Republican VP candidate JD Vance to speak to Milwaukee Police Association

MILWAUKEE (WLS) — Republican Vice Presidential candidate JD Vance is campaigning Friday in Milwaukee.

Sen. Vance is delivering his remarks to the Milwaukee Police Association, and is, appropriately, expected to focus on law enforcement, with the Republican campaign set on continuing to paint Democratic-led cities as violent, dangerous places to live.

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The event itself is closed to the public, with only about 60 people in attendance inside the police hall, including law enforcement and their families and a handful of public officials.

This is Vance’s second visit to Wisconsin this month.

The Republican vice presidential candidate was in Eau Claire on Aug. 7.

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Wisconsin is one of the key battleground states that both parties will be heavily courting over the next three months.

And, in fact, Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate, Gov. Tim Walz, are scheduled to be in Milwaukee on Tuesday, as they make their way to Chicago for the Democratic National Convention.

The president of the Milwaukee Police Association said the Trump campaign reached out to them about two weeks ago, saying they were looking forward to hearing their concerns, which, much like those of CPD, surround retention and recruitment issues, at a time when the city is still coming down from its COVID-era highs, as it relates to crime.

“We want to know that we’re being supported, and, that obviously, back the blue, that people have our backs, because we are the ones that have the community’s back, you know,” Alexander Ayala said. “Know that police work, by its nature, is not always pretty, but it’s necessary, and people that hurt the most are the community when they don’t have enough police to answer those calls.”

Milwaukee police will have a role to play during the DNC next week.

The police association president said a contingent of around 100 of their officers will be heading down to Chicago help out, as needed.