How things can change in just a day. Or an hour.
Yesterday, we learned about a Wabasha County Republican Party BPOU fundraiser featuring New Zealand activist Trevor Loudon via an image shared on Southeast Minnesota conservative activists' social media. We posted "Why Does MN Lean So Far Left?" Wabasha Co GOP BPOU goes down Trevor Loudon path again, noting we'd contacted the party unit to make sure it was the sponsor, since it wasn't listed on the party unit's social media assets.
The Wabasha County Republican Party BPOU Trevor Dunn returned an affirmative email early this morning.
Just before we went to update the post, we saw the updated Facebook post in the screenshot at the top of this entry.
Rochester area Meeting Tree organizer Wes Lund had posted this morning:
The event pictured below is CANCELLED. NEW LOCATION TBA. ** UPDATE: PLEASE READ CAREFULLY ** NEW VENUE TO BE ANNOUNCED, SUGGESTIONS WELCOME. OLD VENUE HAS CAVED AND CANCELLED UNDER PRESSURE. So, I created an event with Trevor Loudon for Tuesday September 27th, 2022. I could have booked other spaces, but a guy begged me to do it at his church. So, I agreed. Next thing I know, it turns into a "Meet and Greet" and even a "Fundraiser" for GOP Candidates. Next thing I know there is even artwork created calling it "Republicans United". So, you know me, people... I try to go along. Then my phone rings this morning and the Establishment wants to cancel Trevor Loudon because it may offend, the Press will jump all over the event, Trevor Loudon will offend the Democrats and Centrists. So, they created the event title: "Why is Minnesota So Far Left?" I guess they just answered their own question. In Minnesota, even the GOP is Left. They took over my event, changed it around, then cancelled my speaker. They again used me to promote their centrist, GOP Appeasement Policy. **** UPDATE **** POLITICIANS CANCEL TREVOR LOUDON OVER CONCERNS HE WILL OFFEND CENTRISTS, MODERATE DEMOCRATS **** TREVOR LOUDON IS CANCELLED AT THIS EVENT.
CONGRATS TO GOP FOR USING TREVOR LOUDON'S NAME TO PROMOTE YOUR MEET AND GREET FUNDRAISER.
In an August 30 Facebook post of the image, Lund added:
**** UPDATE **** POLITICIANS CANCEL TREVOR LOUDON OVER CONCERNS HE WILL OFFEND CENTRISTS, MODERATE DEMOCRATS **** TREVOR LOUDON IS CANCELLED AT THIS EVENT. CONGRATS TO GOP FOR USING TREVOR LOUDON'S NAME TO PROMOTE YOUR MEET AND GREET FUNDRAISER.
Was that true? We called the chair of the BPOU, who knew nothing about the cancellation. He suggested that we call Dave Mohler, pastor at Zumbro Community Church in Zumbro Falls, who had approached the Republican party unit at one of their regularly scheduled meetings about sponsoring Loudon again. They agreed. Dunn didn't know about Wes Lund's involvement in securing Loudon's services.
We called Mohler, a very civil conservative Christian, who confirmed both Dunn and Lund's stories. Without knowing Lund was Loudon's contact, the Wabasha County Republican Party BPOU had agreed to sponsor his talk when Mohler approached the meeting. As we mentioned in our first post, state campaign finance reports for the BPOU show that the party unit had paid for use of the church facility for earlier organizing and fundraising events.
Not an unusual thing in small town Minnesota, where meeting and event space is limited.
Once the event image started circulating, Mohler was contacted by area Republican legislative candidates, who thought they'd lose leaning independent and DFL voters by being connected in the media with Loudon's views. Mohler considered their point-of-view and decided to make the event "nonpolitical." That is, not connected with a political party, candidates, or election.
He said he'd be getting together with Lund for the rejigged event and would call Dunn to talk over the changes as well.
We'll update this breaking story as it evolves. We do share Lund's frustration with the timidity of the Republican politicians unwilling to stand with the event.
However, the candidates might be on to something about negative press. From Wednesday's post:
It's not the first time the Republican BPOU has hosted Trevor Loudon--or gotten attention for its activity.
Back in April 2021, Matt Stolle reported for the Rochester Bulletin, Wabasha County GOP featured far-right conspiracy theorist at event:
A dinner hosted by the Wabasha County Republican Party last month featured keynote speaker Trevor Loudon, a far-right conspiracy theorist who told the GOP faithful that more than a hundred members of Congress should be investigated for espionage, that the killing of George Floyd and the unrest that followed "was planned since 2016," and suggested that voting machines were rigged in last year's presidential election.
Loudon spoke at a GOP "Wabasha County BPOU: Minnesota On the Rise" banquet held March 27 at the Zumbro Community Church. It was attended by an estimated 400 people, according to a YouTube comment beneath a video of Loudon's speech. . . .
In his remarks to the 400 gathered at the GOP event, Loudon said that:
- More than 100 members of Congress should be investigated for espionage. "We need to investigate about 100 of your Democratic colleagues for working for foreign governments and the communist and Islamic movements."
- Offered a conspiracy theory that the killing of Floyd and the subsequent civil unrest was planned since 2016. "This was planned since 2016, folks. This was all organized by a group headquartered in Minnesota called the 'Freedom Road Socialist Organization.'"
- Pushed a conspiracy theory that the pandemic was a planned effort by the Chinese government so President Trump would lose the 2020 election. "The People's War (Chinese government) is biological weaponry. The COVID was deliberately spread to this country. It was timed for an election year to destroy your economy, destroy Trump and an even worse purpose."
- Suggested that voting machines were rigged despite an absence of evidence. "Second, no more voting machines. None. Now, there are probably voting machines out there that are perfectly reliable. There probably are. The fact is, most of our base doesn't trust them because we've been lied to and scammed."
- Advocated that conservative states and counties band together to defy legislation passed by a democratically elected government. He said he was not advocating secession, but his proposal would have the same effect. "I don't mean to leave the union. I want to go back to that people, so you can join together and you tell a federal government we will not implement any unconstitutional directives in our states."
While the GOP chairwoman declined to comment, the Wabasha County Republicans hailed the evening on its Facebook page as an "amazing night with so many of our conservative friends from across southeast Minnesota!"
"Trevor Loudon ... did an amazing job talking about the future of America and our Republican Party," it said.The Wabasha County Republican BPOU has a reputation for going there, Stolle noted:
This isn't the first time the Wabasha GOP has cozied up to extremist views and has been used as a vehicle for incendiary statements.
Last year, the party was condemned by Jewish organizations after an image comparing mask mandates to Nazi Germany's persecution of Jewish people was posted on Wabasha County GOP's Facebook Page.
A Wabasha County GOP official initially claimed that its Facebook page had been hacked. But later, Minnesota Republican Party Chairwoman Jennifer Carnahan said the picture was posted by a county GOP board member, who resigned at the party's request.
Loudon has likened Obama to Hitler and Stalin, saying that Obama loves his county "in the same way that Adolph Hitler loved Germany and Stalin loved Russia. You know, he wants to transform it into a new vision," Loudon said in a 2015 interview, according to Right Wing Watch. . . .
Yeah, that Republican county BPOU.
The video of the event embedded in the Post Bulletin coverage is no longer available, with the note "This video has been removed for violating YouTube's Terms of Service."
Stolle's article was published across the Forum News Service newspaper network and picked up by some online sites. National Zero focused on one of Loudon's claims in Speaker at Minnesota GOP event says Floyd murder was planned; Politzoom posted a similar headline: MN County GOP Event Headlined By Birther Who Claimed George Floyd’s Murder Was A Hoax.
Loudon wasn't cheap. According to the 2021 year-end campaign finance report filed with the Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board, Loudon was paid $1000.00 for the speaking gig.
We're not sure what Loudon's price tag is in 2022, and it looks like a least some share of the proceeds will be shared. Those Republican candidates who decide to attend this stellar event will reap the benefits of the $10 donation at the door. Under Minnesota campaign finance regulations, party units are able to make contributions to candidate committees.
As we said, we'll keep readers updated.
Screengrab: From Wes Lund's Facebook post.
Related posts:
- "Why Does MN Lean So Far Left?" Wabasha Co GOP BPOU goes down Trevor Loudon path again
- Wabasha County GOP Facebook post only latest offensive trope from Minnesota Republicans
- Commies, Muslims & terrorists, oh my: Loudon joins bush league in Little Falls & St. Cloud MN
- Help Trevor Loudon, Central MN Tea Party Patriots speaker, fill in bios of dirty hippies
- Foreign Conspiracy Theorist Urges Legislators to Pass Illegal Ban on Immigration to South Dakota [Dakota Free Press]
- Anti-Muslim Hate Sessions Add McCarthyite Strand to Republican Voter Suppression [Dakota Free Press]
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