In a rally held in Wisconsin, former President Donald Trump intensified his rhetoric ahead of a pivotal debate with Vice President Kamala Harris, warning that he would prosecute those he claims were involved in election fraud if he wins in 2024. Trump, who has frequently attacked the integrity of elections despite no evidence of widespread fraud, promised severe penalties for those engaged in “unscrupulous behavior.” He also reiterated his plans to “drain the swamp” and overhaul the Justice Department, accusing it of persecuting Republicans under the Biden-Harris administration. Trump’s comments come just days before his first and likely only debate against Harris, who is the Democratic nominee after President Biden withdrew from the race. While Harris has focused on debate preparation, Trump has continued campaigning and rallying his base with familiar grievances, including indictments and border security. Both candidates have made frequent stops in Wisconsin, a key battleground state, as they vie for voters ahead of the election.
QUICK READ
- Trump escalates rhetoric: At a Wisconsin rally, former President Donald Trump threatened to prosecute those he claims were involved in election fraud if he wins in 2024.
- Election fraud claims: Trump reiterated unfounded claims of widespread voter fraud, promising severe penalties for “unscrupulous behavior” in future elections.
- Focus on debate: The rally comes ahead of Trump’s first and likely only debate with Vice President Kamala Harris, who is now the Democratic nominee after President Biden’s withdrawal.
- Promises to “drain the swamp”: Trump vowed to overhaul the Justice Department and “cast out the corrupt political class” if reelected.
- Harris prepares for debate: While Trump continues his rallies, Harris has been focusing on debate preparation in Pittsburgh, aiming to present a united message.
- Key battleground: Both candidates have focused heavily on Wisconsin, a crucial swing state in past elections, with polls showing a close race between Trump and Harris.
- Base support: Trump rallied in Mosinee, Wisconsin, where he criticized the Biden-Harris administration’s policies, particularly on immigration, and appealed to his core supporters.
Trump threatens to jail adversaries ahead of key debate with Harris
NEWSLOOKS- MOSINEE, Wis. (AP) —
With just days to go before his first and likely only debate against Vice President Kamala Harris, former President Donald Trump ratcheted up his incendiary rhetoric, issuing a stern warning on his social media site, threatening to jail those he claims are involved in “unscrupulous behavior” in the upcoming election. Trump’s post, late Saturday, added to a growing list of inflammatory statements he has made in the lead-up to the debate.
“WHEN I WIN, those people that CHEATED will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the Law, which will include long-term prison sentences so that this Depravity of Justice does not happen again,” Trump wrote, casting doubt on the integrity of the election process — a tactic he used repeatedly during and after the 2020 election. Despite evidence showing that widespread voter fraud is extremely rare, Trump continued, “Please beware, that this legal exposure extends to Lawyers, Political Operatives, Donors, Illegal Voters, & Corrupt Election Officials. Those involved in unscrupulous behavior will be sought out, caught, and prosecuted at levels, unfortunately, never seen before in our Country.”
The post marks Trump’s latest threat to use the powers of the presidency to exact retribution if he wins a second term. There is no evidence to support his claims of widespread voter fraud, and dozens of courts, Republican state officials, and even members of his own administration have affirmed that the 2020 election was fair and free from significant interference. Ironically, just days ago, Trump admitted in a podcast interview that he had “lost by a whisker” in the 2020 election, a rare acknowledgment amid his ongoing insistence that the race was rigged.
Focus Shifts Away From Key Issues
As his campaign edges toward the finish line, Trump has struggled to stick to a cohesive message. His campaign aides and advisors have repeatedly urged him to focus on Harris and make the election a referendum on issues like inflation, crime, and border security. However, Trump has veered off course in recent days, choosing instead to dwell on his legal battles and revive past allegations of sexual misconduct.
On Friday, Trump delivered a shocking statement to the press in which he described several allegations of sexual misconduct in graphic detail while denying the claims. The attention on his legal woes escalated after he voluntarily appeared in court earlier in the week for an appeal hearing related to a decision that found him liable for sexual abuse.
On Saturday, Trump campaigned in one of Wisconsin’s most deeply Republican areas, returning to familiar grievances about his indictments and reviving claims that the Department of Justice is politically motivated.
“The Harris-Biden DOJ is trying to throw me in jail — they want me in jail — for the crime of exposing their corruption,” Trump told a rally at Central Wisconsin Airport. He spoke behind bulletproof glass, an increased security measure following an assassination attempt in July. Trump repeated baseless claims that President Joe Biden and Harris have influenced the Department of Justice’s decisions, despite no evidence to support the allegation.
Diverging Debate Preparations
While Trump has avoided traditional debate preparation and chosen to hold rallies and public events, Harris has been focused on honing her debate performance. Since Thursday, she has been cloistered in a historic Pittsburgh hotel with her advisors in preparation for the high-stakes debate, which will be hosted by ABC. So far, Harris has agreed to participate in only one debate.
At his Wisconsin rally, Trump leaned heavily on his 2016 campaign rhetoric of “draining the swamp,” positioning himself as an outsider who would challenge the entrenched political establishment. Though he spent four years in the White House, Trump vowed to once again cast out the “corrupt political class” if he is reelected and to “cut the fat out of our government for the first time, meaningfully, in 60 years.”
A key element of his proposed government overhaul is the creation of a new “Government Efficiency Commission,” which would be led by billionaire Elon Musk. The commission would be tasked with conducting a full audit of the federal government to eliminate waste and inefficiency, according to Trump.
Trump also pledged to pardon individuals whom he described as “political prisoners” who had been “unjustly” imprisoned under the Biden administration, referring to those convicted for their involvement in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot. He reiterated his promise to sign these pardons on his first day back in office.
Harris Campaign Responds
Harris’s campaign swiftly responded to Trump’s fiery rhetoric, warning that if he is reelected, Trump will use the office of the presidency to exact revenge on his political enemies and undermine democracy. “Donald Trump is making it clear that he would use his unchecked power to prosecute his enemies and pardon insurrectionists who violently attacked our Capitol on January 6,” said Sarafina Chitika, Harris’s campaign spokesperson.
Both Harris and Trump have frequented Wisconsin throughout the campaign season, recognizing the state’s importance as a battleground. Wisconsin has been one of the most hotly contested states in recent elections, with four of the past six presidential races decided by less than a percentage point. Polls show a close race between Harris and Trump, especially following Biden’s decision to withdraw from the race.
Trump’s stop in Mosinee, a deeply Republican part of the state, underscored his reliance on rural areas to secure votes. Meanwhile, Harris has focused her efforts on urban centers like Milwaukee and Madison, where Democrats tend to have the advantage.
Rally and Debate Showdown
Trump’s speech in Wisconsin was filled with familiar attacks on Harris. He used dark and foreboding language, claiming that if Harris is elected, the U.S. would become a “full-blown Banana Republic ruled by anarchy.” He also attacked the Biden administration’s immigration policies, calling them “suicidal” and accusing Democrats of importing criminals into the country. Studies have consistently shown that immigrants, including those in the U.S. illegally, are less likely to commit crimes than native-born citizens.
Trump dismissed recent warnings from U.S. officials about ongoing Russian efforts to interfere in the 2024 election through disinformation campaigns. He ridiculed the Justice Department’s warning, saying, “The whole world laughed at it this time.”
The rally drew supporters from across the state and beyond. Among those in attendance was Sean Moon, a Tennessee musician who performs pro-Trump rap music under the name “King Bullethead.” Moon compared Trump rallies to rock concerts and said that Trump resonates with his base because he represents “the normal person.”
As the final days before the debate wind down, both campaigns are gearing up for a crucial moment that could define the race. Harris is focused on delivering a unifying message, while Trump continues to rally his base with promises of retribution and a return to his vision of America. With Wisconsin as a critical battleground, both candidates know that their success in the state could be key to their victory in the 2024 election.
