Uncommon Knowledge
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Wisconsin
Wisconsin Republicans react to Donald Trump calling Milwaukee “horrible”
Wisconsin Republicans reacted to former President Donald Trump reportedly calling Milwaukee “a horrible city” during a closed-door meeting on Thursday.
Trump visited the U.S. Capitol for the first time since his supporters sieged the building on January 6, 2021, in a failed attempt to halt certification of President Joe Biden’s victory. The ex-president met with GOP lawmakers as a precursor to the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee—set for July 15 to July 18—where Trump is expected to be chosen as the party’s nominee.
Jake Sherman, founder of Punchbowl News who covers the Hill, reported on X, formerly Twitter, that Trump told House Republicans on Thursday, “Milwaukee, where we are having our convention, is a horrible city.”
Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung responded to Sherman’s reporting to X on Thursday, writing, “Wrong. Total bull****. He never said it like how it’s been falsely characterized as. He was talking about how terrible crime and voter fraud are.”
Newsweek reached out to Cheung via email for comment on Thursday.
Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
House Republicans from Wisconsin defended Trump but shared different interpretations of the former president’s comment.
“Another classic example of s****y reporting by a Democratic Party shill pretending to be a journalist. Lies busy omission. @realDonaldTrump was specifically referring to the crime the CRIME RATE in Milwaukee,” Representative Derrick Van Orden wrote on X.
Van Orden included a photo of a Spectrum News article titled, “Milwaukee ranks third for violent crimes nationwide,” from May 2023.
Sherman shared an April article from Wisconsin Public Radio titled, “Homicides in Milwaukee down nearly 50 percent compared to 2 years ago.”
Some said that Trump was referring to election integrity. After Trump lost to Biden in 2020, he claimed that the election was rigged against him. Biden won Wisconsin by a slim 0.7 percent margin, and there is no evidence to suggest there was election fraud in Wisconsin or any widespread fraud in 2020.
Representative Scott Fitzgerald told Matt Smith, political director of WISN, a Milwaukee ABC affiliate, that Trump’s comment was delivered after a question posed to him about election integrity: “What he was talking about was the elections in Milwaukee. They’re concerned about them.”
Lawrence Andrea, Washington correspondent for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, said on X that Representative Glenn Grothman told him that Trump was “concerned about the election in MKE” and “felt we need to do better in urban centers around the country.”
Representative Bryan Steil said on X: “I was in the room. President Trump did not say this. There is no better place than Wisconsin in July.”
Steil told Smith, “He wasn’t talking about the city. He was talking about specific issues in the city,” before the congressman listed issues such as crime and the public school system but would not say which issues Trump mentioned, according to the clip Smith shared on X.
Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson, a Democrat, told reporters on Thursday, “Donald Trump wants to talk about things that he thinks are horrible, all of us lived through his presidency, so right back at ya, buddy.”
Johnson called Trump “unhinged” for making the comment and said he was “wrong” about Milwaukee.
Biden seized the chance to score some points with Wisconsinites, posting to X on Thursday, “I happen to love Milwaukee,” to which Johnson replied, “Milwaukee loves you back, President Joe Biden!”
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Wisconsin
Cult-classic filmed in central Wisconsin returns to big screen, with enhancements, this weekend
STEVENS POINT, Wis. (WSAW) – A giant spider isn’t actually invading central Wisconsin this weekend.
But an enhanced, big-screen version of the cult-classic 1975 film The Giant Spider Invasion is crawling back into local theaters — and it’s bringing some central Wisconsin nostalgia with it.
The movie was famously filmed in Merrill and Stevens Point, and the updated 2026 release adds enhancements designed for a modern theatrical experience.
What’s new in the 2026 enhanced version?
Executive Producer J.B. Thompson says the team took the original 1975 film and enhanced it for the big screen in 2026, giving audiences a refreshed way to experience a movie that’s long been a Wisconsin oddity — and a point of pride.
Actor and Producer Dan Davies is featured in newly filmed scenes created specifically for this updated release.
Stevens Point’s role in the original film
While much of the film is associated with Merrill, Stevens Point Mayor Mike Wiza says Point also played a major role in the production — another reason the film’s return matters to local history buffs and movie fans alike.
Why does this movie still capture attention 50 years later?
Whether it’s the over-the-top creature feature story, the uniquely Wisconsin filming locations, or the nostalgia of seeing familiar places on screen, the group says the film’s staying power is real — even five decades later.
Screenings this weekend
The enhanced version of The Giant Spider Invasion is set for local screenings this weekend in Central and North Central Wisconsin. To purchase tickets for showings in Stevens Point, Marshfield or Waupaca, click here.
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Copyright 2026 WSAW. All rights reserved.
A Wisconsin man has been arrested in Colorado in connection with a fatal north suburban hit-and-run earlier this year that left a 50-year-old woman killed.
According to the Winthrop Harbor Police Department, Travis Kern, 35, of Pleasant Prairie, turned himself into police in Lakewood Colorado on an arrest warrant. Kern was charged with two felonies, police said, and remains in custody in Colorado pending extradition proceedings.
About 11:10 p.m. on February 26, a pedestrian was struck in the 1400 block of Sheridan Road in Winthrop Harbor by a driver of a vehicle heading northbound. The vehicle then fled the scene, police said.
The pedestrian, later identified as Shanna White, 50, of Waukegan, was transported to a nearby hospital where she was pronounced dead.
According to court documents, Kern’s next scheduled court date is set for July 22.
WHITEWATER, Wis. (WMTV) – The Kids from Wisconsin troupe is kicking off its 56th annual tour this week.
Kids from Wisconsin is a traveling show with 22 singer-dancers and 14 band members. The troupe performs across Wisconsin, hosting workshops for kids and helping fundraise for youth arts programs.
This year’s theme is “America’s Soundtrack: The Pulse of a Nation.” The theme honors the 250th anniversary of America and features music by all-American composers, bands and performers.
Kids from Wisconsin bassist and student leader Alex Coller said that range is what makes this year’s tour stand out.
“The theme is really just celebrating American music. And I think it’s definitely one of the most cohesive and like diverse shows I have played with this organization,” Coller said. “Even though its just American music it’s really cool to see. Anyone no matter who you are, or what your musical background is, or whether you like music or not, there is something here for everyone to enjoy.”
Kids from Wisconsin’s artistic and choral director, Taras Nahirniak, said audiences won’t want to miss it.
“Find a show near you, you are not going to want to miss this show. It’s just spectacular, the kids are so talented,” Nahirniak said. “We are just finishing up our camp right now, and they are just working their tails off. To really go around the state and show the state what they have.”
The tour premieres Thursday night at Young Auditorium in Whitewater. For tickets, tour dates or to find a show, visit kidsfromwi.org.
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Copyright 2026 WMTV. All rights reserved.
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