Hours after reports of a gunman opening fire at theWhite House Correspondents' Dinneron Saturday night, forcing the evacuation of President Donald Trump and the First Lady, a brewery in northern Wisconsin took to Facebook to express what it called disappointment that the attack had failed.
Minocqua Brewing Company is not a typical small-town taproom. Its owner, Kirk Bangstad, ran as the Democratic nominee for Wisconsin's 34th Assembly District in 2020, losing to Republican incumbent Rob Swearingen. He founded a SuperPAC under the brewery's name that has raised millions to unseat Republican officeholders and previously filed a lawsuit to remove Trump from the state's 2024 ballot.
The business openly markets itself as a 'progressive' brand, selling products called 'WOKE Coffee' and beer named after Democratic politicians, with a cut of proceeds going to liberal causes,Fox Newswrote.
On Saturday, the company's Facebook account posted: '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. We'll never know. Regardless, we stand at the ready to pour free beer the day it happens.'
The post referred to the incident at theWashington Hilton, where asuspect identified as Cole Tomas Allen, 31, of Torrance, California, rushed a security checkpoint carrying firearms. Allen was arrested. Trump and Melania Trump were evacuated unharmed.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said Allen appeared to have been targeting administration officials at the event.
The messaging was not new. The brewery has been running what it calls 'Free Beer Day' for months.
The original post, dated 23 January on the brewery's Facebook page, read: 'Free beer, all day long, the day he dies. Show us this post when it happens in a few months, and we'll make good on that promise.' An update added that the offer applied to the Madison taproom, which is open year-round, unless the death fell in summer, in which case it would shift to the Minocqua location. The post attracted 13,800 likes, 2,700 comments, and 729 shares.
Bangstad previously told Fox News he would welcome anyone to celebrate the 'impending death of a twice-impeached convicted felon.' His one condition: 'No red hats allowed.'
The company turned the slogan into retail. Its online store carries T-shirts reading 'I Wish It Was Free Beer Day at Minocqua Brewing Company,' printed with a red necktie referencing the president. What began as a social media provocation became a commercial product.
Source: International Business Times UK
