MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Wisconsin didn’t exactly embrace Donald Trump through the presidential primaries – one influential conservative radio host publicly belittled him as a “buffoon” and “clown.”
Now, Trump hopes that his running mate, Mike Pence, will prove to be a secret weapon when he is dispatched to this important swing state Wednesday.
Pence was set to campaign in the heart of conservative Wisconsin, a three-county region considered the epicenter of the state’s never-Trump movement, which Trump lost to rival Ted Cruz by a whopping 40 points.
The rally in Waukesha, a suburb of Milwaukee, is Pence’s first solo campaign stop since he joined the ticket nearly two weeks ago. Joining him is Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, a former rival and recent Trump convert, who campaigned for Cruz ahead of the April primary.
As governor of nearby Indiana, the hope is that Pence will appeal to Wisconsin in a way Trump hasn’t, and fill the void left by Cruz’s exit. Pence initially backed Cruz’s candidacy and he’s got the strong backing from Walker, potentially earning him the support of those Republicans wary of Trump.