Political commentator Ann Coulter joined Wisconsin businessman Paul Nehlen’s efforts to unseat House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wisc., in Janesville, Wisconsin, Saturday.
Coulter and Nehlen charged Ryan with betraying the American people to corporate special interests such as the Koch brothers. Nehlen said the globalist agenda Ryan pushed has damaged the Wisconsin economy and endangered the lives of everyday Americans.
The event attracted around 100 supporters who often interjected with boos at the mention of Ryan’s name. Some supporters wore Trump merchandise and were confident in Trump’s support for their cause, despite his recent endorsement of Ryan.
Nehlen and his supporters seemed confident that Trump had been forced to endorse Ryan for purely political reasons. Andrew Brookbuske, a Nehlen and Trump supporter from Chicago, said he believes Trump will stand with Nehlen’s causes and was only forced to endorse Ryan.
“I know in his heart, Trump supports Nehlen,” Brookbuske said.
Even when compared against Trump’s rhetoric, Nehlen’s event featured particularly vitriolic language, especially with regard to immigrants. Anecdotes from two mothers whose sons were murdered by illegal immigrants further fueled the anti-immigrant sentiment.
The two mothers said they had attempted to talk to Ryan about their tragedies and the failure of the state to protect them, but Ryan had turned them away.
Coulter said there was little benefit to accepting a tide of Muslim immigrants whose religion teaches them to attack Americans. She scoffed at Ryan’s statement that the Kahn’s, a Muslim Gold Star family, should be honored.
“What other ways can we honor Mr.[Khizr] Kahn?” Coulter said. “Does this mean we have to start throwing gays off buildings? Do we have to cover up the women folk?”
Nehlen described the legislation establishment Republicans such as Ryan passed as catering exclusively to the wealthy donor class instead of everyday Americans. He spoke specifically about the damage the Trans Pacific Partnership would do, which Ryan supported.
Nehlen even challenged Ryan to meet him on the floor of closed manufacturing plants and debate the merits of his failed policies saying he would “own him.”
“While Wisconsin manufacturers will be cutting wages and workers, Vietnamese manufacturers will be cutting ribbons and opening factories,” Nehlen said.
Nehlen and his supporters said they believe Nehlen’s campaign stands against the globalist agenda of the wealthy donor class, who seek to dissolve the world’s borders and individual cultures. Brookbuske said Ryan has been nothing more than a puppet for those with globalist agendas.
“We’re tired of these elitist globalists … taking our jobs and destroying our communities,” Brookbuske said. “To hell with NAFTA, to hell with TPP, to hell with Ryan, we want Nehlen!”
