BELLEVUE, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — Republican gubernatorial candidate Tim Michels traveled around the state today and made a stop in Northeast Wisconsin.
The appearance comes after some confusion from his campaign’s website.
Former President Trump’s endorsement of Michels was taken down from his campaign website, only to return less than an hour later.
“This is not about winning the primary,” Michels said. “This has always been about beating Tony Evers and getting proven, executive experience in the governor’s office.”
A Tweet from a New York Times reporter shows Michels’ website before winning the Wisconsin primary with an endorsement from former President Trump, and then after without Trump’s endorsement.
“What’s kind of the story there, was that something you meant to do?” FOX 11 asked the gubernatorial nominee.
“No, you know, it wasn’t even transparent to me,” Michels went on. “I don’t know if we just had a staffer that did that.”
But Chair of the Democratic Party of Brown County isn’t convinced that’s really what happened.
“I think it’s nice that Mr. Michels came out of hiding over the last week since his primary win.” Lee said. He believes it’s part of Michels’ campaign strategy.
“He went out and got the radicals to get him support for his agenda here, and he then drops Trump right after that,” said Lee. “So, it just shows how far he’s willing to go to get your vote but not actually care about you.”
Michels doesn’t think that’s the case.
“So, just to be clear, that is not something you directed a staffer to do, it was just a mistake?” FOX 11 asked Michels.
“Clear,” Michels said.
A recent Marquette poll shows Michels trailing Gov. Tony Evers by two percentage points.
Michels contends there’s a group of people who don’t talk to pollsters.
“I’ve heard the rumors, I haven’t seen them, that there’s some even better polling out there,” Michels said, without giving specifics.
The Republican gubernatorial candidate is confident he will defeat Evers come November.
