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Wisconsin Brewery Owner Enters Governor’s Race Amid Controversial Trump Post
Kirk Bangstad, the Wisconsin brewery owner who sparked national outrage with a social media post about “free beer day” following an alleged assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump, is now seeking 2,000 signatures to qualify for the state’s gubernatorial race.
Bangstad has warned the Democratic Party that attempts to silence him would only strengthen his campaign. “I will win the primary if they don’t let me speak: I guarantee you that,” Bangstad told WISN 12 News when asked about speaking at the upcoming state Democratic convention.
The controversy began on April 12 when Bangstad’s Minocqua Brewing Company posted on Facebook: “Well, we almost got #freebeerday. Either a brother or sister in the Resistance needs to work on their marksmanship or he faked another assassination to get a positive news cycle. We’ll never know. Regardless, we stand at the ready to pour free beer the day it happens.”
The post came minutes after a security incident at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner. The comments drew immediate backlash and prompted a visit from the U.S. Secret Service and FBI, who conducted a voluntary interview with Bangstad.
Bangstad maintains the post was satirical commentary, not an incitement to violence. “It was satire. I meant it as satire. I’ve said that all along and it was taken out of context in order to create a feeding frenzy by the media, which it did, and allow Republicans to paint Democrats as politically violent,” he told local media.
The controversy appears to have accelerated Bangstad’s political ambitions. His brewery has long embraced progressive politics, selling anti-Trump merchandise and promoting liberal causes. The business has even sold shirts reading “I wish it was free beer day” in the aftermath of the controversy.
Despite facing criticism from both Republicans and Democrats, Bangstad claims the publicity has been beneficial for his campaign fundraising, though he declined to specify exact amounts. He points to his significant social media following as evidence of his potential electoral strength.
“I’ve got 250,000 followers on Facebook and 170,000 subscribers to our Substack page,” Bangstad said. “Most of those people are progressives and a lot of those are progressives who live in Wisconsin, so I would think I have the best name recognition in the state of Wisconsin right now.”
The brewery owner threatened to speak outside the Wisconsin Democratic convention on June 13-14 if party officials try to prevent him from addressing attendees. “If they restrict my speech as a fellow Democrat, they are going to do so much harm to their appearance, and they’re going to do so much harm to other candidates,” he warned.
Wisconsin Republicans have seized on the controversy to criticize Democratic candidates with past ties to Bangstad. Michael Alfonso, a GOP congressional candidate, noted Bangstad’s connections to current Democratic gubernatorial frontrunner Francesca Hong and congressional candidate Rebecca Cooke, who previously worked for Bangstad.
Cooke’s campaign issued a statement condemning political violence but did not mention Bangstad by name, drawing criticism from the National Republican Congressional Committee.
Bangstad previously ran unsuccessfully for Wisconsin’s 34th Assembly District in 2020 and founded a super PAC targeting Trump and Republicans. He also filed a lawsuit to keep Trump off Wisconsin’s 2024 ballot.
The Wisconsin gubernatorial primary is scheduled for August 11, with candidates required to submit their nomination signatures by June 1.
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5 Comments
The candidate’s comments were in poor taste and crossed a line. Even in jest, making light of an alleged assassination attempt is not appropriate. I hope they will apologize and recommit to running a responsible campaign.
Exactly, this type of rhetoric only serves to further polarize and divide. The candidate should focus on uniting voters around solutions, not inflaming tensions.
As a voter, I’m concerned to see a political candidate make such inflammatory remarks. While free speech is important, calls for violence undermine the democratic process. I hope the candidate will reflect on this and change their approach.
This is a concerning situation. While political rhetoric can run high, calling for violence or the death of political figures is unacceptable. I hope the candidate will denounce these remarks and focus on substantive policy discussions.
I agree, crossing the line into calls for harm is deeply troubling. Voters deserve a thoughtful, civil campaign focused on the real issues facing Wisconsin.