Former President Donald Trump and Democratic Vice Presidential nominee Kamala Harris are set to campaign in Wisconsin on Wednesday, with Trump appearing in Green Bay alongside retired NFL quarterback Brett Favre. Favre, a longtime supporter of Trump, has recently been embroiled in a welfare scandal in his home state of Mississippi.
Favre, a former Green Bay Packers star, has repaid over $1 million in speaking fees funded by the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Program. Mississippi Auditor Shad White revealed that Favre failed to show up for the speaking engagements and still owes nearly $730,000 in interest.
Despite the scandal, Favre has been active on social media, expressing support for Trump and criticizing Harris. He recently lamented the level of animosity in the current election cycle.
With the election just days away, Harris will be traveling from Pennsylvania to Wisconsin and then North Carolina, while Trump will be moving from North Carolina to Wisconsin. Wisconsin is a crucial battleground state, with Trump winning it in 2016 and losing to Joe Biden in 2020 by a narrow margin.
The focus on Wisconsin is strategic, given its history of deciding elections by slim margins. Trump's association with Favre aims to leverage the quarterback's popularity in the state, despite the controversy surrounding the welfare scandal.
The scandal in Mississippi involved the misallocation of welfare funds, with only a fraction reaching families in need. Favre's business, Favre Enterprises, received substantial payments from a nonprofit group using welfare money intended for a university volleyball arena project.
The director of the nonprofit and her son have pleaded guilty to misspending welfare funds and are cooperating with authorities. Favre, who disclosed his Parkinson's disease diagnosis earlier this year, testified before a congressional committee on welfare reform.
The Mississippi scandal underscores the need for reform in welfare programs to ensure funds reach those in need. As the candidates continue their campaign efforts in key swing states, the spotlight remains on Wisconsin as a pivotal battleground in the upcoming election.
