Republican vice presidential nominee, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, speaks at AmeriLux in De Pere, Aug. 28, 2024. PC: Fox 11 Online
ASHWAUBENON (WTAQ-WLUK) – If you were at the Packers game, you might have seen a large police-led motorcade traveling the streets around Lambeau Field.
Senator JD Vance was campaigning around the stadium before the game.
His campaign tried to keep the visit quiet ahead of time.
Packers fans wetting their whistle and enjoying a pregame bite at Kroll’s West received quite a surprise 75 minutes before kickoff when Republican Presidential nominee walked in.
“I was kind of thinking I saw the dogs, the extra security, so I saw something coming,” said Garrit Gronowski of Dousman, Wisconsin.
Vance received a warm welcome as he served and drank a little beer behind the bar.
“He seems like a down to Earth guy,” said Tom Luke of Egan, Minnesota.
After Kroll’s, Vance made his way to a private tailgate filled with Republican supporters at a home backed up to Lambeau Field’s east parking lot.
“Totally awesome,” said John Koester of Allouez. “I was so surprised he was going to come to this. We were both gracious and thankful that we were invited.”
“I’ve never been to Lambeau Field,” Vance said to the crowd. “I’m a long suffering Bengals fan.this is like a religious pilgrimage for a football fan, right?”
So, you might be wondering how did they get away with having a candidate for Vice President out tailgating right in the shadow of Lambeau Field. Large military-style armored vehicles provided a barrier between the private home and the fans walking and tailgating in Lambeau’s parking lot.
The crowd for Vance included Republican congressional candidate Tony Wied. His opponent, Democrat Kristin Lyerly, reacted to Vance’s visit from the other side of the stadium.
“It’s a distraction,” said Lyerly. “We’re here to watch the Packers. The folks in Green Bay are not interested in talking about politics right now. They’re interested in making sure the Packers have a win today.”
“Let’s beat the Texans today, but most importantly in 2 1/2 weeks let’s win the battle that really matters,” said Vance. “Let’s kick Kamala Harris back the hell back to San Francisco.”
After his visit to football holy land, Vance headed south to an event in Waukesha – geared toward winning the Catholic vote.
Vance and former President Trump trail Vice President Harris and Governor Walz in the latest Marquette Law School poll for Wisconsin. It was just a one percent advantage for the Democrats, well within the poll’s margin of error.
Comments