Trump talks border, Hurricane Helene response at Dodge County rally

Less than one month away from the presidential election in November, former President Donald Trump lashed out against the federal government’s response to Hurricane Helene during a lengthy campaign rally in Dodge County Sunday afternoon. 

It was Trump’s second trip to Wisconsin in less than a week. Similar to his other rallies, he touched on a wide range of topics — including the economy, inflation and the U.S.-Mexico border — during a nearly two hour speech at the Dodge County Airport in Juneau. 

“This country is in big trouble. We’re a failing nation,” Trump said during his speech. “We’re a nation in decline, we’re a nation in distress and we’re going to get it fixed very quickly.”   

Similar to his stop in Dane County Tuesday, he spent much of his time criticizing Vice President Kamala Harris. He said President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris’ response to the devastation left behind by Hurricane Helene has been the “worst response” to a disaster in the history of the nation.

“As our citizens are suffering from a catastrophic hurricane — I mean, this hurricane has been a bad one — Kamala Harris has left them stranded,” Trump said during the rally. 

However, a Saturday statement from the White House outlined the several ways the federal government has offered assistance to those impacted by the storm. 

“More than 6,400 Federal personnel are on the ground, and more than $110 million in Federal assistance has been given to survivors, with more to come,” the statement said. 

A statement from U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., also called out “political posturing” in the wake of the storm, the death toll from which has risen to 227 people.

“The last thing that the victims of Helene need right now is political posturing, finger-pointing, or conspiracy theories that only hurt the response effort,” Tillis said in the statement. 

Trump also claimed during the visit that the federal government, through the Federal Emergency Management Agency, is only handing out $750 to those impacted by the storm. But the White House statement said that’s just one form of financial assistance available. 

“In addition, survivors may qualify for more FEMA financial assistance, including to repair storm-related damage to homes and property, find a temporary place to stay, and receive compensation for lost crops and livestock,” the statement said. 

The visit comes one day after Trump delivered remarks in Butler, Pennsylvania, at the site of the assassination attempt against him in July. Trump called that rally an “unbelievable evening.” 

Trump also spoke at length about the U.S.-Mexico border, claiming he would close the border on his first day in office if elected in November. 

“With your vote in this election we can seal our borders, we can reclaim our sovereignty, stop inflation, raise your incomes, rebuild our devastated communities and launch a new golden age of American prosperity and pride,” Trump said during the rally Sunday. 

Trump also spoke about the integrity of elections in America, even as his repeated claims about the election in 2020 have been debunked. President Joe Biden beat Trump by about 20,000 votes in Wisconsin four years ago.

Unlike Dane County, Dodge County is a Republican stronghold — Trump got 64 percent of the vote in Dodge County in the 2020 election, up from 61 percent in the 2016 election. 

Before he took the stage, Republican Party of Wisconsin chair Brian Schimming encouraged the crowd to get to the polls on Nov. 5.

“We’re going to save America. You and I, we’re in this together,” Schimming said. “And if we work together, in the next 30 days, to save America, Donald Trump is going to be the next president of the United States of America.” 

The latest NPR/PBS News/Marist Poll showed Harris leading Trump nationally by 2 points among likely voters.  A new Marquette University Law School poll showed Harris has a 4-point lead over Trump among registered voters in Wisconsin. 

Harris spoke to more than 1,000 people at Ripon College on Thursday. Republican former Congresswoman Liz Cheney appeared with Harris during that visit. 

During a call with reporters before Trump’s visit Sunday, former Brown County Republican Party Chair Mark Becker spoke out against the former president. 

“He (Trump) does not represent conservative values,” Becker said. “He does not represent rural values, and that’s why, my friends here in Wisconsin, we’re all going to reject him and his extremism this fall.” 

Becker, who is endorsing Harris, said another Trump presidency would create more division across the nation. 

“However, Kamala Harris is offering something different, a new way forward,” Becker said. “She is turning the page on the disastrous Trump era.” 

In response to the visit, Wisconsin Democratic Coordinated Campaign Rapid Response Director Kristi Johnston said in a statement that when Trump comes to Wisconsin, “voters see that he’s not looking out for them — he’s just looking out for himself.”