Elections
Trump speaks to almost 8,000 at La Crosse town hall, taking four questions from audience
La Crosse’s first presidential rally of the fall campaign drew a large audience downtown Thursday night, to hear from former President Donald Trump.
The Trump visit to La Crosse came four months after his Democratic rival, Kamala Harris, spoke in the same building in her role as vice president, before she replaced Joe Biden as her party’s nominee.
Nearly about 7,800 gathered at the La Crosse Center — for some, a standing room only affair — to see the 45th president. Many carried signs with the number 47, to show that he could be the 47th chief executive if he wins in November.
Former member of Congress, Tulsi Gabbard, led the 35-minute program, which covered topics from immigration and terrorism to climate change, IVF and the political positions of opponents Kamala Harris and her VP candidate, Tim Walz.
The format saw Gabbard bring up the first topic on IVF, which was something Trump campaigned on earlier in the day in Michigan.
“I just felt that it would be a good place to announce it,” Trump said. “And we did sort of the announcement there a little bit. And now we do the big announcement tonight in front of all of these television stations, all of the fake news. They’re all over the place. I don’t know what’s going on. We don’t even know, I was saying, because we’re doing this.”
Before that, however, Trump surprised many by admitting he didn’t know it was going to be a town hall.
“I figured I was going to come here and we’re going to make a speech,” Trump said. “I have a speech all set for you. I was ready. [And they said, you’re] doing a town hall. I said, ‘Oh, nobody told me that.’ I said, ‘Who’s doing this? Tulsi?’ I said, ‘Well, that’s at least good news.’
Aside from Gabbard’s two topics, four others from the audience — sitting in the stands adjacent to the stage, by Trump — then asked questions.
While answering one of those question, Trump called Harris a Communist and a Marxist.
“She really is, and this country is not ready for a Marxist,” Trump said. “We don’t want a Marxist as a president. She destroyed San Francisco, she destroyed California, and we’re not gonna let her destroy our country.”
During the question about crime, asked by someone from Minnesota, Trump referred to Harris’ VP nominee Tim Walz, Minnesota’s governor, as weird.
“He is weird, I’m not weird,” Trump said, slapping back on a take that Walz started and has since gone viral. Trump also defended his running mate, Ohio U.S. Sen. JD Vance. “I mean, we’re a lot of things, we’re not weird.”
People attending the Trump rally lined up outside the La Crosse Center several hours before the early evening program. The arena held about 7,000 with the smaller stage off to the side, instead of at the end like a normal concert. About 800 others had to stand, while more outside didn’t get in.
A couple from Tomah, Wis., Shella and Naylor Guy, said they got in line at 4:45 p.m. Wednesday — over 25 hours before Trump was supposed to go on.
Another in attendance, Josh Nichols, came to his first-ever Trump event from Wichita, Kansas — driving almost 10 hours.
Trump arrived at the Center an hour and 15 minutes after the scheduled 6 p.m. start. The campaign said they cut the town hall short because of an incoming storm.
During his Q&A session with Gabbard, Trump spoke about the debate performance that ruined Joe Biden’s campaign, and criticized Democrats for choosing Harris as the new candidate, who had not run in the primaries.
“But they picked a woman that had absolutely no votes,” Trump said. “She got no votes. So when you say ‘A threat to democracy,’ they are a threat to democracy.”
Trump described Harris and Biden as “war mongers” whose actions have increased the possibility of a World War III.
John Q Public
August 30, 2024 at 5:12 am
That 4 more question than the flip flop harris would have taken. Trump 2024
Roy
August 31, 2024 at 1:14 pm
He had to cut the session short on orders from the Secret Service who were looking at the radar. Did you not see the intense thunderstorm that followed? A lady on French Island told me that she heard Trump’s plane leave and lightning and thunder hit 2 minutes later
Tom
August 30, 2024 at 9:23 am
I volunteered at the event beginning at 7:30 and I provided event attendees line control – that is to say, direct people to the end of the line and it kept getting longer and longer and longer to where it grew north along 2nd street, West on State St down to the river sidewalk then headed south on the sidewalk along the river for about 50 yards, then angled back up along the fountain to Front St, then south on the sidewalk on Front St for about 80 yards, the wrap around back (going north) on the same sidewalk to wrap around ONTO Front St going south for about 80 yards then wrap around again going north on Front St. Wheww. I estimate 3000 people in line did not get in.
Melissa
August 30, 2024 at 2:40 pm
They stopped the line for a long time as I was in the barricade up front. I think we were one of the last to get inside for standing room only. We got really lucky. I was at the end of that line your describing around 3:30.
nick
August 30, 2024 at 9:33 am
Harris interviews own CNN with her running mate hosted by an avowed Trump hater. What a sham!!!!!
Trump and Harris are about as it can get for candidates; at least Trump had to run in primaries.
I sincerely doubt Harris is a communist but she is on the far left; just look at who she picked. The anti semitic left of the Democratic Party nixed Shapiro of Pennsylvania.
walden
August 30, 2024 at 1:48 pm
She is I think best described as a cultural Marxist.
My takeaway from the CNN masquerade is that Harris is a terrible liar. She looked and spoke like she brought her father to a job interview; giving the appearance of an unserious schoolgirl fighting off bursting into laughter at any moment at the ridiculousness of it all. Totally lacking of gravitas.
Note the performance shown on CNN was pre-taped and edited; we are only seeing the parts they want us to see.
Michele Schulze
August 30, 2024 at 3:54 pm
At about 35:50 minutes into the Town Hall last night in La Crosse, WI., abortion is brought up, specifically the ability for MN women to abort up until birth.
Channel 8 LaCrosse, Allyson Fergot, falsely reported DJT as saying babies can be executed days following birth.
Channel 8 management should apologize publicly, on air,for their harmful and negligent mistrust.
jean pope
August 30, 2024 at 9:11 pm
Both of Kamala’s parents were professors and Marxists. She was totally brain washed her entire youth.Read some of the conservative newspapers, listen to the radio (Dan Bonjino, Sean Hannity, Mark Levin, especially Fox News, Greg Gutfeldt). It’s almost like there are two American countries instead of one USA. GO TRUMP!!!
George Miles
August 31, 2024 at 8:20 am
The Center holds 7500, and looking at picture that showed the seating above floor it was loosely full which mean he did not fill it to capacity, so this article is exaggerating a bit. Trumps audition for the role of Anti-Christ for reality TV, seems to be loosing interest when he can’t A small town convention center with a capacity of 7500.
George
August 31, 2024 at 8:23 am
The Center holds 7500, and looking at picture that showed the seating above floor it was loosely full which mean he did not fill it to capacity, so this article is exaggerating a bit. Trumps audition for the role of Anti-Christ for reality TV, seems to be loosing interest when he can’t A small town convention center with a capacity of 7500. Maybe some left because of Trump being over an hour late.