President Trump on Monday pinned a Republican governor’s defeat to a Democratic challenger on running in an election where marijuana legalization was also on the ballot.
Speaking in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, Mr. Trump blamed putting marijuana legalization on the ballot in 2018 with voters choosing a Democrat instead of reelecting Gov. Scott Walker.
“The next time you run please don’t put marijuana on the ballot at the same time you’re running,” Mr. Trump said to Mr. Walker.
“You brought out like a million people that nobody ever knew were coming out,” Mr. Trump added.
Marijuana legalization was not on the statewide ballot in Wisconsin in November 2018, when Mr. Walker’s bid for a third term was denied by Democratic rival Tony Evers.
Various nonbinding referendums in support of marijuana legalization were placed on the ballot in 16 counties and two cities that election and each easily passed, however.
Indeed, a total of nearly a million votes were cast by Wisconsin residents in support of the pro-marijuana referendums that fall, The Wisconsin State Journal reported at the time.
Marijuana is illegal under federal law, although most states have legalized its use for medicinal or recreational purposes to varying degrees.
Mr. Trump’s remarks to Mr. Walker occurred as the president campaigned in Oshkosh and were first reported by the Marijuana Moment website.
• Andrew Blake can be reached at ablake@washingtontimes.com.
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