‘I’m Stunned!’ Mayor Calls BS On Trump Rally Rants About Milwaukee And ‘Election Security’

Democratic Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson told CNN’s Abby Phillip he was “stunned” by former President Donald Trump’s claim about his city, as well as his “crazy” rant about “election security.”

Trump gave a speech at a rally in Racine, Wisconsin on Tuesday — just days after Trump earned headlines with a reported slam on the Wisconsin city that will host the Republican National Convention.

During that rally, Trump claimed he chose Milwaukee to host the convention and ranted about crime and “election security.”

On Tuesday night’s edition of CNN NewsNight, Phillip asked Mayor Johnson about Trump’s claim and his message about crime and elections, and Johnson tore into Trump:

PHILLIP: And now, at the very beginning of tonight’s rally in Racine, Trump had this to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: I love Milwaukee. I was the one that picked Milwaukee, I have to tell you. I was the one that picked it. These lying people that they say, oh, he doesn’t like Milwaukee. I love Milwaukee. I said, you got to fix the crime, we all know that. You got to make sure the election is honest. But I’m the one that picked Milwaukee.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIP: So, just last week, the former president was quoted as calling Milwaukee, quote, horrible during a closed door meeting with House Republicans. That’s according to a source who was in the room. And since then, several members of Wisconsin’s delegation have said that the comment was made in the context of crime and elections, election lies, I should say.

Joining me now is Democratic Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson. Mayor, thanks for being here. So, the former president he’s now saying publicly he loves your city, but he did, according to those sources, call it horrible in private. What’s your reaction to the backtrack here from the podium tonight?

MAYOR CAVALIER JOHNSON (D-MILWAUKEE, WI): You know, it is really, really interesting, Abby, to hear former President Trump say now that he all of a sudden loves Milwaukee and that he even selected Milwaukee. Look, Abby, as you mentioned, I’m a Democrat and the mayor of the largest city in the state and we’re proud to host the Republican National Convention. We worked really, really hard to get the convention. The folks at the RNC have been great. Right before I was initially elected mayor, I took time off the campaign trail to go to Washington, D. C., to go to the RNC headquarters, to do the final pitch to bring the RNC here. And it was the RNC that selected Milwaukee. I think I would remember if Donald Trump had anything to do with that. He was nowhere to be found. That is a complete fabrication. I am stunned by that!

PHILLIP: And he’s also talking about crime and what he’s calling election security. But I just want to be really clear here. Milwaukee was a center of Trump’s election lie conspiracies for the former president.

The DNC has actually put up these billboards just to, I guess, try to make the point that Trump said these comments about Milwaukee.

I mean, what do you make of the fact that he’s now pinning this on a fabrication about election lies in your city, about crime, you could speak to that, but he’s now pinning this on these two issues that seem somewhat unrelated?

JOHNSON: These are incredible, hysterical things that Donald Trump is talking about. It doesn’t really make much sense. Abby, you know, the thing that’s most interesting to me right now is that Donald Trump says that there were election integrity issues in Milwaukee and other major cities across the United States, yet at the same time now he’s the cheerleader for Republicans to send in mail-in ballots, the exact same tool that many people, including many Democrats here and other places use the election. Now, he’s looking to use those exact same tools. It’s crazy. I don’t understand, I really don’t, what’s happening in the mind of Donald Trump.

Watch above via CNN NewsNight.