Trump Vows to Restore Free Speech, Labels ‘Fake News’ a ‘Threat to the Country’ at Wisconsin Rally

Trump Promises to Defend Free Speech at Wisconsin Rally, Criticizes Media and Border Policies

Former President Donald Trump pledged on Saturday to restore free speech in America, claiming it is under attack.

Speaking to a crowd of 15,000 at a rally in Mosinee, Wisconsin, Trump arrived in his private jet, Boeing 757, famously dubbed “Trump Force One.”

“They’ve taken away your free speech, and the fake news threat is a threat to this country,” said Trump, the Republican presidential candidate, addressing his supporters at Central Wisconsin Airport.

Although Trump did not directly reference specific media outlets, his remarks came shortly after New York Times publisher A.G. Sulzberger published a critical op-ed in the Washington Post.

In the article, Sulzberger accused Trump of orchestrating a sustained campaign to undermine the press. He warned that Trump’s anti-media tactics would likely continue if he wins the presidency in November.

Trump, in his speech, reiterated his frustration with media coverage. “When you’re a politician… and you happen to be a Republican or somewhat conservative, they write just the opposite of the facts,” he stated. He argued that biased reporting has eroded public trust in journalism.

The former president vowed that if re-elected, he would sign an executive order banning any federal employee from working to limit free speech and dismiss any bureaucrats who engaged in censorship under the current administration.

He specifically criticised the policies of Vice President Kamala Harris, with whom he will face off in the upcoming presidential debate.

Trump blamed Harris for loose border policies that he said have fueled a migrant crisis, spiking crime, and placing a financial burden on taxpayers.

This marked Trump’s fourth visit to Wisconsin during his campaign but his first to the rural, strongly Republican area of the battleground state.

Harris, like Trump, has been making frequent stops in Wisconsin, as both campaigns focus on securing key votes. In recent elections, Wisconsin has been a fiercely contested state, with four of the last six presidential races decided by less than a percentage point.

Trump won the state by nearly 23,000 votes in 2016, while President Joe Biden flipped it in 2020 by just under 21,000.

Polls since Biden’s July announcement that he would not seek re-election show Trump and Harris in a tight race in the state.

Democrats focus heavily on Wisconsin as part of their crucial “blue wall” strategy for the 2024 election.