holding a rally at Fiserv Forum, which hosted the Republican National Convention in July. Harris also held a rally at the home of the Milwaukee Bucks during the Democratic National Convention.

“The building was beautiful,” Trump said. “I love Milwaukee. We had such a great convention here. They treated us so well. I also like the result. If I didn’t get the right result, I probably wouldn’t like Milwaukee. I got a great result.”

Trump added he’ll announce a rally in Green Bay soon, potentially the day before a Green Bay Packers game. He also hinted at a third event that would be similar to the press conference format of the Tuesday night event in Milwaukee, which was ultimately closed to the public. 

Why candidates are campaigning in Wisconsin so much

Veteran political reporter Craig Gilbert explains why the presidential candidates are campaigning in the state so often.

Hope Karnopp of the Journal Sentinel contributed.

Jessie Opoien can be reached at jessie.opoien@jrn.com.

DETROIT (FOX 2) – Police say a Metro Detroit woman did everything she could to escape her violently abusive ex-boyfriend, but he wasn’t accepting her refusal.

“He dragged her to his car, stuffed her in the back; you could see in the video he handcuffed her, he had the child locks on, and he put tape over her eyes,” said Detroit Police Assistant Chief Charles Fitzgerald.

Kevin Thompson II drove 60 miles south to his Toledo home, where he raped his ex-girlfriend and held her captive.

“You’re talking about 18-19 hours that we didn’t know where she was,” Fitzgerald said.

Investigators say there were plenty of indicators that Thompson was a very violent man.

“He had a little to-go bag; it had duct tape, two sets of handcuffs, brass knuckles, a Taser,” Fitzgerald said. “Right from the start, this was his intention.”

Police say Thompson planned and plotted — he allegedly stalked his ex, waiting for her to finish work last weekend in downtown Detroit when he attacked.

He was trying to re-enter her life, and she made it clear she wanted nothing to do with him.

In June, he allegedly assaulted her in public. That was the final straw for her, but for him, it wasn’t over — Detroit Police Assistant Chief Charles Fitzgerald outlines a timeline of violent harassment.

“He got into her building, knocked on her door, ran down the stairs, and hid,” Fitzgerald said. “When she sort of came out, he chased after her.”

Then, a day later, last month — Thompson allegedly broke into her car, worked his way into her trunk, and crawled out while she was driving on the Lodge. He managed to escape.

In a final act of desperation, investigators say he kidnapped and raped her but told police a different story.

“His lead-on was that he was going to take her home once it was done, and I just don’t buy that,” Fitzgerald said.

When she didn’t show up for a CPL class — the next day, last Saturday — Detroit police were called in.

“From the time we were notified to the time she was in custody, it was about 4.5 hours,” he said.

It didn’t take long for Detroit police to track down Thompson at his Toledo home, where police there and the FBI assisted in the arrest. He was casually leaving his house to get food when he was apprehended.

The victim, his ex-girlfriend inside, was rescued but emotionally traumatized.

“She is doing as well as she can be at this point,” Fitzgerald said.

Thompson is being held on a substantial bond in Ohio — $750,000. Investigators with the Detroit Police Department are seeking to add federal charges for kidnapping his ex and taking her across state lines.

MILWAUKEE — Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley laid out the plans for the recommended 2025 Milwaukee County budget, with a focus on “financial sustainability” to the tune of almost $1.4 billion dollars.

In the address on Tuesday, October 1, Crowley explained that residents would see a 2.8% property tax levy increase for a total of $8.2 million, and that this increase would be lower than the 2020 levels while maintaining key services to residents and without a hiring freeze to county employees. It would also include a 2% raise for county employees and direct $1.5 million toward compensation study adjustments for staff.

The recommended budget also includes $13 million in tax levy support for the Office of the Sheriff, the Community Reintegration Center, and Court Operations, representing an 11% tax levy funding boost. “These are investments across the entire public safety continuum to help us address rising overtime costs, enhance recruitment and retention, and maintain staffing in the courts and judicial facilities through the addition of 11 new full-time positions”, said Crowley.

He clarified that state law requires that the county carry out these mandated services, with the goal to continue working with law enforcement, the state, and federal partners to identify other revenue sources to keep up with the mandates.

Federal American Rescue Plan Act funding would be directed to the Milwaukee County Transit System, resulting in over $10 million to “maintain current route service levels, it will help us replace our aging bus fleet, and ensure that transit security remains throughout the MCTS,” said Crowley. He noted that the current ARPA funding will be spent down by 2027, and will result in MCTS facing a “fiscal cliff” that will need to be addressed sooner rather than later.

The Milwaukee County Parks would also receive $2.3 million in the recommended budget for park operations, including 10 new full-time positions to “support the increased recreational activity and business services that are taking place at these community assets, which help to generate revenue for our park programming,” said Crowley. The proposal would include $11 million for five capital projects across the park system that would include trail and amenity improvements for a better experience for residents.

The 2025 recommended Capital Budget includes $110 million for 54 projects in the county, with the biggest focus being a $6 million investment for the continued planning a new courthouse complex facility for the courts and other state-mandated services. This would be part of a multi-year project to create a functional and safe building to address the everyone who uses the facility.

“By 2028, Milwaukee County’s structural deficit was estimated to reach a total of $109 million,” said Crowley. “And at the same time, state-mandated services were and are still projected to continue growing and consuming more of Milwaukee County’s local tax levy. If nothing had changed, I would be standing here presenting a budget that includes massive cuts to programs and services that so many people rely on every single day.”

Crowley credits partnering with Governor Evers and the Wisconsin State Legislature on passing the bipartisan Wisconsin Act 12 “to reform the state’s local revenue sharing structure for the first time in over two decades… that allowed Milwaukee County to address a looming pension crisis with historic reforms, generate millions annually in new sales tax revenue, and secure additional shared revenue payments that will grow with economic activity.”

The full 2025 recommended budget is on the Milwaukee County Budget website. The Milwaukee County Board will review all of the recommendations in the budget proposal, with the goal to finalize the budget on November 7.