A Wisconsin Democrat was ejected from a farmers market after a volunteer discreetly handed out “Is he dead already?” bracelets that seemed to mock President Trump, including one intended for a young girl.
The Winnebago County Democratic Party has decided not to set up a table at the Oshkosh Farmers Market anymore, citing an uptick in hostile rhetoric against Trump and his supporters since his recent return to office.
An alarming incident occurred when volunteers presented an anti-Trump bracelet to an 8-year-old and showed it to her mother on a Sunday outing, as reported by local media.
Katie Neubauer, the girl’s mother, was taken aback by the bracelet and tossed it into a basket filled with other anti-Trump materials, according to reports.
“This is hate speech. It suggests wishing someone dead. That’s not acceptable, under any circumstances,” said a visibly upset Neubauer.
Michelle Schmidt-Schultz, the manager of the Oshkosh Farmers Market, confirmed that the Democratic Committee was responsible for distributing the bracelets, which led to about ten complaints from attendees and violated market guidelines.
As a result, local officials and market representatives agreed that the Winnebago Democrats would not participate in the remaining markets this season.
The bracelet also sparked outrage among Republicans statewide. Rep. Tom Tiffany criticized the Wisconsin Democratic Party, citing concerns over political violence in light of a tragedy involving Charlie Kirk.
“This kind of rhetoric is unacceptable. I urge the Wisconsin Democratic Party to distance themselves from those responsible and prevent them from participating in future events,” he stated.
Despite the backlash, the state Democratic Committee distanced itself from the bracelets, clarifying that the items were distributed without official authorization and contradict their values. They expressed regret that the incident occurred.
Local political organizations did not respond to requests for comments as of Wednesday.
