MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The National Rifle Association on Monday issued a stinging rebuke of former President Donald Trump’s pick for Wisconsin governor, accusing him of misleading its members after his campaign falsely claimed the gun advocacy group had endorsed him.
Construction company co-owner Tim Michels is locked in a three-way GOP primary with former Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch and state Rep. Tim Ramthun. Michels won Trump’s endorsement in June. An endorsement from the NRA would have marked another huge win for him heading into the Aug. 9 election.
Michels’ campaign sent out a flyer that landed in mailboxes Saturday that claimed the NRA had endorsed him. Scott Meyer, a Wisconsin lobbyist who has done work for the NRA, said the group hasn’t endorsed anyone in the GOP primary and doesn’t plan to do so.
“All this came out of the blue,” Meyer said of the flyer. “Stunned is the best word to describe it. I’ve never seen this before.”
Michels’ campaign spokesman Chris Walker said in an email to The Associated Press on Monday that the claim was an “unintentional error” and has been immediately corrected with a new mailer that says Michels received an “AQ” grade on an NRA questionnaire about his stances on gun rights. Meyer said that grade indicates he answered the questions to the NRA’s satisfaction.
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