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Trump Reveals What He Really(Maybe) Said About Milwaukee

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Trump Reveals What He Really(Maybe) Said About Milwaukee


Donald Trump appeared on Fox News Thursday in an attempt to clarify comments he reportedly made about Milwaukee in a closed-door meeting with Republican members of Congress on Capitol Hill earlier that day.

During the controversial appearance—Trump’s first since his supporters took over the Capitol complex on Jan. 6, 2021—the former president is said to have called Milwaukee, who will host this summer’s Republican National Convention, a “horrible city.” The comments were first reported by Punchbowl News’ Jake Sherman.

The subsequent fallout saw Wisconsin Republican members of Congress offer differing versions of events, including Rep. Bryan Steil (R-WI), who initially claimed Trump didn’t make the comment at all, but then fell in line with Rep. Glenn Grothman (R-WI) and Rep. Scott Fitzgerald (R-WI), who clarified to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that Trump was discussing the crime rate and election integrity in Milwaukee.

The Wisconsin GOP eventually echoed Trump spokesperson and former Trump administration official Steven Cheung, who described the report as “total bullshit” in an X post. “He never said it like how it’s been falsely characterized as. He was talking about how terrible crime and voter fraud are,” he said.

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However, “Trump absolutely said it—undoubtedly,” Sherman posted in response. “People hear what they want. This is familiar to all who have covered Trump or Trump-adjacent stories for the last 10 or so years.”

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) later told Sean Hannity on Fox News that he “didn’t hear it and I was sitting right next to him.”

Then, appearing on Fox News himself, Trump spoke with reporter Aishah Hasnie, who asked the former president to “nip this in the bud and clarify what you meant.”

Trump retorted that, “It was very clear what I meant. I said, ‘We’re very concerned with crime,’” adding that while he loves Milwaukee and has great friends in the city, “it’s as you know, the crime numbers are terrible. We have to be very careful.”

Trump added he was “referring to also the election, the the ballots, the, the way it went down, it was very bad in Milwaukee. Very, very bad. And the people understand that and they agree with me. Everybody agrees.”

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Trump beat Hillary Clinton, taking the state in 2016 by approximately 22,000 votes. It was downhill from there, with Democrats winning the Wisconsin governorship in 2018, and Biden’s 2020 victory which saw the president 21,000 votes ahead.

Fox News Senior Congressional Correspondent Chad Pergram posted Trump’s entire remarks to Hasnie on X.

Trump continued, labelling Thursday’s story as “a fake story that came out” and began targeting “Democrat-run cities”–just like Milwaukee.

“Milwaukee has a problem with crime, as do most Democrat run cities. Most Democrat-run cities, almost all of them have problems. But they also have a problem with votes. And election integrity. And that’s what we want to make sure we get straight.”



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Milwaukee, WI

Milwaukee Housing Authority short on cash after misuse of $2.8 million in funds

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Milwaukee Housing Authority short on cash after misuse of .8 million in funds


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Milwaukee Housing Authority executives are scrambling to cut costs, after the agency’s new chief financial officer discovered that more than $2.8 million in rental assistance funds were misused by his predecessors.

Between 2019 and 2022, the Housing Authority’s former director of finance improperly pulled restricted federal funds out of the Section 8 rent assistance program to cover cash needs in other divisions of the agency, according to the CFO’s discovery.

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Those transfers were used to cover a number of expenses — including administrative payroll and costs from construction projects that had gone over budget.

As a consequence, the Housing Authority says it is running an average of 45 days behind on paying its expenditures. The agency also has fallen behind on its pension fund contributions, and costs from its development projects currently exceed the amount covered by construction loans.

Now, executives are making major cuts to help “stop the bleeding.” On Thursday, 20 Housing Authority employees were laid off to bring down expenses.

New finance hire solved $3 million mystery

The dramatic discovery — disclosed publicly during a special meeting of the Housing Authority Board of Commissioners on Friday afternoon — solves a mystery that confounded agency leaders, the mayor’s office and federal regulators for nearly two years.

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In April 2023, federal auditors reported finding more than $3 million in “unexplained variances” on the Housing Authority’s bank balance. After nearly two years, the agency’s finance team had failed to reconcile that cash balance.

Brad Leak — who joined the Housing Authority’s finance team in November and was promoted to be its chief financial officer on Jan. 19 — was able to trace that cash within a matter of months.

The revelation also comes after a dramatic leadership shakeup inside the agency.

All but one member of the Housing Authority Board of Commissioners are new appointees, and a slew of top executives have either retired or resigned in recent months — including Willie Hines, the agency’s controversial top executive and Fernando Aniban, the Housing Authority’s second-in-command and former chief financial officer.

Other recent departures include Finance Director Rick Koffarnus, Housing Choice Voucher Program Director Jackie Martinez and Warren Jones, vice president of construction for the Housing Authority’s development arm.

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No evidence employees pocketed funds, more investigation promised

The use of restricted federal funds for unauthorized purposes is “improper and illegal under federal regulation,” Leak said in his address to the board Friday.

But Leak and Acting Secretary-Executive Director Ken Barbeau say they have not found evidence that the funds were pocketed for personal expenses — only that they were improperly transferred within the agency.

A recent forensic audit, which reviewed every financial record within the Section 8 rent assistance program, also did not find any evidence that employees had pocketed agency money.

That forensic audit, however, did not review financial records in other divisions of the Housing Authority — including within its real estate development arm Travaux, Inc.

Now, as these findings come to light, board is discussing the possibility of another forensic audit to examine other parts of the agency, Barbeau said.

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Board chair vows ‘it’s a new day’ for the Housing Authority

Chairperson Charlotte Hayslett, who grew up in public housing and joined the board in November, became emotional as she apologized to residents on behalf of the organization.

“This is an embarrassment,” Hayslett said, adding: “It’s a new day here. I can’t impress upon you enough: It’s a new day here.”

As Hayslett thanked him for immediately coming forward with his findings, Leak wiped away tears.

Hayslett also spoke directly to local nonprofit Common Ground, which has spent the past two years organizing public housing residents and lobbying for reform of the Housing Authority.

“Thank you for that bullhorn,” she said. “Had it not been for you giving voice to the voiceless, people still would’ve been in place doing what they were doing.”

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In a statement Friday, Common Ground leaders called for since-departed executives to be held accountable.

“We smelled smoke,” Common Ground tenants and organizers said. “Here’s the fire.”



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Milwaukee, WI

Amazon has cut $30 off this Milwaukee M18 Drill & Impact Driver Kit — and it comes with 2 M18 battery packs

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Amazon has cut  off this Milwaukee M18 Drill & Impact Driver Kit — and it comes with 2 M18 battery packs


Amazon is offering a rare deal on the Milwaukee M18 Drill & Impact Driver Kit that will save you money on one of the most-popular power tools sets you can buy.

The Milwaukee M18 Drill & Impact Driver Kit is on sale for $245, instead of $275, for a savings of 11% off. But there’s a catch — the better deal on this power tool kit is for non-Prime members.

Milwaukee M18 Drill & Impact Driver Kit

Sale Price: $245, instead of $275

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Prime members can still grab this Milwaukee M18 Power Tool Kit on sale for $259. However, the Prime price includes free one-day delivery, which will get it to you faster. Non-Prime members will have to wait until Feb. 9 for the tool set to arrive.

Included in this Milwaukee Combo Kit is an M18 brushless 1/2-inch drill driver, a M18 brushless 1/4-inch hex impact driver, two M18 REDLITHIUM battery packs, a M18 to M12 multi-voltage battery charger and a contractor bag.

The power tools in this Milwaukee M18 Kit combine brushless durability with an ergonomic design for easy operation. The drill driver and impact driver have a compact footprint to fit in tight spaces and are lightweight to reduce fatigue.

The brushless motors fitted in these M18 power tools allow them to run 50% longer than brushed models, according to Milwaukee. They also have a forward and reverse switch and a variable speed trigger for easy operation.

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An LED light for low-light work is also included, in addition to a belt clip to keep the tools on your person.

Shop for this Milwaukee M18 Drill & Impact Driver Kit deal on Amazon here.

You can also check out more power tool kits on sale from Amazon, including these popular brands:

Find more discounts on power tool kits on Amazon here.

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com.

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Dawn Magyar can be reached at dmagyar@njadvancemedia.com. Have a tip? Tell us at nj.com/tips/.



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Milwaukee, WI

Milwaukee standoff, tactical response; man taken into custody

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Milwaukee standoff, tactical response; man taken into custody


One person is in custody after an hours-long standoff from Milwaukee’s north side on Thursday night, Jan. 30.

Man vs. police

What we know:

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The Milwaukee Police Department said officers had a tactical set-up on a residence near 45th and Hampton. They had said to avoid the area.

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FOX6 News had a crew on the scene and saw a man jump from a second floor window and take off running from officers, attempting to get away. Witnesses said MPD started arriving the scene around 3 p.m.

The man running was ultimately taken into custody.

What we don’t know:

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There is no word on what the man was wanted for. FOX6 reached out to MPD for more information.

This is a breaking story. Check back for updates.

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The Source: FOX6 News was on the scene and got some information from the Milwaukee Police Department.

Crime and Public SafetyMilwaukeeNews



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