In response to extreme election denier Andrew Iverson being hired to lead the Wisconsin GOP, DNC Rapid Response Director Alex Floyd released the following statement: 

“Donald Trump is filling the ranks of his Republican Party with election-denying extremists who want to threaten our democracy, from the RNC to the Wisconsin GOP. Trump lost Wisconsin in 2020 because of his unpopular MAGA extremism, but he hasn’t learned his lesson – he’s still hiring the same kinds of cranks and conspiracy theorists who oversaw his demise in the state last cycle. The American people rejected Trump and his crew of election-denying lowlifes before, and they’ll reject them again this November.”

NEW: An extreme election denier and former Trump campaign staffer has been hired to lead the Wisconsin GOP.

Associated Press: “Former Trump staffer who said to ‘fan the flame’ after 2020 loss hired to lead Wisconsin GOP” 

“The director of Donald Trump’s 2020 presidential campaign in Wisconsin, who pushed allegations of widespread fraud that were ultimately debunked, has been hired to run the Republican Party of Wisconsin heading into the November election.”

“Iverson told other operatives two days after the election to support claims that Trump had actually won. … Biden defeated Trump by nearly 21,000 votes in Wisconsin in 2020, a result that has withstood independent and partisan audits and reviews, as well as lawsuits and the recounts Trump requested.”

Iverson: “Here’s the drill: Comms is going to continue to fan the flame and get the word out about Democrats trying to steal this election. We’ll do whatever they need (inaudible) help with. Just be on standby in case there’s any stunts we need to pull.”

The Wisconsin GOP continues to face leadership turmoil and legal trouble related to Trump’s fake electors plot in the state.

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: “Republican Party of Wisconsin executive director Mark Jefferson will step down next month, shaking up the state party’s leadership just months before the next presidential election and the party’s national convention in Milwaukee.” 

“Appointed executive director for the second time in early 2019, Jefferson presided over Wisconsin Republicans during some of their more tumultuous times. The party became divided over challenges to the 2020 election. It drew national attention when 10 Wisconsin Republicans, including the party’s chairman, signed false paperwork claiming to be electors for former President Donald Trump. Jefferson at the time privately expressed concerns about the plan.” 

Wisconsin Public Radio: “The former chair of the Wisconsin Republican Party said he feared for his family’s safety when he signed paperwork as a false elector for former president Donald Trump.”

“Hitt was one of 10 false electors who signed documents in 2020 saying that Trump won Wisconsin. The group admitted in a settlement late last year that their actions were used in efforts to overturn the election results.” 

Associated Press: “More than 1,400 pages of emails, text messages and other documents released Monday reveal details of a strategy by Republican operatives tied to then-President Donald Trump to overturn Joe Biden’s 2020 victory in Wisconsin. The documents — settling a civil lawsuit filed against two attorneys and 10 Wisconsin Republicans who posed as fake electors — also allow a deeper look into how the strategy played out in other battleground states.”

Trump is still pushing baseless lies about his loss by over 7 million votes in the 2020 election – including his loss in Wisconsin.

WPR: “One day before his campaign stop in Green Bay, former President Donald Trump continued to push the false claim that he won Wisconsin four years ago — despite a recount, audits and court cases showing he lost to President Joe Biden.”

Associated Press: “[Trump] is flooding the airwaves and his social media platform with distortions, misinformation and unfounded conspiracy theories about his defeat.”

NBC News: “Re-litigating the 2020 election, repeating false claims it was stolen and casting aspersions on the security of mail voting remain major fixtures for [Trump] on the stump. … He regularly refers to the 2020 election as ‘rigged’ on his social media channels.”

New York Times: “Donald J. Trump pressured state and federal government officials to overturn results of the 2020 election in more than 30 phone calls or meetings.”

Associated Press: “Trump, running for the White House for the third time, has signaled that the 2020 election will remain an integral part of his 2024 presidential bid.”

Trump continues to praise and embrace violent January 6 rioters – calling them “hostages” and “patriots” and vowing to pardon “a large portion” of those who attacked our Capitol. 

Associated Press: “Trump is making the Jan. 6 attack a cornerstone of his bid for the White House” 

Semafor: “How Donald Trump learned to love the January 6 prisoner movement”

The Hill: “Trump describes imprisoned Jan. 6 rioters as ‘hostages’”

Washington Post: “Trump vows pardons, government apology to Capitol rioters if elected”

Business Insider: “Then-President Donald Trump didn’t want to specifically call for the Justice Department to prosecute January 6 rioters or forcefully condemn those who stormed the Capitol as unrepresentative of the MAGA movement.”

Washington Post: “No, Trump did not order 10,000 troops to secure the Capitol on Jan. 6”

NBC News: “Former President Donald Trump promised Wednesday night that if he is elected he will pardon a ‘large portion’ of the people convicted of federal offenses for their participation in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.”

​​Washington Post: ​​“Former president Donald Trump on Thursday praised and embraced a woman convicted of defying police orders on the U.S. Capitol grounds on Jan. 6, 2021. … Trump has steadily escalated his advocacy for people charged in the Capitol riot, including by pledging to pardon them if he returns to the White House, praising them as patriots, participating in a recording with Jan. 6 prisoners singing the national anthem, and playing it at his first rally of the 2024 campaign last month.”

Trump: “January 6, it was the largest crowd I’ve ever spoken to. And they were there proud, they were there with love in their heart. That was an unbelievable — and it was a beautiful day.”

NBC News: “Trump spoke at a fundraiser for Jan. 6 defendants”

Trump is promising a “bloodbath” if he loses in November.

NBC News: “Trump says there will be a ‘bloodbath’ if he loses the election”

Politico: “Trump says country faces ‘bloodbath’ if Biden wins in November”

Rolling Stone: “Trump Says There Will Be a ‘Bloodbath’ and Elections Will End if He Isn’t Reelected”

New York Times: “Trump Defends His Warning of a ‘Blood Bath for the Country’”

Michael Whatley was backed by Donald Trump to take over the RNC because of his history of election denial. 

New York Times: “Mr. Trump likes Mr. Whatley for one overwhelming reason, according to people who have discussed him with the former president: He is ‘a stop the steal guy,’ as one of the people described him. He endorses Mr. Trump’s false claims about mass voter fraud … Mr. Whatley has baselessly claimed that election security efforts from Republicans in North Carolina stopped Democrats from cheating.”

CNN: “Likely frontrunner for RNC chair parroted Trump’s 2020 election lies”

CNN: “RNC staffers and new hires asked whether they believe the 2020 election was stolen”

New York Times: “Trump’s Man at the R.N.C. Will Face Pressure to Satisfy His Election Lies”

New York Magazine: “Trump Taps Election Deniers Lara Trump, Michael Whatley to Lead RNC”

Associated Press: “In pushing Michael Whatley as the next leader of the Republican National Committee, Donald Trump zeroed in on the North Carolina GOP chairman’s dedication to ‘election integrity,’ baselessly suggesting he would ensure the 2024 race ‘can’t be stolen.’”

Trump is preparing to bring back his circle of election deniers, conspiracy theorists, and convicted felons to plan this summer’s Republican convention. 

Axios: “Trump eyes convicts and conspiracists for 2024 reunion”

“Sidelined characters from former President Trump’s past campaigns — ‘crazies,’ some of his top advisers call them — are reattaching themselves to his inner circle now that he’s locked up the Republican nomination. … ex-advisers, conspiracy theorists and convicted felons are now knocking on the campaign’s door — and some are getting in.”

The Guardian: “Headache for campaign team as Trump gets the band back together”

New York Times: “Paul Manafort, a top adviser to Donald J. Trump’s 2016 campaign who was pardoned by the former president at the end of his White House term, is in discussions to return to help with the Republican National Convention.”

“Mr. Manafort was found guilty in late August 2018 of a range of financial crimes, including tax and bank fraud.

“In September 2018, Mr. Manafort pleaded guilty to additional charges brought by Mr. Mueller and agreed to cooperate. But as the case proceeded, Mr. Mueller said that Mr. Manafort had not been truthful in his cooperation, breaching that plea deal.”

Washington Post: “Former president Donald Trump is preparing to bring back into his campaign fold a man convicted of multiple crimes and whom a bipartisan Senate report labeled a ‘grave counterintelligence threat’ because of his ties to a Russian spy.”