The Biden campaign hit former President Donald Trump on Tuesday for failing to deliver promised jobs and benefits from a major electronics project that broke ground in Wisconsin during his term in 2018.
Two billboard ads blasting the “Foxconn con” will greet Mr. Trump before his rally in Racine, Wisconsin.
The ads refer to Mr. Trump’s promise to deliver the “eighth wonder of the world” and 13,000 jobs in Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin, through a $10 billion investment from Foxconn, a Taiwanese electronics company.
The project fizzled and was scaled back to an estimated 1,500 jobs before Microsoft purchased the land in early 2023 for a new project.
The Democratic National Committee says Mr. Trump “touted a project that wasted millions in taxpayer dollars for a manufacturing plant he couldn’t follow through on.”
“Trump doesn’t know — or care — about working Wisconsinites’ experiences. There is just one candidate on the ballot fighting for good jobs for Wisconsin families: Joe Biden,” DNC spokeswoman Addy Toevs said.
Billboards appear to be the DNC’s favored tactic as the candidates compete for Wisconsin and its 10 electoral votes this November. Last week, Democrats purchased 10 billboards to slam Mr. Trump’s reported remark about Milwaukee being a “horrible city.”
Mr. Trump’s team said the former president was referring to crime and alleged voter fraud in Milwaukee, which will host the Republican National Convention in mid-July.
Mr. Biden visited Wisconsin in May to knock Mr. Trump over Foxconn’s fizzle-out and promote Microsoft’s plan to create about 2,000 jobs.
The Republican National Committee pushed back on Mr. Biden’s economic record at the time, saying residents in the Badger State are struggling with inflation under the president’s watch. Inflation has cost the average Wisconsin family $21,981 annually in extra costs, the RNC said.
“Joe Biden is trying to save face in Racine County as Wisconsinites feel the pain of Bidenomics,” RNC Chairman Michael Whatley said in May. “Manufacturing has stalled, family farms are shuttering, and costs are up for everything from electricity and gas to food and housing.”
• Jeff Mordock contributed to this report.
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
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