Bolton: Yep, Trump’s Trade War Hurt Wisconsin Farmers

But he said tariffs with China helped in other areas. Plus more Wisconsin headlines.

President Donald Trump’s former National Security Advisor John Bolton told a Wisconsin audience that the administration’s trade wars have caused disproportionate harm to the state’s farmers as compared to its impact on the nation’s trade deficit, according to a report from WisPolitics.

Bolton spoke at a virtual event organized by the Wausau-based Wisconsin Institute for Public Policy and Service. He was originally scheduled to deliver remarks in person in April prior to the coronavirus outbreak.

“I think that the resort to tariffs in the Trump administration has been excessive and kind of arbitrary. In many respects I think the farmers in Wisconsin, particularly the dairy farmers, were heavily affected by the disputes that we had with Canada,” Bolton said. He said despite that harm, the tariffs were needed to strengthen the US hand in other areas such as intellectual property theft.

Prior to the event, he answered questions from the Wausau Daily Herald and said the administration’s inadequate response to the coronavirus outbreak may inspire or embolden enemies in the future to plan a biological attack.

More News from Around Wisconsin

‘Mayor Pete’ Stumps for Biden in Green Bay – Former Democratic presidential candidate and South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg stopped by Hinterland Brewery to talk with Green Bay Mayor Eric Genrich and area small business owners about why he’s advocating for Biden, according to a report in the Green Bay Press Gazette.

In a video posted on Buttigieg’s Facebook page, he drew parallels between Green Bay and South Bend, and contrasted President Donal Trump’s perspective on the economy versus Midwesterners’. 

“We’ve got a president right now that says if the wealthiest people are doing well on the stock market, that’s a good economy. But when you’re mayor, doing the blocking and tackling, working with small businesses, reviving neighborhoods, you know that a good economy is when people are getting by better,” Buttigieg said. “I strongly believe we need better federal leadership to make sure that mayors like (Genrich) and communities like this are getting the support that they deserve.”

Buttigieg’s visit came less than two weeks before a presidential election in which Wisconsin is expected to play a pivotal role. The Green Bay media market is particularly competitive, and both campaigns have flooded the airwaves with ads.

La Crosse GOP Criticizes Facebook for Removing Its Misinformation – The La Crosse County Republican Party is upset with Facebook after a number of its ads and posts were removed for alleged repeated sharing of false information, according to a report in the La Crosse Tribune.

“These actions which restrict free speech strike at the heart of our democracy. Facebook is interfering in our elections and that cannot be tolerated,” the party said in a statement to the media Tuesday.

One post shared a false story from the Federalist that claims the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stated masks are ineffective. Another was a YouTube video that claimed former Vice President Joe Biden wore a wire during his debate with President Trump, which has been debunked. Facebook labeled the CDC story as misinformation and removed the YouTube video. 

COVID19 Forces La Crosse Schools to Delay Reopening – The La Crosse School District decided on Wednesday that it would continue virtual learning through at least Nov. 8 due to the ongoing rise in COVID-19 cases in the community, according to a report from WXOW. 

“Unfortunately, the data and the experts are telling us something we do not want to hear – that at this time, with the conditions in the community, and the risk mitigations strategies available to us, we cannot safely bring back all of our elementary students for in-person learning,” the district wrote in a letter to district parents.