Dozens of supporters of former President Donald Trump faced mounting confusion Tuesday morning outside Discovery World. “We got here around 5:30 this morning … there was nobody else here, which was surprising to us,” Tom McAuliffe, who traveled from Orland Park, Illinois, and stayed overnight in Milwaukee, said Tuesday. WISN 12 News reporter Madison Moore spoke with supporters who showed up hours ahead of a planned 5 p.m. Trump campaign event with tickets in hand for what they thought would be a rally.After waiting a few hours, U.S. Secret Service agents informed them they wouldn’t be let inside for the event. A Trump campaign staffer at Discovery World told WISN 12 News they had to make a last-minute change from a public rally to a closed press conference for security and capacity reasons. The campaign says they notified ticket holders via email, but a handful of supporters at Discovery World Tuesday had a different email in hand. McAuliffe received an email Monday night from the Trump campaign stating the event would be highly restricted due to capacity limits but that a limited number of guests would be allowed inside starting at 3 p.m. “I don’t know what to believe, so I’m just going to wait until I’m arrested or get a signed Donald Trump hat. I’m not leaving,” supporter Lucas John said. Throughout the day, more supporters and people hoping to attend the event continued to show up, not knowing they wouldn’t be allowed in.”I made the journey because this is such an extraordinarily crucial election,” Megan Bearder said.Bearder came to Milwaukee from Chicago for the event.”As soon as I pulled up and my friend called and said, oh, it’s canceled to the public. But we’re all still out here and having a good time. And we really care about this country,” Bearder said. “I talked to both law enforcement and homeland security,” Peter School, a Trump supporter from Milwaukee, said. “And what did they tell you?” WISN 12 News reporter Kendall Keys asked. “Both the same thing. That it was due to misinformation. That it was always a private event, which I don’t totally believe. But it is what it is,” School said. Supporters like School still stuck it out for hours. A crowd holding signs and wearing Trump merch waited outside Discovery World, hoping to catch a glimpse of the Republican nominee as the motorcade rolled in. “Even if I get a wave or a thumbs up at him, to me, it’s a way to show gratitude for what he did for our country for four years,” Forrest Benson, in Milwaukee for work, said.WISN 12 News reached out to the Trump campaign to find out if any supporters were let inside the event, but we are still waiting to hear back.
Dozens of supporters of former President Donald Trump faced mounting confusion Tuesday morning outside Discovery World.
“We got here around 5:30 this morning … there was nobody else here, which was surprising to us,” Tom McAuliffe, who traveled from Orland Park, Illinois, and stayed overnight in Milwaukee, said Tuesday.
WISN 12 News reporter Madison Moore spoke with supporters who showed up hours ahead of a planned 5 p.m. Trump campaign event with tickets in hand for what they thought would be a rally.
After waiting a few hours, U.S. Secret Service agents informed them they wouldn’t be let inside for the event.
A Trump campaign staffer at Discovery World told WISN 12 News they had to make a last-minute change from a public rally to a closed press conference for security and capacity reasons.
The campaign says they notified ticket holders via email, but a handful of supporters at Discovery World Tuesday had a different email in hand.
McAuliffe received an email Monday night from the Trump campaign stating the event would be highly restricted due to capacity limits but that a limited number of guests would be allowed inside starting at 3 p.m.
“I don’t know what to believe, so I’m just going to wait until I’m arrested or get a signed Donald Trump hat. I’m not leaving,” supporter Lucas John said.
Throughout the day, more supporters and people hoping to attend the event continued to show up, not knowing they wouldn’t be allowed in.
“I made the journey because this is such an extraordinarily crucial election,” Megan Bearder said.
Bearder came to Milwaukee from Chicago for the event.
“As soon as I pulled up and my friend called and said, oh, it’s canceled to the public. But we’re all still out here and having a good time. And we really care about this country,” Bearder said.
“I talked to both law enforcement and homeland security,” Peter School, a Trump supporter from Milwaukee, said.
“And what did they tell you?” WISN 12 News reporter Kendall Keys asked.
“Both the same thing. That it was due to misinformation. That it was always a private event, which I don’t totally believe. But it is what it is,” School said.
Supporters like School still stuck it out for hours. A crowd holding signs and wearing Trump merch waited outside Discovery World, hoping to catch a glimpse of the Republican nominee as the motorcade rolled in.
“Even if I get a wave or a thumbs up at him, to me, it’s a way to show gratitude for what he did for our country for four years,” Forrest Benson, in Milwaukee for work, said.
WISN 12 News reached out to the Trump campaign to find out if any supporters were let inside the event, but we are still waiting to hear back.