KENOSHA, Wis. (AP) - Gov. Scott Walker said Tuesday that his support for Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump hasn’t changed, despite the release of a 2005 video in which the New York billionaire boasted about forcing himself on women and allegations that Trump groped or sexually assaulted several women over the past few decades.
Walker said Trump’s comments about women are inexcusable but that his support for him hasn’t changed since he first made the case at the Republican national convention that electing Trump was better than a Hillary Clinton presidency. He made clear, though, that it was unlikely he’d campaign with Trump in the last few weeks of the campaign.
“My focus is on Ron Johnson and other candidates in the state of Wisconsin,” Walker said after an event in Kenosha to welcome a company to Wisconsin.
About a dozen women have recently accused Trump of making unwanted sexual advances toward them over the years. Trump has denied the allegations, calling the women liars.
Top Wisconsin Republicans skipped Trump’s Monday night appearance in Green Bay, including Walker, Sen. Johnson and House Speaker Paul Ryan.
Trump has been sharply critical of Ryan since the speaker suggested earlier this month that he would do little to help the nominee’s campaign. Many in the crowd during Trump’s appearance Monday began chanting “Paul Ryan sucks.” Walker said Tuesday that Ryan doesn’t need to be defended.
“That’s a sample of the people in this state. If you look overall, the people of his district overwhelmingly affirmed him in the primary and I will assume they’ll do the same in the general election,” the governor said.
Trump has also accused Ryan of not being supportive in investigating voter fraud, which Trump contends is a widespread problem. There is no evidence to back up Trump’s claim of widespread voter fraud. A study by a Loyola Law School professor found that out of 1 billion votes cast in all American elections between 2000 and 2014, there were only 31 known cases of impersonation fraud.
Walker said he has confidence in the integrity of Wisconsin’s election.
“Our laws and the way we run the elections, it’ll be easy to vote but hard to cheat,” Walker said, referring to the state’s voter ID law, which requires photo identification at the polls.
Walker was in Kenosha to welcome Colbert Packaging Corp. to Wisconsin. The maker of cartons, boxes and paperboard specialty products is moving 100 employees from northern Illinois to a new manufacturing facility in Kenosha.
Colbert Packaging president Jim Hamilton said many of the company’s employees live along the Illinois-Wisconsin border and I-94 corridor, and some already call Kenosha County home.
The Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation authorized up to $850,000 in state tax credits over the next three years, contingent on the number of jobs created and capital invested.
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