On Newsmax on Wednesday, Rep. Tony Wied, R-Wis., called out a Wisconsin brewery owner over a social media post that appeared to express disappointment after the failed assassination attempt against President Donald Trump on Saturday at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner.
Wied told "Bianca Across The Nation" and guest host Lidia Curanaj that the comments from Minocqua Brewing Company owner Kirk Bangstad crossed the line from free speech into what he described as "reprehensible" rhetoric.
"Well, here we have an owner of a brewery, and there's a lot of great breweries in Wisconsin. We love our beer," Wied said. "But here you have somebody that is literally saying that if the president gets assassinated, he wants to have free beer day, give away free beer.
"And he was upset that the shooter didn't hit his intended target. The president just here this weekend. It's reprehensible. It's disgusting language."
The controversy stems from a Facebook post on the night the suspect, Cole Tomas Allen, 31, breached a security checkpoint and tried to move toward the main ballroom before being stopped by law enforcement. The incident triggered a rapid evacuation of top officials.
The post stated, "Well, we almost got #freebeerday. Either a brother or sister in the Resistance needs to work on their marksmanship or he faked another assassination to get a positive news cycle."
Bangstad has previously promoted the idea of offering free beer on the day Trump dies, a campaign that has drawn backlash from Republicans and Democrats. The Wisconsin Democratic Party on Sunday denounced the post.
The FBI said Tuesday it is aware of the Facebook post, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported.
"Hateful rhetoric and speech are despicable," said Caroline Clancy, spokesperson for the FBI's Milwaukee office, adding that threats of violence "will be investigated."
Wied said the brewery owner's political ties make the comments more troubling.
"This is somebody that donates to the Democrat Party throughout Wisconsin. He's very involved setting up political action committees, PACs, and donating," Wied said. "But here's somebody that should not be saying these types of things. He needs to be investigated."
While emphasizing his support for free speech, Wied said public condemnation is warranted.
"Look, I believe in free speech. And I also believe in my right to call him out. And everyone should be calling him out for this disgusting behavior," he said.
Wied added that such rhetoric runs counter to the state's values.
"There's no place in our country for political violence and for this dangerous, disgusting rhetoric," he said. "That's not Wisconsin values."
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